Abbottella (Abbottella) milleacantha Watters & Duffy, 2010

Watters, G. Thomas, 2013, New taxa and distributional notes on Abbottella and related taxa (Gastropoda: Littorinoidea: Annulariidae), Zootaxa 3646 (1), pp. 1-22 : 14

Abbottella (Abbottella) milleacantha Watters & Duffy, 2010

Figures 3 X–BB, 7 H

Type material. UF 420728, holotype. OSUM 32478, 1 paratype.

Type locality. Dominican Republic, northeast Isla Saona.

Other material examined. UF 216132, 2 km SE of El Peñon, La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic; UF 216155, 2 km SE of El Peñon, La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic; UF 33415, 17.9 km NW of Punta Cana, La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic; UF 215971, 4 km SW of Punta Cana, La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic; UF 215967, 3 km SW of Juanillo, La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic; UF 216181, Boca de Yuma, La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic; UF 244456, Boca de Yuma, La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic; UF 216161, Isla Saona, La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic; UF 216160, Isla Saona, La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic; UF 216165, Isla Saona, La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic; Grego coll., Guaraguao, La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic; GTW 15254a, Guaraguao, La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic.

Distribution and habitat. Described from Isla Saona, this species is now known to occur along the adjacent coast of mainland La Altagracia Province as well. It seems to be particularly associated with limestone ridges such as the one that runs from El Peñon to El Cabo and around the coast to Boca de Yuma and further to the southeastern shore of the peninsula. A portion of its range is within the Parque Nacional Del Este. Snails live in sub-mesic to mesic forests along these limestone ridges under blocks and in leaf litter.

Comparison with other species. Abbottella milleacantha belongs to a group of small species having a dense, minute sculpture of pustules or points. It does not have the sculpture arranged in obvious keels as in A. gabbi , A. rosaliae ( Figure 4 A–E ), A. abbotti ( Figure 3 A–E ), or A. crossei ( Figure 3 S–W). The sculpture is finer and denser (ca. 120 axial threads on final whorl) than in A. tentorium (ca. 60 axial threads), A. aenea (ca. 90 axial threads; Figure 3 N–R), or A. urbana (ca. 70 axial threads). From A. aenea it also differs in color (copper in A. aenea vs. white in A. milleacantha ) and in the form of the sculpture, which arises as separate points from the surface in A. aenea but arises from the spiral threads in A. milleacantha .

Figures

FIGURE 3. A – E. Abbottella (Abbottella) abbotti Bartsch, 1946. A – C. UF 215980, 5.6 mm width. D. UF 215983, 6.0 mm width. E. UF 215981, 5.2 mm width. F. Choanopoma adolfi Pfeiffer, 1852. Pfeiffer, 1854: pl. 48, fig. 8. G – I. Abbottella (Abbottella) cf. adolfi adolfi (Pfeiffer, 1852). GTW 7020 c, 5 mm width. J – L. Abbottella (Abbottella) adolfi peninsularis Bartsch, 1946. GTW 9430 a, 7.8 mm width. M. Abbottella (Abbottella) newcombi (Crosse, 1873). Syntype (MNHN 5436), 5.7 mm length. Photo courtesy of MNHN. N – R. Abbottella (Abbottella) aenea Watters, 2010. N – P. GTW 14181 a, 6.5 mm width. Q. GTW 14181 a, 6.1 mm width. R. Paratype (OSUM 35490), 6.0 mm width. S – W. Abbottella (Abbottella) crossei (Pilsbry, 1933). S – U. GTW 9432 a, 7.3 mm width. V. UF 216146, 7.6 mm width. W. UF 216146, 7.2 mm width. X – BB. Abbottella (Abbottella) milleacantha Watters & Duffy, 2010. X – Z. Holotype (UF 420728), 7.5 mm width. AA. Grego, 7.4 mm width. BB. Grego, 8.1 mm width.

FIGURE 4. A – E. Abbottella (Abbottella) rosaliae (Pfeiffer, 1858). A – C. UF 216191, 9.2 mm width. D. UF 216135, 9.9 mm width. E. UF 216125, 9.3 mm width. F – I. Abbottella (Abbottella) samanensis Bartsch, 1946. F – H. GTW 7085 c, 8.7 mm width. I. GTW 7085 d, 8.0 mm width. J – N. Abbottella (Abbottella) sanchezi Bartsch, 1946. J – L. UF 216154, 9.1 mm width. M. UF 216154, 8.1 mm width. N. UF 216154, 7.6 mm width. O – S. Abbottella (Abbottella) sosuaensis Bartsch, 1946. O – Q. UF 218136, 6.9 mm width. R. UF 218136, 7.7 mm width. S. GTW 9431 a, 7.6 mm width. T – X. Abbottella (Abbottella) wilhelmi (Pfeiffer, 1858). T – V. UF 216150, 8.5 mm width. W. UF 216150, 8 mm width. X. UF 216150, 7.6 mm width. Y – CC. Lagopoma lagopoma Bartsch, 1946. Y – AA. GTW 10081 a, 9.7 mm width. BB. GTW 10081 a, 7.6 mm width. CC. UF 216120, 7.7 mm width.