Review of the Hispaniolan Parachondria (Chondropomorus) complex (Gastropoda: Littorinoidea: Annulariidae)
Author
Watters, G. Thomas
text
Zootaxa
2016
4127
2
245
275
journal article
38747
10.11646/zootaxa.4127.2.2
e7a9e18c-749b-4ad9-bd50-d4ca0cab4b7b
1175-5326
271772
6D9709A8-90C2-4739-8BDC-A4EFFA7E4F12
Parachondria
(
Chondropomorus
)
daedalus
new species
Figures 3 A–G
, 5 B
Type
material.
UF 216481,
holotype
,
15.6 mm
; UF 216481,
paratype
1, 13.0 mm; UF 216481,
paratype
2,
16.4 mm
; UF 216 481,
paratype
3,
15.9 mm
; UF 216481,
paratype
4,
15.4 mm
.
Type
locality.
440 m
elevation, Peralta, Azua Province,
Dominican Republic
.
Distribution and habitat.
Upland southeastern slopes of the Cordillera Central and Sierra Martín García. Under leaf litter and talus in mesic scrub and forests; portions cleared for coffee groves. Locally common.
Material examined (
112 specimens
examined).
Dominican Republic
.
GTW 7072b(1),
300 m
, Barrera, Azua Province; UF 216481(5),
440 m
, Peralta, Azua Province; UF 23177(5),
1 km
S of Peralta, Azua Province; UF 216615(59),
560 m
,
1 km
SE of Peralta, Azua Province; UF 216620(18),
170 m
,
1 km
E of El Tablazo,
San Cristóbal
Province; UF 216618(24),
220 m
,
13 km
NW of Sabana Grande de Boyá,
San Cristóbal
Province [not found].
Description.
Shell thin, almost translucent, conic. Maximum adult size:
17.6 mm
, decollate. Minimum adult size: 13.0 mm, decollate. Adult shell usually not decollated, protoconch of 1.5 minute, smooth whorls, white with dark brown suture at apex, occasionally with faint tan, central band, demarcation between protoconch and teleoconch not well-defined. Teleoconch of 5 whorls. Axial sculpture of final whorl of numerous (170–200) very fine, narrowly spaced, flattened threads. Shell with regularly spaced growth stoppage marks, axial threads preceding marks microscopic and densely packed. Spiral sculpture of final whorl outside of umbilicus of 30–40 fine threads, nearly same width as axial threads. Intersections of axial and spiral sculpture minutely beaded. Umbilicus with ca. 15 weak spiral cords distributed across entire surface. Suture narrow, deep. Tufts composed of 1–3 slightly enlarged, irregularly spaced, almost blade-like axial threads. Aperture teardrop-shaped, lip double, rarely single. Inner lip erect, barely to prominently exserted and often fused to outer lip. Outer lip expanded, narrower facing umbilicus, slightly recurved abaperturally. Narrowly solute with previous whorl. Prominent posterior auricle, often hook-shaped. Smaller, somewhat undulating auricle also present at 8 o’clock position. Color pattern complex and variable. Base color white with tan spots between tufts, occasional dark band below tufts, and 6–9 narrow, spiral bands usually broken into spots, some specimens with irregular tan markings as well. Inner lip and both sides of outer lip with dark brown markings. Tufts white. Operculum corneous, paucispiral, lacking calcification.
Variation in specimens.
Shells vary in the degree of coloration but most are quite pale overall. The Barrera specimen is much darker. Other characteristics are rather constant.
Comparison with other species.
This species is similar in coloration to
P. salleanus
and
P. isabellinus
. All three species are allopatric and are distributed along the southern ranges of the island.
Parachondria salleanus
has a single, scarcely reflected lip; both
P. daedalus
and
P. isabellinus
have a widely expanded, double lip.
Parachondria daedalus
differs from
P. isabellinus
is having much finer sculpture (140–150 axial threads in
P. isabellinus
, 170–200 axial threads in
P. daedalus
).
Parachondria daedalus
is more rotund and has a lower spire than
P. isabellinus
.
Remarks.
One specimen contains the remains of a web within the umbilicus (fig. 3 D). It is very similar to a web found in
Abbottella nitens
Watters, 2013
, from the eastern
Dominican Republic
that contained a pseudoscorpion (Watters, 2013). This suggests that the pseudoscorpion may have been living within the umbilicus in a commensal association with the snail.
Etymology.
Gr.
daidalos
, dappled, spotted.