Taxonomic revision of the Elephant Pupinid snail genus Pollicaria Gould, 1856 (Prosobranchia, Pupinidae)

Abstract

The status of species currently assigned to the Southeast Asian Elephant Pupinid snail genus Pollicaria Gould, 1856 is reassessed. Shell, radular and reproductive morphology are investigated and analysed with reference to karyotype patterns previously reported and to distribution patterns among the species. Six previously described species are recognised: Pollicaria gravida (Benson, 1856), Pollicaria myersii (Haines, 1855), Pollicaria mouhoti (Pfeiffer, 1862), Pollicaria elephas (Morgan, 1885), Pollicaria crossei (Dautzenberg & d’Hamonville, 1887) and Pollicaria rochebruni (Mabille, 1887). A new subspecies, Pollicaria mouhoti monochroma ssp. n.,is proposed and a dichotomous key to species is provided.

Diversity and taxonomy of Vietnamese Pollicaria (Gastropoda, Pupinidae)

“…While identifying Vietnamese land snails collected in 2015 by PMH and DVT, we found Kongim et al (2013) to be problematic in identifying specimens of P. rochebruni and P. crossei. We noted specifically that smaller (30-35 mm) reddish-brown shells and larger (35-40 mm) orange shells were left unidentifiable by the key, and that species-specific characters of the key conflicted with the comparative characters listed by Kongim et al (2013:28).…”

“…We noted specifically that smaller (30-35 mm) reddish-brown shells and larger (35-40 mm) orange shells were left unidentifiable by the key, and that species-specific characters of the key conflicted with the comparative characters listed by Kongim et al (2013:28). Of additional interest were records of putative P. mouhoti from Lào Cai, Vietnam (Solem 1966), a species that Kongim et al (2013) had restricted to Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand, and internet references to additional species in northeast Vietnam and southern China. In an effort to resolve the taxonomic and distribution issues presented by Kongim et al (2013), we undertook a morphological and molecular examination of Vietnamese Pollicaria specimens, along with original descriptions and other literature relevant to the genus, to address two research questions.…”

“…Of additional interest were records of putative P. mouhoti from Lào Cai, Vietnam (Solem 1966), a species that Kongim et al (2013) had restricted to Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand, and internet references to additional species in northeast Vietnam and southern China. In an effort to resolve the taxonomic and distribution issues presented by Kongim et al (2013), we undertook a morphological and molecular examination of Vietnamese Pollicaria specimens, along with original descriptions and other literature relevant to the genus, to address two research questions. First, are P. rochebruni and P. crossei separate valid species?…”

“…However, they did not karyotype any topotypic P. gravida from Burma. Most recently, Kongim et al (2013) reassessed Pollicaria using a combination of shell, radula, and reproductive characters and recognized six separate species: P. gravida, P. myersii, P. mouhoti, P. elephas, P. rochebruni, and P. crossei. They correctly recognized that not all Pollicaria possess the shouldering inside the peristome, and assigned the different karyotypes of Vietnamese P. gravida (Kongim et al 2010) to P. rochebruni ("big brown shell") and P. crossei ("small orange shell").…”

“…Both species are thus separate from the small yellowshelled P. gravida from Burma. Kongim et al (2013) also provided revised distributions for all species and figured type and additional material.…”