Sarika rex (Preston, 1909)

Pholyotha, Arthit, Sutcharit, Chirasak, Tongkerd, Piyoros & Panha, Somsak, 2020, Integrative taxonomic revision of the land snail genus Sarika Godwin-Austen, 1907 in Thailand, with descriptions of nine new species (Eupulmonata, Ariophantidae), ZooKeys 976, pp. 1-100 : 1

Sarika rex (Preston, 1909) Fig. 50G

Macrochlamys rex Preston, 1909: 202, pl. 8, fig. 2. Type locality: "Nan-ko, Siam" [Thailand]; Adam, 1971: 58.

Type material.

The unique name bearing type could not be located. The photograph of the type specimen from the original description is reproduced herein (Fig. 50G ).

Diagnosis.

Shell conoid-depressed, large to very large size (shell width up to 30.0 mm, shell height up to 16.0 mm) and thin. Shell surface rather smooth with fine growth lines, polished below but not polished above; shell colour pale yellowish brown. Whorls 6½, increasing regularly; body whorl large and rounded. Spire very high-conical; suture impressed. Aperture crescent-shaped and obliquely opened. Peristome simple. Columellar margin simple. Umbilicus narrowly opened (Fig. 50G ).

Remarks.

We assigned this species to the genus Sarika due to its very large shell size, and none of any Macrochlamys species could reach that diameter (Table 5 ). Preston (1909) noted that S. rex is a large-sized species and is generally similar to S. pumicata , but S. rex tended to have more tumid and higher spire than S. pumicata , as well as a rounded body whorl, whereas S. pumicata has an obtusely angulated periphery.

Sarika rex is known only from the type locality in Thailand; however, the precise type locality could not be determined. To date, no living specimen that matches this species has been found, and the generic assignment is still provisional. New specimens with precise collection locality and genital anatomy are necessary to verify the taxonomic position of this species.

Figures

Figure 50. Shells of Sarika spp. A, B Sarika gratesi sp. nov. A holotype CUMZ 7275 and B paratype CUMZ 7276 C, D S. pumicata syntype NHMUK 1893.2.4.980 - 981 E S. ochtogyra holotype SMF 227103 / 1 F S. benoiti modified from Crosse and Fischer (1863) G S. rex modified from Preston (1909).