Siciliaria ferrox Brandt, 1961

De Mattia, Willy, Reier, Susanne & Haring, Elisabeth, 2021, Morphological investigation of genital organs and first insights into the phylogeny of the genus Siciliaria Vest, 1867 as a basis for a taxonomic revision (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Clausiliidae), ZooKeys 1077, pp. 1-175 : 1

Siciliaria ferrox Brandt, 1961

Figs 1.F, 22.1-22.6, 23.1-23.4, 24.15-24.16

Clausilia confinata commeata (?) Clausilia confinata commeata - Westerlund 1892: 47.

Siciliaria ferrox Brandt 1961: 6.

Siciliaria (Siciliaria) ferrox - Manganelli et al. 1995: 25.

Siciliaria ferrox - Reitano et al. 2007: 328.

Siciliaria ferrox - Welter-Schultes 2012: 339.

Siciliaria ferrox - Liberto et al. 2015: 2015: 489.

Charpentieria ferrox - De Mattia 2017e.

Remarks.

In the COI tree (Fig. 4 ) Siciliaria ferrox forms a separate subclade, which is separated by ~17% p distance from the other Siciliaria species. This species is restricted to the easternmost area of Siciliaria distribution, in the environs of Trabia, Altavilla Milicia and Termini Imerese. It is allotopic, isolated from all other Siciliaria species, except for the area of Montagna Grande, where also S. calcarae was reported ( Nordsieck 2013b: 8). The species presents a distinctive shell as stated by Brandt (1961: 6): "(...) die sich durch den doppelten Nackenkiel und die zwei falschen oberen Gaumenfalten unterscheidet.". Following our genital anatomical investigations, the internal structure of the genital organs revealed to be unique among the Siciliaria species, namely an extremely modified ER that becomes finely longitudinally fringed (Fig. 22 .2). Moreover, the penial papilla is uncommonly long and irregular (Fig. 22 .2-22.3) and the ELP are extremely fringed as well.

The status of Clausilia confinata commeata Westerlund, 1892 ( Westerlund 1892: 47) is not clear as its original description is poor, lacking the description of essential shell characters (AUPP) and unavailability of the type material ( Reitano et al. 2007: 328).

Specimens examined.

Italy, Sicily, Trabia, Contrada Sant'Onofrio , 170 m asl, 37°59'17.62"N, 13°36'51.11"E, [Lab ID Sf _1, COI: MW758922 , ITS2: MW757115 ; Lab ID Sf _2, COI: MW758917 ], W. De Mattia and J. Macor leg., 21.xii.2007. 3 dissected spm .

Shell

(Figs 23 .1-23.4, 24.15, 24.16). Shell mostly not decollate; whorls ribbed, sutural papillae recognisable; dorsal keel distinct or indistinct; inferior lamella moderately high or high; two anterior upper palatal plicae present, upper one mostly separated from upper palatal plica; palatal edge of clausilium plate distally less or not receding, palatal edge distally not bent upwards (as in Nordsieck 2013b).

Measurements

(n = 32, decollate). shell height 17.7 ± 0.7, whorl width 3.8 ± 0.1, aperture height 3.6 ± 0.2, aperture width 2.4 ± 0.2.

External morphology of the genital organs

(Fig. 21 .1). The FO is longer than the V (FO/V range 1.4-1.9). The VD is thin along its whole course except for its proximal section where it is wider. The FDBC is longer than the BC+SDBC (FDBC/BC+SDBC range 1.6-2.1). The BC+SDBC is club-like and slightly shorter than the V (BC+SDBC/V range 0.8-0.9), with no clear distinction between the SDBC and the BC. The apex is wide and round. The D is longer than the V (D/V range 1.8-2.0) and longer that the BC+SDBC (D/BC+SDBC range 1.9-2.2), thinner than the BC+SDBC and with a pointed apex. The V is short, wide and cylindrical. The A is small. The PC is longer than the V (P+E/V range 2.0.7-2.2). The PR is long and thin. The E is slightly thinner and shorter than the P (E/P range 0.8-0.9), almost abruptly shrinking and turning into the VD.

Internal morphology of the genital organs

(Figs 22 .3-22.6). The A shows small irregular pleats. These pleats are the direct continuation of the irregular sculpture of both the distal P and V. Proximally, the P presents three or four fleshy pads. These pleats turn into and irregular-wrinkly pattern towards the distal part. The PP is always big, irregular and wrinkly. It is tapered towards the apex that is elongated and irregular. In cross section a clear folding is visible. It originates almost directly from the epiphallar transition wall. The transition wall shows an extremely irregular surface with a set of longitudinal papillated “pleats”. The transition area presents a particular structure, namely an extremely longitudinally fringed ring. It is not clear if the characteristic epiphallar ring becomes this fringed ring or it is missing and replaced by this unique structure. The epiphallus shows two main longitudinal extremely fringed pleats. The V shows a smooth irregular pattern of fine longitudinal pleats.

Ecology.

Siciliaria ferrox inhabits limestone walls, hiding in rocks cracks and crevices. According to De Mattia (2017e) Siciliaria ferrox is considered as Critically Endangered following the IUCN criteria B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii).

Distribution.

Siciliaria ferrox occupies the easternmost part of the distribution range of the northwestern Sicilian Siciliaria . It is found from Altavilla Milicia, Sant’Onofrio to Termini Imerese.

Figures

Figure 1. Wagner's (1913, 1925) and Brandt's (1961) Siciliaria genital drawings A Siciliaria septemplicata, Wagner, 1913: plate 572, fig. 14 B Siciliaria grohmanniana grohmanniana, Wagner, 1925: plate 1, fig. 8 C Siciliaria calcarae calcarae, 1925: plate 3, fig. 25 D Siciliaria ferrox, Brandt, 1961: fig. 1 E overall Siciliaria / Sicania and Sicilian Mauritanica distribution F Siciliaria / Sicania and Sicilian Mauritanica distribution of taxa.

Figure 4. BI tree of based on the COI data set of Siciliaria, Sicania and related genera. BI posterior probability values (> 0.90) of major nodes are indicated.

Figure 21. Siciliaria calcarae orlandoi Liberto, Reitano, Giglio, Colomba & Sparacio, 2016, Bosco Ficuzza 21.1 shell 21.2 detail of the aperture 21.3 clausiliar plate double side 21.4 shell 21.5 detail of the aperture. Siciliaria calcarae cruenta ssp. nov., Monte Gibilmesi 21.6 shell 21.7 detail of the aperture 21.8 shell 21.9 detail of the aperture 21.10 view of the clausiliar plate.

Figure 22. Siciliaria ferrox (Brandt, 1961). Trabia Sant'Onofrio 22.1 whole distal genital organs 22.2 internal distal part of genital organs 22.3 detail of the pseusopapilla 22.4 cross section of the FDBC 22.5 cross section of the distal epiphallus 22.6 cross section of the pseudopapilla.

Figure 23. Siciliaria ferrox (Brandt, 1961). Trabia Sant'Onofrio 23.1 shell 23.2 detail of the aperture 23.3 shell 23.4 detail of the aperture.