Ljudmilena mariannae, Ruud, A. Bank, Henk P. M. G Menkhorst & Eike Neubert, 2016

Ruud, A. Bank, Henk P. M. G Menkhorst & Eike Neubert, 2016, Descriptions of new and little-known land snail taxa from Turkey, and establishment of a new genus (Gastropoda, Pulmonata: Lauriidae, Enidae and Vitrinidae), Basteria 80 (1), pp. 5-30 : 16-17

Ljudmilena mariannae spec. nov. ( Fig. 9 )

Ljudmilena araxena – Schütt & Yıldırım, 1996: 84 (only from Sebzeciler and Yusufeli), fig. 4 (shell).

Ljudmilena araxena – Schütt, 2004: 129 (partim), fig. 9 (shell).

Type locality & type specimens. – Turkey, Vilayet Artvin, 8 km E. Yusufeli (= 2 km W. crossing Uzundere/Artvin/Yusufeli) , 530 m (40.8150N 41.6259E), H.P.M.G. Menkhorst leg., 29.vii.1990. Holotype NMBE 544661 , paratypes NMBE 544662/3, HMK/>50, RBA/3, RMNH/3, ZMH/3.

Diagnosis. – A dextral Ljudmilena species with a slen- der and highly cylindrical shell, a small aperture, a pronounced comma-shaped subangularis that is fused with the parietalis, and a horizontally placed palatalis superior.

Description. – Shell dextral, cylindrical, with a low, round-conic upper part. Umbilicus open, but very narrow. It has 10.0-12.2 whorls; the whorls of the upper part of the shell are more convex than the whorls of the remaining part of the shell, which are hardly swollen. The suture is mostly shallow. The whorls are, apart from the whorls of the upper part of the shell, about equal in width; the past whorl is more or less attenuated towards the bottom. Teleoconch with irregular, fine, oblique striae; there are no spiral striae. Overall, the shell has a smooth and glossy appearance. Shell rather solid, somewhat translucent (in fresh specimens the curled columella can be seen), horny yellow coloured, with a whitish band behind the peristome. The last whorl with a clear impression at the position of the palatalis superior. Aperture irregular U-shaped, whitish inside. Peristome thickened by a labial callus, reflected at the columellar and basal part, whereas the palatal part is only reflected underneath the insertion of the palatalis superior. The columellar and palatal insertion of the peristome is connected by a clear callus, which is most prominent near the columellar insertion. The subangularis is comma-shaped, and is connected with the palatal peristome by weak callus. The subangularis is mostly fused with the parietalis, the latter being prominent and deeply recessed. There is no spiralis. Palatalis superior very promi- nently developed but not deeply recessed; it is horizontally placed on the palatal peristome. The short columellaris is situated as an oblique angle to the columellar peristome; it is fused with the columellar ledge. The columellar ledge is prominent, curled and truncated; it reaches below the middle of the columellar side of the aperture. In frontal view the columellar ledge looks like a supracolumellaris. There is no basalis or infrapalatalis. The apertural wall has a clear white thickening ranging from behind the palatalis superior to behind the columellaris.

Measurements (n = 12). – H = 7.0-9.7 (mean 8.4); LWH = 3.0-3.5 (mean 3.3); MH = 2.0-2.4 (mean 2.2); LWD = 2.8-3.2 (mean 2.9); LWM = 2.7-3.1 (mean 2.9); MD = 1.7-1.9 (mean 1.8); NW = 10.0-12.2 (mean 11.4).

Localities. – Vilayet Artvin: type locality (see above); Yusufeli (40.8215°N 41.5434°E) (HMK/23); 4 km N. Yusufeli (40.8577°N 41.5404°E) (HMK/21); 11 km ESE. Yusufeli (40.7958°N 41.6698°E) ( Schütt & Yıldırım, 1996: 84, fig. 4 – sub araxena ); Sebzeciler (40.8390°N 41.6722°E) ( Schütt & Yıldırım, 1996: 84 – sub araxena ; Schütt, 2004: fig. 9 – sub adjarica ); Su Kavuşumu (40.8118°N 41.6415°E) ( Schütt, 2004: 129 – sub adjarica ).

Derivatio nominis. – Named after Marian C. Slooff, the indispensable companion of one of the authors (Henk Menkhorst) during all his collecting trips, including those to Turkey.

Differentiation. – Ljudmilena sieversi differs from L. mariannae by the less slender and the less cylindrical shell, the more convex whorls, the more prominent and denser oblique striae, the larger aperture, the less well developed subangularis and parietalis, the more deeply recessed parietalis, the subangularis and parietalis are not fused, the less horizontally placed palatalis superior, and the less marked impression at the peristome near the palatalis superior.

Figures

Figs 8 - 9. New Ljudmilena taxa from Turkey. 8, Ljudmilena callosa spec. nov., holotype NMBE 544659 (H = 6.6 mm), Turkey, Vil. Artvin, Kaymaz, left bank Çoruh Nehri. 9, Ljudmilena mariannae spec. nov., holotype NMBE 544661 (H = 8.8 mm), Turkey, Vil. Artvin, 8 km E. Yusufeli. All photographs Bochud & Neubert, × 8.