Pseudopomatias pleurophorus (Benson, 1857)

Figs 9 J–L

Bulimus pleurophorus Benson, 1857: p. 329.

Bulimus pleurophorus — L. Pfeiffer 1859: p. 474.

Pomatias pleurophorus — Benson 1859: p. 183.

Pomatias (Bulimus) pleurophorus — Blanford 1864: p. 463. Pomatias pleurophorus — Pfeiffer 1865: p. 169.

Pomatias pleurophorus — Hanley & Theobald 1870: p. 4, plate 7, Fig. 10. Pomatias pleurophorus — Godwin-Austen 1876: p. 181. Pomatias pleurophorus — Nevill 1878: p. 254.

Pseudopomatias pleurophorus — Möllendorff 1885: p. 164. Pseudopomatias pleurophorus — Möllendorff 1886: pp 178–179. Pseudopomatias pleurophorus — Kobelt & Möllendorff 1897: p. 140. Pseudopomatias pleurophorus — Kobelt 1902: p. 274.

Pseudopomatias pleurophorus — Godwin-Austen 1917: p. 578. Pseudopomatias pleurophorus — Gude 1921: 160.

Diagnosis. A small to medium sized, widely based turriform species with almost smooth neck region.

Description. Shell greyish-yellowish to light brown, widely based turriform; the 6.75–7 (n=3), rather bulging whorls are separated by rather deep suture; last whorl very much bulging; all examined shells had somewhat corroded apical part, therefore the boundary of the smooth and ribbed parts on the protoconch could not be observed; teleoconch regularly, very finely ribbed; ribs gradually weaken on the last whorl, the last half whorl is almost smooth except for the area close to the suture; aperture rounded, with nearly not angled columellar-parietal transition and somewhat sharply angled parietal-palatal transition; apertural rim slightly thickened and not, or very slightly reflexed; it consists of two circles; a thinner inner and a bit wider and stronger outer, but they are not conspicuously different in width.

Measurements (in mm). H: 6.1–7.9, D: 3.7–4.4 (n=4).

Differential diagnosis. The wide-base triangle shape of Pseudopomatias pleurophorus distinguishes it from all other congeneric species. For comparisons with P. p res t o ni n. sp., P. harli n. sp. and P. reischuetzi n. sp., see under those species, and Table 5.

Type material. The original description was based on a single specimen, which we were unable to locate.

Museum material. Abor Hills, leg. Capt. Oakes, R.E, Godwin-Austen Coll., NHMUK 1903.7.1.3137/2 (" var. elongata "); Khasi Hills, purchased by W. Theobald, NHMUK 1888.12.4.329/1; Cherra Poonjee (=Cherrapunji) & Kangbun, Godwin-Austen Collection, NHMUK 1903.7.1.3365.2–7 (6 shells; mixed sample with P. harli n. sp.); Rywuk, Garo Hills NHMUK 1903.7.1.3365.1 (1 shell); Harmutti, Dafla Hills, Godwin-Austen Collection, NHMUK 1903.7.1.1536.1–4 (4 shells) (" var. daflaensis "); Village of Pachitah (Camp 7), Godwin-Austen Collection, NHMUK 1903.7.1.1536.5–7 (3 shells) (" var. daflaensis "); Dafla Hills, Attaram, W.T. Blanford Collection, NHMUK 1906.1.1.975/1 (" var. daflaensis "); Khasi Hills (?), W.T. Blanford Collection, NHMUK 1906.5.5.65/1.

Remarks. A sample labelled as P. pleurophorus in the NMW (Psedopomatias [sic] pleurophorus Bens, Khasi Hills, six shells, Melvill-Tomlin collection NMW.1955.158) contained two species of Cochlostoma; four shells of Cochlostoma cf. scalarinum (Villa, 1841) and two shells of Cochlostoma cf. elegans (Clessin, 1879) .

Distribution. Museum samples are labelled as being collected in different North-eastern Indian localities in Arunachal Pradesh (e.g. Dafla Hills) and Meghalaya Province (e.g. Garo and Khasi Hills). The exact localities of some geographical names (Kangbun, Rywuk, Pachitah, Harmutti) are unknown. See also Fig. 2 and Table 3.

Remarks. In one museum sample Pseudopomatias pleurophorus was in a mixed lot with P. harli n. sp.