Patula tapirina Hutton, 1882

Brook, Fred J., Kennedy, Martyn, King, Tania M., Ridden, Johnathon, Shaw, Matthew D. & Spencer, Hamish G., 2020, Catalogue of New Zealand land, freshwater and estuarine molluscan taxa named by Frederick Wollaston Hutton between 1879 and 1904, Zootaxa 4865 (1), pp. 1-73 : 37

Patula tapirina Hutton, 1882

Pl. 4, fig. F

Hutton, 1882. The New Zealand Journal of Science, 1: 281.

Type material. Lectotype (designated here), CMNZ M390.9, and paralectotypes, CMNZ 390 (12), CMNZ M1061 [ex ZS 757] (1), CMNZ M12775 [ex M1061] (1) (dry shells). The molluscan collection at CMNZ has radula fragments mounted on a glass slide with the label details ‘ Patula tapirina, Dunedin, XIV p. 150 (coma)’, in Hutton’s handwriting (i.e., CMNZ 2017.17.34–2017.17.35), which is probably primary type material (see description of radula by Hutton 1883d: 134).

Label details. M390—‘87. Patula tapirina Hutton, Dunedin , Type’, pillbox label in Hutton’s handwriting.

CMNZ molluscan catalogue details. M1061—‘ Endodonta tapirina Hutton, Dunedin (old number ZS 757)’

Type locality. ‘Dunedin’ ( Hutton, 1882p: 281, 1883d: 134).

Previous illustrations of type material. Jaw and radula teeth illustrated by Hutton (1882h: pl. 3, figs. A, L, pl. 4, fig. G), which was incorrectly identified as Patula coma Gray (see Hutton 1883d: 134), possibly from the type material of Patula tapirina Hutton, 1882 .

Remarks. The type series of Patula tapirina was collected by Hutton himself ( Hutton (1884c: 193). He submitted a description of this species to the Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute issue for 1882, but publication was delayed until May 1883 ( Hutton 1883d: 134), and was pre-empted by a brief description in an account of a meeting of the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury ( Hutton 1882p: 281). A shell from the type series (lectotype) is illustrated here for the first time in pl. 4, fig. F. There has been confusion over the identity and distribution of P. tapirina . This species was incorrectly identified as Patula coma (Gray, 1843) by Hutton (1882h: 150 —see Hutton 1883d: 134). Hutton (1884c: 193), Hedley & Suter (1893: 656) and Suter (1894b: 268, 1913: 724) interpreted P. tapirina as having a wide distribution in New Zealand, from Auckland, in the North Island, to Rakiura/ Stewart Island. However, Climo (1969: 227, fig. 13D) correctly noted that it was restricted to southern New Zealand and referred Suter’s North Island records to Patula colensoi Suter, 1890 .

Current taxonomy. Cavellia tapirina (Hutton, 1882) — Goulstone (1991: 15); Spencer & Willan (1996: 39), Spencer et al. (2009: 215).

Distribution. New Zealand; southern and southeastern South Island, from south Canterbury to southern Fiordland, and Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, Rakiura and nearshore islands, Big South Cape Island (Climo 1969: 227, fig. 13D; AIM and NMNZ collection records).