Witchellia moisyi (Brasil, 1893) [m]

(Fig. 14 K-O)

Poecilomorphus moisyi Brasil, 1893: 36, pl. 3, figs 6, 7 (HT).

Pelekodites zurcheri – Morton 1975: 64, pl. 10, figs 7-10, 13-16.

Maceratites moisyi – Fernández-López 1985: 99, text-fig. 9, pl. 11, figs 9, 10.

Pelekodites moisyi [m] – Dietze et al. 2009: 25, pl. 4, fig. 3, pl. 10, figs 1-3, 5, 6 [non fig. 4, corresponds to Sonninites sulcatus (Buckman, 1889), n. comb.]. — Metodiev &Tsvetkova 2014: 34, figs 3.9, 3.10. — Metodiev 2019: 17, figs 6a-d.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — JAC3’.4.16, JAC3’.4.19, JAC6. R.7, JAC6. R.8, JAC6. R.9, JAC6. R.14, JAC6. R.15, JAC6. R.16, JAC11.6?.7, JAC11.5.26, JAC11.8.27, JAC11.8.29, JAC21.13.3, JAC21.13.10, JAC22.53.6, JAC22.53.8, JAC22.53.9, JAC22.53.10, JAC22.53.13, JAC22.54.8, JAC22.54.9, JAC22.54.13, JAC22.55.8, JAC22.55.9, JAC22.55.10, JAC22.55.11, JAC22.55.12, JAC22.59.6, JAC22.64.2, JAQ 1.25.1, JAQ 1.67.1, JAQ 1.67.2, JAQ 1.67.4 and JAQ 1.71.2.

MEASUREMENTS. — See Table 24.

DESCRIPTION

Small microconchs, strongly evolute (U/D varying between 0.41 and 0.45 in complete adult specimens), with an oval to rectangular slightly compressed whorl section, venter keeled with two little marked sulci. The ribs, relatively dense, are mainly simple, with only scant bifurcation near the umbilical edge, sinuous, marked, and especially thick at the ventrolateral edge. The inner whorls are not tuberculate. The aperture is complex with developed spatulate lateral lappets. The septal suture is not visible in the Subbetic specimens.

REMARKS

According to Morton (1975: 64), “ Pelekodites ” moisyi (Brasil, 1893) is synonymous with “ Pelekodites ” zurcheri (Douvillé, 1885), but Fernández-López (1985: 99) contended that the specimens described and figured by Morton (1975) as “ P. ” zurcheri (Douvillé, 1885), are really “ P. ” moisyi (Brasil, 1893) . The most similar species is probably Sonninites sulcatus (Buckman, 1889), n. comb., which is more involute, has a somewhat less compressed whorl section, and has less sigmoid ribbing with several ribs dividing from very small thickenings located near the umbilical edge. W. macer, (including P. aurifer and P. costulatus) resembles W. moisyi but is slightly more involute and has less pronounced ribbing, less convex flanks, and less apparent ventral grooves. In addition, W. moisyi is stratigraphically higher.The types of “ Nannina ” evoluta Buckman, 1927 (Buckman 1927:T.A. 7, pl. 752) and “ N. ” undifera Buckman, 1927 (Buckman 1927: T.A. 7, pl. 753) are notably similar to W. moisyi and have comparable stratigraphic ranges, but the former two taxa may be Sonniniinae, having a small tuberculate inner stage that is absent in W. moisyi .

DISTRIBUTION

According to Brasil (1895: 37), in the type locality (Feuguerolles-sur-Orne, France), W. moisyi occurs in the middle Bajocian (“couches a Witchellia ”). Also, the species appears in the Ovale and Laeviuscula zones of the Iberian Cordillera, Spain (Fernández-López 1985), near Ringsheim (Upper Rhine Valley, SW Germany), and in the Propinquans (Sauzei) Zone (Dietze et al. 2009). In the Subbetic, W. moisyi is common in the uppermost part of the Laeviuscula Zone and lower part of the Propinquans Zone.