Trifora fuscomaculata E.A. Smith, 1904

Albano, Paolo G., Bakker, Piet A. J. & Sabelli, Bruno, 2019, Annotated catalogue of the types of Triphoridae (Mollusca, Gastropoda) in the Natural History Museum of the United Kingdom, London, Zoosystematics and Evolution 95 (1), pp. 161-308 : 161

Trifora fuscomaculata E.A. Smith, 1904

Figure 87

Trifora fuscomaculata E.A. Smith 1904: 37, pl. 3, figs 7, 8.

Type locality.

"Port Alfred, Cape Colony" (Cape of Good Hope, South Africa).

Type material.

Lectotype: NHMUK 1903.12.19.1078, here designated. Paralectotype: NHMUK 1903.12.19.1079, 1 specimen, Port Alfred, South Africa .

Additional material.

Triphora sp. ( T. fuscomaculata var. of E.A. Smith, but not conspecific), NHMUK 1903.12.19.1080-1083, 4 specimens, Port Alfred , South Africa .

Original description.

Testa elongata, gracilis, alba, fusco irregulariter maculata; anfractus circiter 20 planiusculi, lente accrescentes, quadricingulati, cingulis tuberculatis, duobus medianis aliis majoribus, longitudinaliter sulcati, subcancellati, ultimus infra peripheriam cingulis tribus haud granosis ornatus; apertura rotunde quadrata, antice breviter oblique canaliculata; columella supra arcuata, callo tenui induta.

Longit. 17 millim., diam. 3.5.

Var. (Pl. iii, fig. 8) Testa angustior, minor, cingulis tribus, superioribus aequalibus, distinctius et confertim tuberculatis.

Longit. 15 millim., diam. 3

The typical form is more distinctly blotched with brown than the variety.

Translation of the Latin text.

Elongated shell, slender, white, with irregular brown spots; about 20 nearly flat whorls, growing slowly, with four tuberculated cords, the two in the middle larger than others, longitudinally grooved, subcancellated, the last with three granulated cords under its periphery; aperture subquadrate, anteriorly with a very short oblique sinus; columella superiorly arched covered by a thin callus.

Height 17 mm, diameter 3.5 mm.

Variety in pl. iii, fig. 8, shell more slender, smaller, with three cords. The uppermost of the same size, clearly tightly tuberculated.

Diagnosis.

Lectotype 14.4 mm high. Shell conical with flat sides and obsolete sutures. The lectotype lacks the apical part. The remaining teleoconch has 12 whorls bearing four thin spiral cords with faint tubercles at the intersection with faint prosocline axial ribs. Numerous fine spiral striae are visible in the wide interspaces. Peristome badly damaged. Periphery angulated at the base, which bears four additional weakly sculptured spiral cords. Siphonal canal damaged but apparently short. Protoconch missing. Teleoconch white with orange blotches.

Remarks.

In the box of this lot there is a capsule with two specimens of T. fuscomaculata s.s. and a second capsule with four specimens of a variety that E.A. Smith cited but not fully described in his work (1904). These four shells (Fig. 87K-N ) have well-defined tubercles and an impressed suture which qualify them as a distinct species. Therefore, we have designated a lectotype which closely matches the original figure to stabilize the nomenclature.

Figures

Figure 87. Trifora fuscomaculata E. A. Smith, 1904. A Original figure. B-D, F, G Lectotype NHMUK 1903.12.19.1078, Port Alfred, South Africa: front (B), side (C), back (D), aperture (F), microsculpture (G). E Original label. H-J Paralectotype, NHMUK 1903.12.19.1079, Port Alfred, South Africa: front (H), side (I), back (J). K-N Triphora sp. (Triphora fuscomaculata var., sensu E. A. Smith 1904), NHMUK 1903.12.19.1080 - 1083, Port Alfred, South Africa. Scale bars: B-D, H-N: 2 mm; F: 0.2 mm; G: 0.1 mm.