Exiligada calciphila, Criscione & Law & Köhler, 2012

Criscione, Francesco, Law, Margot Louisa & Köhler, Frank, 2012, Land snail diversity in the monsoon tropics of Northern Australia: revision of the genus Exiligada Iredale, 1939 (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Camaenidae), with description of 13 new species, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (Zool. J. Linn. Soc.) 166 (4), pp. 689-722 : 701-702

EXILIGADA CALCIPHILA SP. NOV.

( FIGS 5C , 9A–C , 10 )

Holotype: AUSTRALIA, NT, VRD, Humber River Station , isolated limestone, hill 39 km south-east of Bullita, 16°23 ′ 59 ′′ S, 130°39 ′ 14 ′′ E (coll. V. Kessner, 14.vii.2008), ( AM C.475763).

Paratypes: Same data as for holotype, 51 dry, four wet ( AM C.462723) .

Other material: AUSTRALIA, NT, VRD, limestone hill 9.5 km south-west of VRD Station H /S, 16°27 ′ 35 ′′ S, 130°56 ′ 56 ′′ E (coll. V. Kessner, 15.vii.2008), four dry, one wet ( AM C.462758) .

Etymology: In reference to limestone habitat preferred by the species, derived from ‘calx’ (Latin = limestone) and ‘philos’ (Greek = affectionate), adjective of feminine gender.

Description: Shell ( Figs 5C , 9A–C ). Moderately large, moderately elevated, thin; micropustulations present; background colour brown horn fading to whitish towards shell base, with one faint to conspicuous, continuous, narrow brown-reddish peripheral band; no maculations.

Genitalia ( Fig. 10 ). Epiphallus two times longer than penis. Vas deferens entering penial sheath halfway up. Penis six times longer than wide, not coiled inside sheath; inner penial wall with complex sculpture formed by five irregularly shaped longitudinal pilasters running along entire wall length, two of which with corrugations. Vagina half as long as penis, as long as free oviduct. Bursa copulatrix with short, rounded, well-differentiated end.

Remarks: Along with E. gregoriana and E. rivifontis , largest number of shell whorls. Teleoconch microsculpture differing from that of E. gregoriana by presence of micropustulations. Colour pattern of shell very similar to Exiligada floraevallis , E. gregoriana , E. limbunya , E. rivifontis , and E. unistriata . Penis length relative to width (pl/pw) average but longer than in E. gregoriana . Epiphallus length relative to penis (el/pl) two times the average and as large as in E. gregoriana . Penial inner wall sculpture almost identical to E. gregoriana , but having fewer pilasters with reduced corrugation. Vagina length relative to penis (vl/pl) average, smaller than in E. gregoriana . Vagina length relative to free oviduct (vl/ol) average and longer than in E. gregoriana .

Figures

Figure 5. Shells of Exiligada species. A, E. negriensis (holotype AM C.64865). B, E. brabyi sp. nov. (paratype C.443279). C, E. calciphila sp. nov. (paratype C.462723). D, E. floraevallis sp. nov. (paratype WAM S49204). E, E. gregoriana sp. nov. (paratype AM C.462820). F, E. limbunya sp. nov. (paratype AM C.470205). G, E. longicauda sp. nov. (paratype WAM S49228). H, E. monochroma sp. nov. (paratype AM C.469772).

Figure 9. SEM micrographs of Exiligada shells. A-C, E. calciphila sp. nov. (paratype AM C.462723). A, Apical view showing protoconch and first whorl. B, Close-up from above of sculpture across entire shell. C, Microsculpture on teleoconch whorl. D-F, E. floraevallis sp. nov. (WAM S49136). D, Apical view showing protoconch and first whorl. B, Close-up from above of sculpture across entire shell. C, Microsculpture on teleoconch whorl. Scale bars: A-B, D-E = 1 mm, C, F = 0.5 mm.

Figure 10. Penial anatomy of E. calciphila sp. nov. (holotype AM C.475763). Scale bar = 5 mm.