Laeocathaica carinalis Chen & Zhang, 2004

Pall-Gergely, Barna, Hunyadi, Andras, Meng, Kaibaryer & Fekete, Judit, 2022, A review of the genus Laeocathaica Moellendorff, 1899 (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Camaenidae), ZooKeys 1086, pp. 33-76 : 33

Laeocathaica carinalis Chen & Zhang, 2004

Figures 9 , 10

Laeocathaica carinalis Chen & Zhang, 2004: 341 [Chinese description], fig. 334 (erroneous! Shows a juvenile Laeocathaica shell belonging to another species); 444 [English description].

Type locality.

"Town of Wenxian County, (33°0'N, 104°6'E), Gansu Province, China".

Type material.

The shell we examined (IZCAS TM 097578) is exactly the same as the one figured by Chen and Zhang (2004: fig. 219) as the holotype of Cathaica bizonalis Chen & Zhang, 2004. Therefore, we understand this situation as a confusion of specimens and photographs before publication, and consider the figured shell (IZCAS TM 097578, Fig. 9 ) as the holotype. See also under Cathaica bizonalis Chen & Zhang, 2004.

New material.

China • 4 shells; Gansu, Longnan Shi, Wenxian, Jianshan Xiang , 1800 m west of Jianshan towards Diaohuya , right side of road no. 212 (locality code: 2016/70b); 33°2.922'N, 104°50.840'E; 29 May 2016; A. Hunyadi leg.; HA (Fig. 10A, B ) • 10 shells; Gansu, Longnan Shi, Wenxian, Shifang Xiang, 1300 m northwest from Baiyiba Cun towards Dongyukou Cun, right side of the road (locality code: 2016/82); 32°59.346'N, 104°37.233'E; 980 m a.s.l.; 31 May 2016; A. Hunyadi leg.; HA (Fig. 10E ) • 4 shells; Gansu, Longnan Shi, Wenxian, Shifang Xiang, 800 m from the northwestern edge of Baiyiba Cun towards Dongyukou Cun, left bank of the river (locality code: 2016/83); 32°58.985'N, 104°37.503'E; 970 m a.s.l.; 31 May 2016; A. Hunyadi leg.; HA (Fig. 10F ) • 7 shells; Gansu, Longnan Shi, Wenxian, Buziba Xiang, 1 km south of Taojiaba Cun towards Dongyukou Cun (locality code: 2016/79); 33°01.865'N, 104°37.329'E; 1150 m a.s.l.; 31 May 2016; A. Hunyadi leg.; HA • 5 shells; Gansu, Longnan Shi, Wenxian, Buziba Xiang, southern edge of Liangjiaba (locality code: 2016/81); 33°00.262'N, 104°36.712'E; 1005 m a.s.l.; 31 May 2016; A. Hunyadi leg.; HA (Fig. 10C, D ) • 1 shell; Gansu, Longnan Shi, Wenxian, Chengguan Zhen, next to a museum (locality code: 2016/64); 32°56.471'N, 104°40.379'E; 960-970 m a.s.l.; 28 May 2016; A. Hunyadi leg.; HA .

Description.

Shell sinistral, depressed, strongly keeled, dorsal side with flat, scalariform whorls; ventral side widely conical; dorsal side chocolate brown, ornamented with a white keel on all whorls; ventral side primarily white, below the white keel there is a chocolate brown belt, white part ornamented with greyish radial stripes that sometimes reach the umbilicus, but sometimes thin and stop before umbilicus; umbilicus inside with a chocolate-brown and a white belt; entire shell consists of 7.25-7.75 whorls; protoconch consists of 1.5-1.75 whorls, brownish, seemingly smooth, extremely finely granulose, rather matte, slightly protruding above first whorls of teleoconch; white keels of every whorl slightly elevated from dorsal surface, but dorsal surface flat with usually the last one being scalariform; dorsal side with fine, irregular wrinkles and between the main wrinkles there are very fine radial lines; ventral surface with less prominent wrinkles; umbilicus rather narrow, funnel-shaped, shows all whorls; periumbilical keel absent; aperture oblique to shell axis, semilunar, with pointed incision at the keel; peristome expanded and slightly thickened, but not reflexed; palatal swelling whitish, with a low, blunt basal tooth; parietal callus practically absent, in some old specimens with translucent calcareous layer.

Measurements (in mm): D: 18.6-22.9; H: 6.8-9.8 (n = 13, newly collected shells from multiple samples).

Differential diagnosis.

The most similar species is L. pewzowi , which is smaller, paler in colour, has a wider umbilicus, a more domed (and not scalariform) dorsal side, stronger radial sculpture, and a more oblique aperture with a more pointed basal tooth. Furthermore, there is a second broken belt between the main belt and the umbilicus in L. pewzowi , which is not present in any specimens of this species. Laeocathaica potanini has a more scalariform, uniformly light brown shell, and the basal tooth (when present) is situated closer to the columella than in L. carinalis . Laeocathaica amdoana is also similar in colouration, but it is larger, has a blunter keel, a weaker sculpture, and its whorls are never scalariform.

Distribution.

Most precise locality data are from the rocky area along the Baishui River, whereas one sample was collected on the bank of the Yangtang River (Fig. 11 ). The type locality is situated ca. 50 km west in a straight line.

Remarks.

We here provide a redescription, an updated differential diagnosis, and notes on the differences between different populations (Table 2 ).

Figures

Figure 2. Distribution of the genus Laeocathaica in China A see Figs 8, 11, 17, 24 for details B see Fig. 14 for detail.

Figure 9. Laeocathaica carinalis Chen & Zhang, 2004 (IZCAS TM 097578, holotype). Scale bar: 10 mm. Photographs: Kaibaryer Meng.

Figure 10. Laeocathaica carinalis Chen & Zhang, 2004 A, B 2016 / 70 b C, D 2016 / 81 E 2016 / 82 F 2016 / 83. Scale bars: 10 mm. All photographs: B. Pall-Gergely.

Figure 11. Distribution of Laeocathaica species in China (detail from Fig. 2 A).