Laeocathaica carinifera (H. Adams, 1870)

Figure 12

Helix (Plectotropis) christinae var. carinifera H. Adams, 1870: 377.

Helix subsimilis Deshayes, 1874: 10, pl. 2, figs 28-29.

Helix christinae . - Möllendorff 1884: 351.

Helix subsimilis . - Gredler 1884: 264.

Helix christinae var. carinifera . - Möllendorff 1884: 351.

Laeocathaica subsimilis . - Möllendorff 1899: 89.

Laeocathaica stenochone Möllendorff 1899: 91, pl. 5, fig. 4. new synonym

Laeocathaica subsimilis subsimilis . - Yen 1939: 148, pl. 15, fig. 28.

Laeocathaica stenochone . - Yen 1939: 148, pl. 15, fig. 30.

Laeocathaica (Laeocathaica) stenochone . - Zilch 1968: 175.

Laeocathaica (Laeocathaica) subsimilis . - Zilch 1968: 175.

Laeocathaica subsimilis . - Chen and Zhang 2004: 313, fig. 299 (treats filippina as a synonym).

Laeocathaica stenochone . - Chen and Zhang 2004: 314, fig. 301.

Laeocathaica subsimilis subsimilis . - Wu 2004: 86, 89, 98, 112, fig. 17 (figure labelled as L. filippina).

Type material.

China, Woushan, coll. Swinhoe, NHMUK 1870.7.16.7 (3 shells, probably syntypes of Helix christinae var. carinifera, labelled as " Laeocathaica christinae var") (Fig. 12A) • China, coll. Swinhoe, NHMUK 1870.7.16.8 (3 shells, probably syntypes of Helix christinae var. carinifera, labelled as " Laeocathaica christinae var") • Thibet, leg. Abbé David, 1870, MNHN/1 syntype of H. subsimilis (broken) • Thibet (Moupin), leg. Abbé David, 1869, MNHN/12 syntypes of H. subsimilis (some of them are juvenile/broken) • Chine, leg. Abbé David, 1874, MNHN/1 syntype of H. subsimilis • China (SO-Gansu): Moupin, Thibet Oriental, leg. David, coll. Deshayes, 1872 in coll. Crosse, MNHN-IM-2014-7944/2 syntypes of H. subsimilis • Hsi-gu-tseng, coll. Möllendorff ex coll. Potanin 577, SMF 9071 (lectotype of L. stenochone, Fig. 12D) • Same data, SMF 9072/1 (paralectotype of L. stenochone) • SO-Gansu, Zw. Yü-lin-guan u. Wen-hsien, SMF 8951/1 (paralectotype of L. stenochone) • Sy-tchuan, coll. Möllendorff ex coll. Berezowski, 908c, SMF 24270/1 (paralectotype of L. stenochone).

Museum material.

China, Yangtze-Tal, coll. Jetschin ex coll. Beddome, SMF 95020 / 1 (mixed sample with L. christinae) • Lü-feng-kou b. Guan-yüan, coll. Möllendorff ex coll. Potanin 270, SMF 24264 /4 (Fig. 12B) • China (Sy-tchuan): zw. Guan-yüan u. Dshau-hoa, coll. Möllendorff ex coll. Potanin 275, SMF 24256 / 3 • WM-China, Sy-tchuan, Chung-King, coll. O. Boettger ex coll. Möllendorff, SMF 24262 /4 • China: Badung, Hubei, coll. Möllendorff ex coll. L. Fuchs, SMF 24259 / 2; O-Sy-tschuan, coll. Möllendorff, SMF 24255 /4 • China: W-Hupé, ex Gredler, SMF 294293/2 • China: Kwan-juön-hszién (Kuan-yuan-hsien), Prov. Sze-csuen , China, ex coll. T. Kormos, SMF 24260 /1 • China, Coll. H. Rolle, SMF 294294/1; China: Sytchuan, coll. C. Bosch ex coll. H. Rolle, SMF 294292/2 (mixed sample with L. filippina) • W-China: Prov. Sy-chuan, coll. C.R. Boettger, SMF 95117 / 1 • Sytschuan: Tal des Lu-fyn-kou nördlich von der Stadt Juanj-juanj, leg. Potanin, coll. Jetschin, SMF 95116 / 1 • Same locality, MNHN-IM-2014-7935/2 • China: Yang-dsy Gebiet, coll. Möllendorff ex coll. Heude, SMF 24265 /2 • China: Shen-hsi, Liu-ba-ting, coll. Möllendorff ex coll. Potanin 451, SMF 24261 / 2 • O-Sytchuan, coll. Kobelt (alte Schau-Sammlung) ex coll. Möllendorff, SMF 24258 / 3 • O-Sy-tchuan, coll. Möllendorff ex coll. B. Schmacker, SMF 24257 /4 • Paoning, Szechuan, Don: Tomlin, 1946, MNHN-IM-2014-7931/ 4 adult + 2 juvenile shells • Chine, Chungking, Sytschouan, coll. Letellier, 1949, MNHN-IM-2014-7936/1 • Chine, coll. Denis, 1945, MNHN-IM-2014-7937/2 • China, Baoning, MNHN-IM-2014-7941/ 1 juvenile shell • Turkestan, leg. Potanin, MNHN-IM-2014-7943/ 1 adult + 1 juvenile shell • Chine, collector’s name not readable, 1878, MNHN-IM-2014-7938/1 • Chine, coll. Fischer, MNHN/1 • Hupé, China, MNHN-IM-2014-7940/1 • Hupé, China, coll. Staadt, 1969, MNHN-IM-2014-7929/1 + 2 L. filippina shell (mixed sample, erroneous locality for L. carinifera) .

New material.

China • 3 shells; Gansu, Longnan Shi, Wenxian, Bikou Zhen, above the hydroelectric power plant, northern side of Bailong He (locality code: 2016/63); 32°45.966'N, 105°13.005'E; 28 May 2016; A. Hunyadi leg.; HA • 1 shell; Gansu, Longnan Shi, Wenxian, Jianshan Xiang, 1800 m west of Jianshan towards Diaohuya, right side of road no. 212 (locality code: 2016/70b); 33°2.922'N, 104°50.840'E; 29 May 2016; A. Hunyadi leg.; HA • 3 shells; Gansu, Longnan Shi, Wenxian, Jianshan Xiang, southern edge of Hekou Cun, western bank of Bailong He (locality code: 2016/67); 33°02.014'N, 104°53.478'E; 800 m a.s.l.; 29 May 2016; A. Hunyadi leg.; HA • 3 shells; Gansu, Longnan Shi, Wenxian, Jianshan Xiang, 600 m west of Jianshan towards Diaohuya (locality code: 2016/70a); 33°02.559'N, 104°51.254'E; 850 m a.s.l.; 29 May 2016; A. Hunyadi leg.; HA (Fig. 12C) • 3 shells; Gansu, Longnan Shi, Wenxian, Jianshan Xiang, 1200 m south of Hekou Cun, eastern bank of Bailong He (locality code: 2016/68); 33°01.703'N, 104°53.602'E; 810 m a.s.l.; 29 May 2016; A. Hunyadi leg.; HA • 2 shells; Gansu, Longnan Shi, Wudu Xian, Hanwang Zhen, Wanxiangdong, path below the cave (locality code: 2016/85); 33°19.824'N, 105°00.273'E; 1160 m a.s.l.; 01 June 2016; A. Hunyadi leg.; HA • 2 shells; Shaanxi, Hanzhong Shi, Lueyang Xian, Gaojiaba, along the highway (locality code: 2016/96); 33°22.090'N, 106°10.116'E; 06 June 2016; A. Hunyadi leg.; HA • 3 shells; Gansu, Longnan Shi, Wudu Xian, Chengguan Zhen, northwest of Jiezhou Botanical Garden, hill above the city (locality code: 2016/86); 33°23.809'N, 104°55.524'E; 1035 m a.s.l.; 01 June 2016; A. Hunyadi leg.; HA • 2 shells; Sichuan, Chengdu Shi, Chengdu, Nanda Jie, stone fence (locality code: 2015/78); 30°39.228'N, 104°3.659'E; 23 June 2015; A. Hunyadi & M. Szekeres leg.; HA .

Distribution.

The original description Helix christinae var. carinifera was published together with that of the nominotypical form, without any specification of a type locality. However, on one of the boxes of Helix christinae var. carinifera in the NHM, the locality Woushan (probably Wushan, Chongqing at 31°5'N, 109°53'E) was mentioned. The type locality of Helix subsimilis is Moupin (Baoxing, at 30°22'N, 102°49'E) in Tibet. Furthermore, Wu (2004) dissected Laeocathaica subsimilis specimens collected at Nanchong, Sichuan. All precise locality data are known from southern Gansu and from the centre of Chengdu city in Sichuan (probably introduced?). Therefore, it is possible that L. carinifera is a widespread species, or the locality data from 250-450 km from southern Gansu are the results of imprecise labelling. On the map (Fig. 11) we only indicate the newly reported samples from southern Gansu.

Remarks.

Adams (1870) described Helix christinae and Helix christinae var. carinifera . According to the original description, Helix christinae var. carinifera differs from the nominotypical form by the smaller shell, the more acute keel, and the narrower umbilicus. We found a sample labelled Helix christinae and two labelled as " Helix christinae var." in the NHM. The latter two samples differ from the former one exactly in the traits mentioned by Adams. Thus, although they are not labelled as Helix christinae var. carinifera, it is clear that they represent syntypes of that taxon.

The syntypes of Helix christinae var. carinifera are identical with the types of Helix subsimilis, and thus, the latter is a junior synonym of the former. Although both Möllendorff (1884) and Gredler (1884) synonymised H. subsimilis with H. carinifera, this species ( L. carinifera) has been mentioned in the literature as Laeocathaica subsimilis . Laeocathaica stenochone is also identical with both Helix christinae var. carinifera and Helix subsimilis, and therefore, it is also treated as a junior synonym.