Thaumastus (Thaumastus) flori (Jousseaume, 1897)

Breure, Abraham S. H. & Avila, Valentin Mogollon, 2016, Synopsis of Central Andean Orthalicoid land snails (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora), excluding Bulimulidae, ZooKeys 588, pp. 1-199 : 26-27

Taxon classification Animalia Stylommatophora Megaspiridae

Thaumastus (Thaumastus) flori (Jousseaume, 1897) Figs 22 D–F, 33

Dryptus flori Jousseaume 1897: 265.

Thaumastus flori ; Richardson 1995: 375 (references).

Thaumastus (Thaumastus) flori ; Breure and Mogollón 2010: 17, figs 15-20.

Type locality.

[Ecuador] "Machala Équateur”.

Type material.

MNHN 22474, lectotype (Breure 1975: 1139).

Additional material.

MNHN 22475 (2), paralectotypes.

Diagnosis.

Shell relatively large, coloured with axial streaks of yellow to dark chestnut, sculptured with growth striae, thickened at irregular distances, aperture truncate-ovate, columellar margin twisted, peristome slightly expanded below.

Dimensions.

Shell height 85.3, diameter 42.8 mm.

Distribution.

Ecuador, Prov. El Oro, Machala; Prov. Pichincha, Nanegal ( Weyrauch 1967: 467).

Ecoregion.

Northwestern Andean montane forests [NT0145].

Remarks.

This is a quite variable species which Breure and Mogollón (2010) considered identical with Plekocheilus (Eurytus) conspicuus Pilsbry, 1932. They also suggested Thaumastus (Thaumastus) flori (Jousseaume, 1897) to be closely related to Thaumastus (Thaumastus) hartwegi (Pfeiffer, 1846), which occurs in the same general area. Upon comparison of the type specimens, however, we are now of the opinion that Pilsbry’s taxon is a junior subjective synonym of Thaumastus (Thaumastus) hartwegi , and Jousseaume’s taxon is a related but distinct species. The record from Nanegal needs further confirmation.