A review of the genus Laeocathaica Möllendorff, 1899 (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Camaenidae)

Abstract

In this paper an overview of the Laeocathaica species is provided, and the intraspecific variability of several Laeocathaica species demonstrated on multiple shells. Laeocathaica hisanoi Páll-Gergely, sp. nov. and L. minwui Páll-Gergely, sp. nov. are described based on specimens found in museum collections. Five new synonyms are recognized: L. prionotropis albocincta Möllendorff, 1899 is a new synonym of L. prionotropis Möllendorff, 1899, L. stenochone Möllendorff, 1899 is a new synonym of Laeocathaica carinifera (H. Adams, 1870). Laeocathaica distinguenda Möllendorff, 1899, L. tropidorhaphe Möllendorff, 1899, and L. dangchangensis Chen & Zhang, 2004 are moved to the synonymy of Laeocathaica amdoana Möllendorff, 1899. Furthermore, photos of paratypes of Cathaica bizonalis Chen & Zhang, 2004 are published for the first time.

Land snail diversity in central China: revision of Laeocathaica Möllendorff, 1899 (Gastropoda, Camaenidae), with descriptions of seven new species

“…The material used in the GMM analyses were intact mature shells and the high-quality published photos, including Laeocathaica amdoana Möllendorff, 1899: HBUMM05639 (2 specimens; the information of each collection lot is showed under each species in the section Systematics), -05640 (3), -05646 (5), -08147 (6), -08432 (3) and SMF 8952 (1); Laeocathaica distinguenda Möllendorff, 1899: HBUMM05417 (5), -05434 (1), -05436 (1), -05473 (10), -05554 (4), -05565a (3), -05571 (3), -05576b (1), -06536 (3), -06556 (3), -06579 (2), -00674 (8), -08429 (2), CZG202008-w10 (4), CZG202008-w5 (5), SMF 8959 (1) and SMF 95024 (1); L. tropidorhaphe Möllendorff, 1899: HBUMM00450 (3), -00486 (2), -00508 (5), -00526 (1), -00527 (2), -05600 (8), -05621 (4), -05664 (6), -05692 (7), -05719 (4), -06621 (3), -08425 (7), CZG202008-w1 (2), SMF 9074 (1), SMF 9075 (1), SMF 9077 (1) and fig. 7D in Páll-Gergely et al (2022) (paratype of Laeocathaica dangchangensis Chen & Zhang, 2004; 1); L. carinifera (H. Adams, 1870): HBUMM00006 (1), -01573 (5), -00228 (2), -04064 (5), -04162 (7), -04217 (8), -04219 (5), -04235 (5), -08443 (4), NHMUK V. W. McAndrew coll. Acc.…”

“…1563 (1), SMF 24265 (1), SMF 95116 (1) and fig. 12A in Páll-Gergely et al 2022 (syntype; 1); L. qingchuanensis Wu, sp. nov.: HBUMM01179a (5), -04264 (2), -08195 (5), -08196 (4) and -08200 (9); and L. stenochone Möllendorff, 1899: HBUMM05495 (5), -05764a (1), -05767 (2), -05772 (4), -08431 (3), -08433 (1), SMF 8951 (1), SMF 9071 (1) and fig.…”

“…nov.: HBUMM01179a (5), -04264 (2), -08195 (5), -08196 (4) and -08200 (9); and L. stenochone Möllendorff, 1899: HBUMM05495 (5), -05764a (1), -05767 (2), -05772 (4), -08431 (3), -08433 (1), SMF 8951 (1), SMF 9071 (1) and fig. 12D in Páll-Gergely et al 2022 (lectotype; 1).…”

“…This genus is characterized by a sinistral shell with a conic to strongly depressed spire, usually with a sharp carina, more or less reflexed aperture, broad umbilicus and weak or strong apertural barriers on the young shell. However, their shell morphological phenotypic variation is so wide that most shell characters can also be observed in other dart-sac-bearing camaenids of China, such as toothless and toothed aperture of juvenile/mature shell, rounded and carinate periphery, narrow and broad umbilicus, scaly and smooth periostracum, banded color pattern and so on, which makes us question, whether it is a monophyletic group (Páll-Gergely et al 2022). It is noteworthy that in the original paper on the introduction of this genus Möllendorff (1899) noticed that this group might be distinguished from other related genera by "juniora labro interno munita", which means "during postembryogenesis several sets of teeth, different from those developed at adult stage in shape and/or number, present and remained to adult stage" (Schileyko 2004).…”

“… Laeocathaica Möllendorff, 1899 comprises more than twenty species, most of which were described by O. von Möllendorff. It is a group of sinistrally-shelled camaenids indigenous to Central China, an area that includes western Hubei, Chongqing (administratively part of Sichuan before 1997), Sichuan, southern Gansu, and western Shaanxi (works before 1934 listed in References; Wu and Chen 1998 ; Chen and Zhang 2004 ; Páll-Gergely et al 2022 ). This genus is characterized by a sinistral shell with a conic to strongly depressed spire, usually with a sharp carina, more or less reflexed aperture, broad umbilicus and weak or strong apertural barriers on the young shell.…”