Rhachistia catenata ( Martens, 1860 )

Muratov, Igor V., 2010, Terrestrial molluscs of Cabo Delgado and adjacent inland areas of north-eastern Mozambique, African Invertebrates 51 (2), pp. 255-255 : 265-266

Rhachistia catenata ( Martens, 1860)

Figs 16 , 58 Bulimus (Rhachis) catenatus: Martens 1860: 212 , pl. 2 fig. 7 (Querimba Islands; 14× 8 mm). A common species, previously known only from the type locality ~ 150 km south of the study area. Found at 11 stations inland. Quite variable. Some shells (but not the one illustrated) match the outlines of the original figure of the type and the photograph of the paratype in Connolly (1925: 161) almost exactly. Von Martens (1869 b: 150), in the original description of his Buliminus (Rhachis) braunsii from Zanzibar (~ 475 km north of the study area), did not compare it with his earlier described catenatus . Both species

1 Junior synonyms Pachnodidae Steenberg, 1925 and Cerastuidae Wenz, 1930 are often used, even in recent publications.

look quite similar and I provisionally choose the older name from the closest type locality until a proper revision of the group is made. Differs from the following species by its relatively wider shell, the dark band below the suture, and (in typical specimens) by the presence of the dark spots arranged in two lines above the periphery.

Figures

Figs 15–25. Cerastidae: (15) Gittenedouardia metuloides, 6.0×3.6 mm, subadult, stn 1; (16) Rhachistia catenata, 13.2×7.8 mm, stn 11; (17) Rachis cunctatoris, 19.1×8.6 mm, stn 5; (18) Limicena nyasana, 11.8×9.1 mm, subadult, stn 7. Achatinidae: (19) Achatina immaculata, 11.3×9.3 mm, juvenile, stn 1; (20) A. randabeli, 43.8×23.0 mm, stn 9. Subulinidae: (21) Kempioconcha cf. obtusa, 39.1×17.5 mm, two shells composite subadult, stn 14; (22) K. kirki, 30.2×13.9 mm, stn 6; (23) K. boivini, 17.8×9.1 mm, stn 5; (24) K. cf. subolivacea, 19.6×7.3 mm, stn 19; (25) K. conradti (von Martens, 1895), 15.4×6.4 mm, stn 5.

Figs 56–61. Pomatiidae: (56) Tropidophora ligata, shell 15.5×15.3 mm, stn 7; (57) T. zanguebarica, shell 10.0×9.5 mm, stn 7; Cerastidae: (58) Rhachistia catenata, shell 10.0×6.3 mm, subadult, stn 1; Achatinidae:(59) Achatina immaculata,shell 102×56 mm,stn 1; Subulinidae:(60)Kempioconcha boivini, shell 16.0×8.4 mm, stn 1; (61) K. conradti, shell 13.7×6.2 mm, stn 8.