Kempioconcha kirki ( Dohrn, 1865 )

Muratov, Igor V., 2010, Terrestrial molluscs of Cabo Delgado and adjacent inland areas of north-eastern Mozambique, African Invertebrates 51 (2), pp. 255-255 : 268-269

Kempioconcha kirki ( Dohrn, 1865)

Fig. 22

Buliminus kirki: Dohrn 1865: 232 (Cabaçeira, Mozambique; 23.8× 11.1 mm).

A common species, with a general distribution in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Found at three stations inland and three on Cabo Delgado. The type (7 whorls) is slightly smaller than most of the shells of this species in the study area. However, the h/w ratio is almost exactly the same in the type (2.14) and in the shell illustrated here (2.17). It is smaller than the preceding species and much larger than any of the following species of the family .

The type locality of Buliminus liederi Martens, 1895 in south-eastern Tanzania (Kitohaui on the plateau between Ukuledi and Umbekuru, District Mgao) is only about 150 km northwest of the study area. It has a more elongated shell (h/ w 2.55): 28× 11 mm with 7½ whorls in the original description (von Martens 1895: 180). Van Bruggen (2008: 360–368, fig. 10) reported Pseudoglessula (Kempioconcha) liederi (8 whorls subadult: 27.6× 12.1 mm) from Malawi. However, he followed the Verdcourt (1967) key where liederi is separated from the similarly sized K. kirki ( Dohrn, 1865) only by “apical whorls with costae only slightly more widely spaced than on the lower whorls”. This character was mentioned by von Martens in comparison with “ Limicolaria borellii ” (=? Glandina boivini Morelet, 1860 , see Connolly 1925: 171) and Pseudoglessula conradi in his second description of liederi (von Martens 1897: 61, pl. 3, fig. 32) and he separated Buliminus from Pseudoglessula based on this character, in addition to the truncated columella in the latter (von Martens 1897: 116). However, in the same work von Martens (1897: 62) classified kirki Dohrn, 1865 as Buliminus , thus acknowledging that the axial ribs are not stronger and wider spaced on the apical whorls in both liederi and kirki . Unfortunately, he did not compare these two species, concentrating his attention on the penultimate whorl sculpture of his apparently subadult specimen of kirki .

I prefer to use the earlier name here, since variability of the shells from station 6 allows the application of both names, pending a proper revision of the genus.

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.