Gulella (Molarella) sexdentata (von Martens, 1869)

Muratov, Igor V., 2010, Terrestrial molluscs of Cabo Delgado and adjacent inland areas of north-eastern Mozambique, African Invertebrates 51 (2), pp. 255-255 : 273

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5733/afin.051.0203

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B7D926-AD33-FFB3-E803-FF02FEF2FB20

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Gulella (Molarella) sexdentata (von Martens, 1869)
status

 

Gulella (Molarella) sexdentata (von Martens, 1869) View in CoL View at ENA

Fig. 34 View Figs 30–38

Ennea laevigata var. sexdentata von Martens, 1869 b: 154 View in CoL ( Zanzibar; 9.5×4.0 mm).

Ennea sexdentata: von Martens, 1897: 22 View in CoL .

Ennea sexdentata var. liederi von Martens, 1897: 22 View in CoL (Kitohaui on the plateau between Ukuledi and Umbekuru, District Mgao; 12× 6 mm).

A common eastern African species with a general distribution from northern Tanzania to the Save River in central Mozambique. Found at three stations inland and one on Cabo Delgado. Differs from other Streptaxidae View in CoL in the area by the smooth ovalcylindrical shell with a single large curved parietal lamella, three to four palatal teeth, one basal tooth and a small cusp situated on top of the large horizontal columellar lamella. It is represented in the studied area by the var. liederi von Martens, 1897 View in CoL . Typical shells of sexdentata var. liederi View in CoL ( Fig. 34 View Figs 30–38 ) were found at three stations inland. The illustrated shell has a barely noticeable fourth palatal lamella, which is completely absent in all other shells from inland stations. All four shells from the easternmost station on Cabo Delgado have a well-developed fourth short palatal lamella just below the regular three, and I consider these shells to be another variety not deserving a separate name.

Var. liederi was described from south-eastern Tanzania only about 150 km northwest of the study area. It differs from typical Gulella sexdentata by the presence of a small cusp on top of the much stronger columellar lamella. Germain (1935: 4) agreed with von Martens (1897: 22) that the 10× 5 mm Ennea hanningtoni described by Smith (1890: 161, pl. 6, fig. 4) from northern Tanzania is a synonym of sexdentata . Connolly (1925: 117; 1939: 62) also treated hanningtoni as a synonym of sexdentata . He gave a 7.7–10.5 × 3.7–5.0 mm size range for this species and indicated the rare presence of “a minute additional denticle on the columellar lip” as well as occasionally lacking an upper palatal tooth (Connolly 1939: 62).

G. sexdentata (von Martens, 1869) is part of the complex of allied species inhabiting East and Central Africa. It is replaced by G. ugandensis (Smith, 1901) (syn. Ennea optata Preston, 1911 ) in Kenya and G. aliciae (Melvill & Ponsonby, 1907) in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Mollusca

Class

Gastropoda

Order

Stylommatophora

Family

Streptaxidae

Genus

Gulella

Loc

Gulella (Molarella) sexdentata (von Martens, 1869)

Muratov, Igor V. 2010
2010
Loc

Ennea sexdentata:

von Martens 1897: 22
1897
Loc

Ennea sexdentata var. liederi

von Martens 1897: 22
1897
Loc

var. liederi

von Martens 1897
1897
Loc

sexdentata var. liederi

von Martens 1897
1897
Loc

Ennea laevigata var. sexdentata

von Martens 1869: 154
1869
Loc

Streptaxidae

Gray 1860
1860
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