Helicteres tenebrosa, Pease, 1870

Cowie, Robert H., Héros, Virginie, Yeung, Norine W. & Hayes, Kenneth A., 2016, Annotated catalogue of types of Hawaiian land and freshwater snails (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, with lectotype designations, Zoosystema 38 (2), pp. 245-266 : 260-261

tenebrosa Pease, 1870 , Helicteres

( Fig. 4I )

[ Helicteres ] (Leptachatina) tenebrosa Pease, 1870: 92 .

Achatinella (Leptachatina) tenebrosa – Crosse 1876: 97, pl. 3, fig. 5.

CURRENT TAXONOMIC STATUS. — Leptachatininae, Leptachatina (Leptachatina) . Valid species.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Lectotype (here designated) MNHN IM-2000- 30841.

TYPE LOCALITY. — “l’île de Kauai (îles Hawaii)” (from article title).

REMARKS

Considered by Pease as a species of “ Hélictères ” (i.e. genus Helicter , though the formal genus name was not used and it is therefore placed in square brackets above) in the subgenus Leptachatina (see introductory text regarding species of Pease). The original description was implicitly based on more than one specimen: “Coloration générale noirâtre ou d’un brun rougeâtre”. Fischer-Piette (1950: 149) listed the specimen illustrated by Crosse (1876: pl. 3, fig. 5) as an “Exemplaire figuré” and Johnson (1994: 26) referenced Fischer-Piette’s statement but credited him with having listed the “ Holotype ”, while also noting additional “ paratypes ” (MCZ 45189, MCZ 50110). Neither treatment constitutes a lectotype designation (see introductory text regarding lectotypes). A label associated with the MNHN specimen indicates that it was received from Pease in 1869. It closely matches the shell illustrated by Crosse in both size and appearance and is here designated as the lectotype.

tenuicostata Pease, 1869 , Helicter

(not illustrated – see remarks)

Helicter (Leptachatina) tenuicostata Pease, 1869: 170 .

CURRENT TAXONOMIC STATUS. — Leptachatininae, Leptachatina (Leptachatina) . Valid species.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Syntype MNHN IM-2000-30842 (1 spm).

TYPE LOCALITY. — “Ins. Hawaii ”.

REMARKS

The original description was explicitly based on specimens in the collections of both Pease and Crosse. Cooke (in Hyatt & Pilsbry 1910 [in 1910-1911]: 68) was “unable to find a single authentic specimen of this species”, including none in the MCZ. On this basis, Fischer-Piette (1950: 72, 73, pl. 47, fig. 51) illustrated a “ holotype ”, apparently inferring “ holotype ” because no other specimens had been found. The single specimen was broken in 1949 subsequent to having been photographed (Fischer-Piette 1950: 73; collection label) and is now in multiple small fragments (therefore no illustration is provided). Johnson (1994: 26) simply referenced Fischer- Piette (1950: 72, pl. 3, fig. 51), accepting the specimen as the holotype. Neither Fischer-Piette’s nor Johnson’s treatment constituted a lectotype fixation (see introductory text regarding lectotypes). A label associated with the specimen indicates that it was received from Pease in 1868. Although the specimen is labeled as the “type”, it is not here designated as the lectotype, pending a thorough search for syntype material in better condition.

Figures

FIG. 4.— Amastridae:A, Helicteres laevis Pease,1870,lectotype MNHN IM-2000-30828, 9.2 mm;B, Helix luteola Férussac,1825,holotype MNHN IM-2000-30829, 17.0 mm; C, Helicter pachystoma Pease, 1869,lectotype MNHN IM-2000-30830, 13.0 mm; D, Helicteres rugulosa Pease,1870,lectotype MNHN IM-2000-30831, 12.8 mm; E, Helicter simplex Pease, 1869, lectotype MNHN IM-2000-30834, 7.3 mm; F, Helicter solida Pease, 1869, syntype MNHN IM-2000-30836, 14.0 mm; G, Helicteres sphaerica Pease, 1870, lectotype MNHN IM-2000-30837, 10.1 mm; H, Helix spirizona Férussac, 1825, lectotype MNHN IM-2000-30839, 22.3 mm; I, Helicteres tenebrosa Pease, 1870, lectotype MNHN IM-2000-30841, 12.7 mm. Scale bars: 5 mm. Dimensions given are shell height.