Plekocheilus (Eurytus) camaritagua, Borrero, Francisco J. & Breure, Abraham S. H., 2011

Borrero, Francisco J. & Breure, Abraham S. H., 2011, The Amphibulimidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Orthalicoidea) from Colombia and adjacent areas, Zootaxa 3054, pp. 1-59 : 37

Plekocheilus (Eurytus) camaritagua spec. nov.

( Figs 14 D, 18A–B)

Diagnosis. Shell globose, with flat whorls and hardly to not impressed suture, that descends slightly in front. Color pattern with dark brown, oblique streaks, bordered with a narrow, yellowish “shadow.” Sculptured with a fine granulation arranged in spirals.

Description. Shell 57 mm, 1.5 times longer than wide, imperforate, sides hardly convex, rather solid. Color pale yellowish-brown with darker lines of the same color along the growth striae, crossed by reddish-brown, oblique streaks, showing some zigzags especially on the upper part of the last whorl, and bordered by a narrow, yellowish “shadow;” upper whorls lighter, eroded. Surface not shining, upper whorls with growth striae, on the last whorls with spiral lines of dot-like granulation, especially visible on the dorsal side of the last whorl. Protoconch eroded. Whorls 3.9, very flat, the last whorl approx. 0.9 times total height, suture not or hardly impressed, slightly descending in front. Aperture ovate, somewhat ear-shaped, 1.8 times longer than wide, 0.72 times the total length; peristome thin and hardly reflexed, pinkish (faded). Columellar margin straight, entering the aperture with a weak fold, hardly dilated and somewhat receding. Parietal wall with a thin callus.

Dimensions in mm: Holotype H 57, D 37.5, HA 41, WA 23.5, LW 52, 3.9 whorls.

Type locality. Colombia, Amazonas, Corregimiento La Pedrera [1°20ʹS 69°35ʹW, 80 m], Resguardo Indígena de Camaritagua , towards El Francisco.

Type material. Holotype ( ICNB), J. Cortés leg./2004.

Remarks. Although the shell is somewhat worn, its characteristics separate it from all other Plekocheilus (Eurytus) species. It may be compared to P. (E.) fusitorsus (Oberwimmer, 1931) from which it differs by (1) having a shorter spire; (2) a less impressed suture; (3) a less expanded lip. It may also be compared to P. (E.) coloratus ( Nyst, 1845) which, however, (1) has the whorls more convex; (2) has a larger angle of the attachment of the lip to the body whorl; (3) has the spire more pointed. Finally, this new species may be compared to P. (E.) tepuiensis Breure, 2009 , from which it differs in (1) having a different, more brownish color, with the yellowish “shadow” pattern; (2) having a less pointed spire; (3) having a different height/number of whorls ratio.

The only known (possibly subadult) shell, the holotype, was found in SE Colombian rainforest, where snail collecting for scientific purposes has been very limited. According to the label, indigenous people use the mucus of these snails for scrubbing their skin. The color pattern appears to be similar to both the yellow trait specimens of P. coloratus from Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and to P. fusitorsus (Oberwimmer, 1931) from Venezuelan Guayana.

Etymology. This very distinctive species is named after the Camaritagua , indigenous people of the region where it was found. The epithet is used as a noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Plekocheilus distribution. A. P. (Eurytus) gibbonius, P. (E.) cardinalis and P. (E.) castaneus. B. P. (E.) pulicarius, P. (E.) semperi, P. (E.) tetensii and P. (E.) lugubris. C. P. (E.) lynciculus. D. P. (E.) caramitagua. E. P. (Eudolichotis) distortus.