Helix (Helix) albescens ROSSMÄSSLER, 1839

Neubert, Eike, 2014, Revision of Helix LINNAEUS, 1758 in its eastern Mediterranean distribution area, and reassignment of Helix godetiana KOBELT, 1878 to Maltzanella HESSE, 1917 (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Helicidae), Contributions to Natural History 26, pp. 1-200 : 67-71

Helix (Helix) albescens ROSSMÄSSLER, 1839 ( Figs 100–110 )

1837 Helix obtusata ROSSMÄSSLER, Iconographie der Land- und Süsswassermollusken 1, 1 (5/6): 2, Taf. 21, Fig. 288 [non Helix obtusata GMELIN, 1790 ] [no data].

1839 Helix vulgaris ROSSMÄSSLER, Iconographie der Land- und Süsswassermollusken 1, 2 (3/4): 10, Taf. 44, Fig. 582 [non Helix vulgaris DA COSTA, 1778] [hÖchstwahrscheinlich aus der Moldau oder Walachei].

1839 Helix albescens ROSSMÄSSLER, Iconographie der Land- und Süsswassermollusken 1, 2 (3/4): 10, Taf. 44, Fig. 585, 586 [Oberitalien, mitgetheilt von Parreyss].

1860 Helix obtusalis BOURGUIGNAT, Revue et Magasin de Zoologie 12: 160 [separatum: Aménités malacologiques II: 177 [nom. nov. pro Helix obtusata ROSSMÄSSLER, 1837 non Helix obtusata SERRES, 1823 ].

1877 Helix obtusalis var. bicincta KOBELT, Iconographie der Land- und Süsswassermollusken 1 (5): 116, Taf. 148, Fig. 1485 [Nowo-Rossisk am Westende des Kaukasus].

1886 Helix (Helicogena) raddei O. BOETTGER, In : RADDE, G.: Fauna und Flora des südwestlichen Caspi-Gebietes III: 295, Taf. 2, Fig. 6a–c [Talysch, Lenkoran].

1889 Helix (Helicogena) obtusata var. Ballionis RETOWSKI, Bulletin da la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou, N.S. 2 (2): 281 [Novorossiisk].

1897 Helix intermissa WESTERLUND, Annuaire du Musée Zoologique de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de St.-Pétersbourg: 123 [Caucasus. Delishan (Gouvern. Tiflis) 7.6.1879 (A. Brandt) und Dorf Kueli (J. Ananow 1886].

1904 Helix (Helicogena) vulgaris kubanensis KOBELT, Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet VI : 183, Taf. 343, Fig. 3, 4 [Bibac im Kubangebiet].

1904 Helix (Helicogena) vulgaris roseni KOBELT, Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet VI : 184, Taf. 339, Fig. 8, 9 [Kubangebiet nÖrdlich des Kaukasus].

1904 H. vulgaris tenuissima KOBELT, Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet VI : 300 [only mentioned in the explanation of Taf. 342, Fig. 11, 12 , not described on p. 180, as Kobelt cites himself].

Type specimens:

obtusata : holotype SMF 9613 ( Zilch 1952: 141): H = 26; D = 28.7; PH = 20.2; PD = 14.7; PrD = 7.4; W = 4.25. vulgaris : neotype SMF 22367 ( Zilch 1952: 141): H = 28.4; D = 31.1; PH = 18.5; PD = 19.2; PrD = 7.3; W = 4.5. albescens : holotype SMF 9834 ( Zilch 1952: 141): H = 32.1; D = 30.1; PH = 22.1; PD = 15.5; PrD = 6.5; W = 4.5. ballionis: lectotype SMF 9832 (SD Zilch 1952: 142): H = 37.7; D = 36.5; PH = 21.1; PD = 23.5; PrD = 6.3; W = 5. intermissa : lectotype GNM 1725 (lectotype herewith designated): H = 33.4; D = 32.4; PH = 21.7; PD = 16; PrD = 6.9; W = 4.5. kubanensis: lectotype SMF 9625 (SD Zilch 1952: 142), H = 30.9, D = 34.7, PH = 17.9, PD = 21.5; roseni: lectotype SMF 9718 (SD Zilch 1952: 142): H = 33.8; D = 34.3; PH = 23.6; PD = 26.7; PrD = 7.3; W = 4.5. tenuissima: holotype SMF 9684 ( Zilch 1952: 142): H = 27.6; D = 27; PH = 20.2; PD = 14.3; PrD = 6; W = 4.5.

Specimens examined:

Bulgaria: Eastern Rhodopes , Ivailovgrad town, Arda hut, 25.11.1990, 41.5276 26.1251, leg. Beshkov, ex coll. Dedov, NMBE 505484 / 1 (alk.).; Mitrovci , NW-town limits (= ca. 23 km W Montana), 43.4432 22. 9324, 340 m alt., 23.5.2007, NMBE 522341 / 1; Iskar Valley "Ritlite", 500–700 m E of Cerepiski Monastir, 43.0933 23. 6247, 425 m alt., 5.5.2008, NMBE 522340 / 1; Tabacka (= S from Ruse), 43.6133 25.983, 100 m alt., 26.5.2007, 522342/4; Arcar (= S von Vidin), 43.8126 22.9194, 33 m alt., 5.5.2008, 522339/1; Petrova Nuva, SE boundary of city, 42.0601 27. 5303, 220 m alt., 8.5.2008, NMBE 522376 /1.

Ukraine: Massandra close to Jalta, 44.5167 34.1833, 27.5.1976, NMBE 522617 / 5; Holubynka (= Golubinka), 44.5965 33.9148, 200 m alt., 6.9.1989, NME 522616 / 4; Chatyrdag Mt. , 44.7376 34.2878, 1200 m alt., 11.8.2000, NMBE 20318 /2.

Russia: Nowo-Rossisk, 44.7341 37.7717; Bibac (unclear, central Kuban area, prob. 44.983 40.476, bicincta, kubanensis, ballionis).

Azerbaijan: Talysch, 38.7226 48.6477 ( raddei ).

Georgia / Armenia: Delishan (prob. Dilijan in Armenia?), 40.7396 44.8679 ( intermissa ).

Diagnosis: shell of medium size, thick, usually with five separate spirals, protoconch very large, flagellum extremely short, diverticulum missing.

Description: shell of medium size, thick, spherical, with a slightly conical spire; basic shell colour greyish white to bright cream-brown with usually five separate chestnut-brown spirals, but shells with fused spirals may occur; protoconch very large in comparison to shell, smooth, white to grey; teleoconch of 4–5 whorls; last whorl only slightly descending below the periphery; aperture subquadrate, slightly oblique to rounded, apertural rim narrow, labial callus weak, white to cream to brown coloured, columellar triangle small; umbilicus closed in adult shells.

Genital organs ( Fig. 109 ): penis thick, club-shaped, epiphallus as long as penis; flagellum extremely short, with a thickened basal part, shorter than epiphallus+penis, mrp attaching in a central position on the epiphallus; internally, both papillae of equal size, penial chamber long, internally almost smooth, both papillae conical with a central perforation; atrial stimulator a triangular knob; female system with a very short vaginal tube, dart sac strong, glandulae mucosae thin, bifid, consisting of only a few tubes, not exceeding dart sac in length; pedunculus stem long, with a thickened basal part, diverticulum missing, vesicle rounded and bent downwards.

Distribution ( Fig. 110 ): This species is known from Bulgaria, the northern coastal part of the Black Sea, and the Caucasian countries including the Talysch. Until now, no records are known from the Rhodope Mts. in Greece, nor from Turkey, where it can be expected at least in the European part of the country. Sysoev & Schileyko (2009) record it from the southern part of the Ukraine, the areas north of the Caucasus, and sporadically in Georgia and Armenia; no records are known so far from Ghilan, Iran. Kobelt (1906) believed H. albescens to slightly transform into Lindholmia nordmanni ( MOUSSON, 1854) south of the great Caucasian water shed, which reflects his misapprehension of the two species which belong to two different genera ( Neubert & Bank 2006: 128).

Remarks: This species is characterized by its very short flagellum and the lack of the diverticulum. It is unknown whether this character is stable in this species. Conchologically, it differs from H. figulina and H. pomacella by its very large protoconch and the generally larger shell size.

Figures

Figs 100–108. Helix (Helix) albescens ROSSMÄSSLER, 1839. Fig. 100 neotype vulgaris: SMF 22367, höchstwahrscheinlich aus der Moldau oder Walachei, D = 31.1; Fig. 101 holotype obtusata: SMF 9613, unknown, D = 28.7; Fig. 102 holotype albescens: SMF 9834, "Oberitalien", D = 30.1; Fig. 103 lectotype intermissa: GNM 1725, Delishan, D = 32.4; Fig. 104 roseni: lectotype SMF 9718, Kubangebiet, D = 34.3; Fig. 105 ballionis: lectotype SMF 9832, Novorossiisk, D = 36.5; Fig. 106 NMBE 505484, Ivailovgrad, D = 33.4; Fig. 107 kubanensis: lectotype SMF 9625, Bibac, D = 34.7; Fig. 108 tenuissima: holotype SMF 9684, unknown, D = 27.0. — All photos Neubert, original size.

Fig. 109. Helix (Helix) albescens ROSSMÄSSLER, 1839. Genital organs, NMBE 505484, Ivailovgrad, situs 31.52. — All photos Neubert.

Fig. 110. Helix (Helix) albescens ROSSMÄSSLER, 1839. Distribution.

Figs 1–9. Helix (Helix) pomatia LINNAEUS, 1758. Fig. 1 compacta, syntype SMF 9573, D = 50.07, Hungary "Gestrüppe der Berglehnen"; Fig. 2 pulskyana, syntype SMF 9525/2a, Hungary "Inseln der Donau", D = 36.6; Fig. 3 hajnaldiana, syntype SMF 9658, Hungary "Budapest, im botanischen Garten", D = 34.1; Fig. 4 solitaria, syntype SMF 74708/2a, D = 31.1; Fig. 5 sabulosa, syntype SMF 9524, D = 40.5, Fig. 6 expansilabris, holotype SMF 9538, D = 45.5; Fig. 7 luteola, holotype SMF 9527, D = 34.6; Fig. 8 pannonica, lectotype SMF 9535, D = 40.5, Fig. 9 lednicensis, syntype SMF 9534/2a, D = 38.3. — All photos Neubert, original size.

Figs 10–19. Helix (Helix) pomatia LINNAEUS, 1758. Fig. 10 claudiensis, holotype SMF 9543, Klausenburg, D = 39.5; Fig. 11 dobrudschae, holotype SMF 9541, Rumania, Dobrudscha, Comana Vlasca, D = 46.2; Fig. 12 costellata, holotype SMF 9631, Markt in Bukarest, D = 39.7; Fig. 13 elsae, lectotype SMF 9529, nahe Bukarest, D = 34.9; Fig. 14 transsylvanica, holotype SMF 9634, Markt in Bukarest, D = 40.1; Fig. 15 christinae, lectotype SMF 9542, Runku über Bukarest, D = 44.5; Fig. 16 kapellae, holotype SMF 9544, Kapella Gebirge, D = 44.2; Fig. 17 serbica, holotype SMF 9540, Maidanek, D = 53.9; Fig. 18 thessalica, lectotype SMF 9568, Makrinitza bei Volos, D = 45.4; Fig. 19 rhodopensis, syntype SMF 9599/2a, Philippoppel, D = 41.0. — All photos Neubert, original size.