Abida secale merijni, Kokshoorn & Gittenberger, 2010

Kokshoorn, Bas & Gittenberger, Edmund, 2010, Chondrinidae taxonomy revisited: New synonymies, new taxa, and a checklist of species and subspecies (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Pulmonata) 2539, Zootaxa 2539 (1), pp. 1-62 : 22-23

Abida secale merijni subspec. nov. (pl. 7 figs L–Q)

Type series.— Spain, Barcelona, Sierra Moixeró. Holotype ( RMNH 109891 ) : summit of Pedro dels Quattre Batlles mtn (Tossa d’Alp) (= 15 km N of Bagà), 2,530 m alt., 42.31637°N / 1.88965°E, B. Kokshoorn & M.M. Bos leg., 07-v-2006. Paratypes: type locality ( RMNH 104103 /30); Cap del Serrat Gran mtn (15 km NE of Bagà), 2,400 m alt., 42.30759°N / 1.91407°E, 07-v-2006 ( RMNH 10410 ¼) ; ditto, 2,366 m alt., 42.30759°N / 1.91407°E, 07-v-2006 ( RMNH 104083 /72); ditto, 2,326 m alt., 42.32549°N / 1.90163°E, 07-v-2006 ( RMNH 104105 /33); ditto, 2,163 m alt., 42.29859°N / 1.91423°E, 04-v-2006 ( RMNH 104081 /108) .

Distribution.—See fig. 2 .

Description (n=258).—Shell slender fusiform, with 6 7/8–9 slightly inflated whorls, sculptured with regularly placed, moderate to strong axial ribs. The sculpture is often partially worn off. Body whorl slightly flattened obliquely and more or less narrowed, without a distinct keel. Palatal side of the aperture slightly protruding, appears vertical (in lateral view). Umbilicus narrowed but open. Shell height, 5.3–7.4 mm, width, 2.3–2.7 mm.

Apertural lip usually strongly thickened, discontinuous at parietal side or connected by a thin callus. Some very weak folds may be present on the lip. Angularis either connected or not with spiralis. Subangularis present, more or less prominent. Columellaris reaching well beyond columella, somewhat more prominent than infracolumellaris. Both lamellae occasionally extend to the apertural lip. Infrapalatalis, palatalis inferior and palatalis superior clearly indented and reaching the edge of the aperture. At the weak anterodorsal palatal center a suprapalatalis and often a suturalis are present. The palatalis superior often forms a strong callous bulb at the apertural lip.

Notes.—In the sample from the peak of the Pedro dels Quattre Battles mtn the apertural dentition is most strongly reduced. The infracolumellaris is hardly visible and does not reach the columella (in frontal view). The subangularis is lacking in this sample. The apertural lip is less strongly thickened than in other (fully grown) specimens in A. secale . In this sample angularis and spiralis are not connected, but that differs in other populations of this subspecies.

Differentiation.— Abida s. merijni is most closely related to the two lowland forms that occur at the foot and along the flanks of the mountain, i.e. A. s. margaridae and A. s. lilietensis. In A. s. margaridae the angularis is always connected to the spiralis, but this is not so in A. s. lilietensis (and A. s. affinis). This might account for the variability of this character state, as observed in A. s. merijni. The strongly thickened apertural lip and the bulbous callus associated with the palatalis superior in A. s. merijni can be traced back to A. s. margaridae. A similarly thickened apertural lip is observed in A. s. cadica. However, A. s. merijni differs from the latter subspecies by the absence of a protruding aperture, which is characteristic for A. s. cadica. See also the differentiation sections for the other high-altitude forms.

Derivatio nominis.—This subspecies is named after Dr. Merijn M. Bos, a good friend of the first author, who accompanied him on collecting trips to the summits of the Sierra’s Moixeró and Cadí (and back). His help and support were invaluable.

Genetic barcode.—GenBank accession numbers EU395379 – EU395382 .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Distribution of Abida secale subspecies (I) in NE Spain and Andorra.