Laeocathaica minwui Pall-Gergely sp. nov.

Figure 21

Type material.

Holotype China • China, O. Sy-tshuan, coll. C.R. Boettger ex coll. Möllendorff ex coll. L. Fuchs, SMF 95019 (D = 23.1, H = 9.1) (Fig. 21). Paratypes China • Yangtze-Tal, coll. Jetschin ex coll. Beddome, SMF 95020/1 (mixed sample with L. carinifera) • W. China, Sy-tshuan, coll. Kobelt ex coll. Möllendorff, SMF 6920/1 (det. Wu 2008, labelled as L. christinae) • China: Hupei: Kao-cha-hien, coll. O. Boettger ex coll. B. Schmacker, 1893, SMF 24263/1 (det. Wu 2008, labelled as L. christinae) • China, O. Sy-tshuan, coll. Möllendorff, SMF 24255a/5 • China: Chang-Yang, coll. O. Boettger ex coll. M. Schmacker, SMF 42563/2 • Moupin, leg. Abbé David, MNHN-IM-2014-7939/14 (probably erroneous locality).

Diagnosis.

A rather large Laeocathaica species with a sharp keel, a domed dorsal side, an oval aperture and a marmorated ventral side.

Description.

Shell sinistral, depressed, with domed dorsal side, keel strong, situated in the middle of body whorl, whitish; dorsal side latte-coloured, with darker and paler areas alternating as the shell grows; ventral side with white and pale brownish (latte) spiral bands forming a marmorated colour pattern; inner side of umbilicus with brownish spiral band; protoconch light brownish, ca. 1.5 whorls, finely granulose, slightly protrudes above first whorls of teleoconch; entire shell consists of six whorls; dorsal side finely ribbed, ventral side smoother, only with growth lines; umbilicus ca. one third of shell width; shows all whorls; periumbilical keel absent; aperture oblique to shell axis, oval, without incision at the position of keel; peristome white, expanded and slightly thickened, but not reflexed (only in direction of umbilicus); parietal callus practically absent, only with some additional translucent calcareous layer.

Measurements (in mm): D = 23.1, H = 9.1 (holotype).

Differential diagnosis.

Laeocathaica minwui sp. nov. has been confused with L. christinae in museum collections, probably due to the lack of examination of the types of L. christinae . However, L. christinae has a flatter dorsal side, a more upper-situated peripheral keel, a darker brown (instead of latte) colour, a more uniformly white ventral side with a brown spiral band inside the umbilicus, and brownish spots. In contrast, in the new species the ventral side is characterised by a marmorated (marbled-like) pattern resulted by the fusing of whitish and pale brown spiral bands. Laeocathaica filippina has a notched aperture at the position of the peripheral keel, a more brownish colour, and a less marmorated ventral side. See also Table 3.

Etymology.

This new species is dedicated to and named after Dr. Min Wu, the leading expert of Chinese Camaenidae .

Distribution.

This new species is only known from historical samples from the Yangtze valley. Other samples labelled as being collected from Sichuan are not precise enough to understand their geographic origin.