Land snail diversity in central China: revision of Laeocathaica Moellendorff, 1899 (Gastropoda, Camaenidae), with descriptions of seven new species Author Wu, Min https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5434-5544 School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China minwu1969@aliyun.com Author Shen, Wang School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China Author Chen, Zhong-Guang https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2689-3321 Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecosystem Change and Biodiversity, Center for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science and School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China text ZooKeys 2023 2023-03-20 1154 49 147 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1154.86237 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1154.86237 1313-2970-1154-49 4E410C2ACC03438F8AC7C5370819DE6C E4F41DD1A11059DAB4A979F00E85D50F Laeocathaica nordsiecki Wu sp. nov. Figs 2A, B , 37D , 47E, F , 49C Type material. Holotype HBUMM08446-spec.1, fully mature shell with immature genital system, Guoyuanxiang [郭元乡], Jiuzhaigouxian, Sichuan Province; near point ( 33.125506°N , 104.329876°E ); 2021-IX-24, coll. Chen, Z.-G. Paratypes HBUMM08446-spec.2-3, 2 fms; HBUMM08446-spec.4-5, 2 subadults; same data of holotype. HBUMM08447-spec.1-2, 2 fms and 3 living juvs (in rearing), Qinglongcun [青龙村], Guoyuanxiang, Jiuzhaigouxian, Sichuan Province; ( 33.085615°N , 104.348250°E ); 2020-VII, coll. Chen, Z.-G. Figure 44. Internal view of penis A, B Laeocathaica tropidorhaphe Moellendorff , 1899 A general view, HBUMM05619-spec.1 B proximal penis, HBUMM05664-spec.1 C L. qishilii Wu, sp. nov., general view, HBUMM08298-spec.1, holotype D L. zhengpingliui Wu, sp. nov., general view, HBUMM05553-spec.1, holotype E L. qingchuanensis Wu, sp. nov., general view, HBUMM01179-spec.1, holotype F-H L. cheni Wu, sp. nov. F, G HBUMM05553b-spec.1, holotype F general view G proximal penis H HBUMM08428-spec.1, paratype, partial internal view of distal penis. Arrows indicate the position where two penial internal pilasters fuse into one distal pilaster. Measurement of holotype. Shell height 3.7 mm, maximum diameter 10.8 mm, aperture height 3.0 mm, aperture breadth 3.3 mm, umbilicus diameter 5.0 mm, protoconch whorls 11/2, whorls 51/8. Figure 45. SEM micrographs A, B Laeocathaica potanini Moellendorff , 1899, HBUMM00633 A protoconch B teleoconch C, D L. dityla Moellendorff , 1899, HBUMM00698 C protoconch D teleoconch E, F L. qingchuanensis Wu, sp. nov., HBUMM01179a-spec.6, paratype E protoconch F teleoconch G, H L. christinae (H. Adams, 1870), HBUMM01251a G protoconch H teleoconch I, J L. carinifera (H. Adams, 1870), HBUMM04162 I protoconch J teleoconch K, L L. polytyla Moellendorff , 1899, HBUMM05437 K protoconch L teleoconch. Diagnosis. Protoconch with dense fine granules. Umbilicus very broad, ~ 1/2 of maximum diameter. Body whorl shouldered above periphery. On shoulder with a white band. Peristome continuous. Shell strongly glossy as in Stilpnodiscus , almost transparent. Figure 46. SEM micrographs A, B Laeocathaica distinguenda Moellendorff , 1899, HBUMM05479 A protoconch B teleoconch C, D L. stenochone Moellendorff , 1899, HBUMM05495 C protoconch D teleoconch E, F L. prionotropis Moellendorff , 1899, HBUMM05549 E protoconch F teleoconch G, H L. amdoana Moellendorff , 1899, HBUMM05640 G protoconch H teleoconch I, J L. tropidorhaphe Moellendorff , 1899, HBUMM05664 I protoconch J teleoconch K, L L. cheni Wu, sp. nov., HBUMM08368, paratype, juvenile K protoconch L teleoconch. Description of shell. Sinistral, depressed, thin but somewhat solid. Shell with 5-51/8 convex whorls. Suture impressed. Protoconch 11/2-15/8 whorls, densely with tiny granules (each ~ 10 µm long) which are obscured by erosion or weathering. Growth lines indistinct. Shell in pale brown, strongly glossy, almost transparent. Body whorl shouldered above periphery, with a white band on shoulder. Aperture oblique, round, abruptly descending in front. A white thickening within aperture and thickened callus forming a continuous peristome. Peristome expanded and slightly reflexed at lower part. Columella oblique. Umbilicus very broad, ~ 1/2 of maximum diameter. Protoconch visible through umbilicus. Figure 47. SEM micrographs A, B Laeocathaica odophora Moellendorff , 1899, HBUMM08430 A protoconch B teleoconch C, D L. dolani (Pilsbry, 1934), HBUMM08439 C protoconch D teleoconch E, F L. nordsiecki Wu, sp. nov., HBUMM08446, paratype, subadult E protoconch F teleoconch G, H L. pewzowi Moellendorff , 1899, HBUMM08452 G protoconch H teleoconch I, J L. carinalis Chen & Zhang, 2004, HBUMM08453 I protoconch J teleoconch K, L L. zhengpingliui Wu, sp. nov., HBUMM05553-spec.2, paratype, juvenile K protoconch L teleoconch. Etymology. This cute new species is named in memory of Hartmut Nordsieck, a German malacologist who showed strong interest in the snails of the South Gansu Plateau and was a good friend of the first author. Figure 48. SEM micrographs A, B Laeocathaica qishilii Wu, sp. nov., HBUMM08298, paratype A protoconch B teleoconch C, D L. qiminglii Wu, sp. nov., HBUMM08448, paratype C protoconch D teleoconch E, F L. phaeomphala Moellendorff , 1899, CZG202008-w3, subadult E protoconch F teleoconch G, H L. filippina (Heude, 1882), HBUMM04166 G protoconch H teleoconch I, J L. parapolytyla Wu, sp. nov., HBUMM06640-spec.9, paratype I protoconch J teleoconch. Ecology. This species was found on bare earth with a few broken rocks. Figure 49. Habitats (excluding D ) A, B Laeocathaica qishilii Wu, sp. nov., border of Jiuzhaigou County and Wen County C L. nordsiecki Wu, sp. nov., Guoyuanxiang, Jiuzhaigou D L. qiminglii Wu, sp. nov., an indoor photograph E L. qingchuanensis Wu, sp. nov., Dagou Nature Reserve, Qingchuan County F L. cheni Wu, sp. nov., Hengdan, Wenxian. Distribution. Only known from two localities where the types were found. Figure 50. Scatter plots of canonical variate 1 against canonical variate 2 (Canonical Variate Analysis), showing the shell morphological relationships among A Laeocathaica distinguenda Moellendorff , 1899 (green dots; a, average shape), L. amdoana Moellendorff , 1899 (blue dots; b, average shape) and L. tropidorhaphe Moellendorff , 1899 (orange dots; c, average shape) B L. qingchuanensis Wu, sp. nov. (green dots; a, average shape), L. stenochone Moellendorff , 1899 (orange dots; b, average shape) and L. carinifera (H. Adams, 1870) (blue dots; c, average shape). Encircled dots: 1, SMF 8959, lectotype; 2, HBUMM05436-spec.1; 3, SMF 8952, lectotype; 4, SMF 9074, lectotype; 5, paratype of L. dangchangensis Chen & Zhang, 2004; 6, SMF 9071, lectotype; 7, syntype, NHMUK 1870.7.16.7. Data for 5 from fig. 7D, 6 and 7 from fig. 12 in Pall-Gergely et al. 2022 . Remarks. The new species is the smallest species in Laeocathaica , where it is provisionally placed due to its chirality, granules on the protoconch and the similarity of the shell to that of Laeocathaica dityla . The very glossy shell also makes this species distinctive, reminiscent of the genus Stilpnodiscus Moellendorff , 1899, which appears in the phylogram (Fig. 51 ) as the sister group of all the Laeocathaica species. Undoubtedly, final generic assignment of this species will depend on further anatomical information and molecular studies. Figure 51. Bayesian phylogram of camaenid species (for detail see in Table 1 ) based on the concatenated partial mitochondrial 16S and partial ITS2 sequences. The tree is rooted with Helix pomatia . Numbers near nodes indicating Bayesian posterior probabilities and Maximum-likelihood bootstrap values are given as BPP ⁄BP. Black or orange part shows the topology where the result yielded by using Bayesian-Inference method agrees with that by using Maximum-likelihood method or not, respectively. An asterisk indicates the branch is exactly one third shortened in length. Scale bar is for substitutions per site.