Taxonomic revision of the subterranean genus Virpazaria Gittenberger, 1969 (Gastropoda, Spelaeodiscidae) Author Fehér, Zoltán Author Deli, Tamás Author Erőss, Zoltán P. Author Lika, Romilda text European Journal of Taxonomy 2019 2019-09-26 558 1 25 journal article 25295 10.5852/ejt.2019.558 5eadba67-d4ee-4eb8-8ec9-bdb75cab1d59 3474974 5B9DC474-1F26-4732-B7B8-32C285FE0099 Virpazaria (Virpazaria) backhuysi Gittenberger, 1969 Fig. 1 G–L Virpazaria (Virpazaria) backhuysi Gittenberger, 1969: 299–301 , fig. 5. Virpazaria (Virpazaria) backhuysi – Welter-Schultes 2012: 212 . Diagnosis Small, discoid and shouldered shell, low but raised spire, wide umbilicus. Callous thickening along entire basal peristome, a smaller knob on palatal peristome. High and thick parietal flap reaching almost up to angular junction. Aperture crescent-shaped, all of it but the sinus region covered by a parietal flap in frontal view. Material examined Holotype MONTENEGRO • Virpazar, “Cp.360”; Dabović leg.; NHMW-E 48856 . Dimensions H 1.5 mm ; W 2.5 mm ( holotype ). Distribution Only the holotype specimen is known, which came from the Edlauer Collection and was probably collected in the 1930s. On the label only “Virpazar Cp.360” is stated. Virpazar is a small historical town with a fortress. In past decades, various malacologists have sampled in and around Virpazar, including E. Gittenberger, H. Nordsieck, A. and P.L. Reischütz, P. Subai and the authors of the present paper, but no one has been able to refind this enigmatic species. This either means that V. backhuysi has a very narrow range and/or is a locally very rare species, or that we searched in all the wrong places. In case of old museum material, the possibility of a past mix-up can never be excluded (see also the doubt regarding the real origin of the type series of V. ripkeni ), but it is also feasible that the label information refers to the area around Virpazar in a broader sense. Due to this uncertainty we cannot conclude anything about its preferred bedrock type.