Xeropicta (Gastropoda, Hygromiidae) goes west: the first record of X. krynickii (Krynicki, 1833) for Montenegro, with a description of its shell and genital morphology, and an additional record of X. derbentina (Krynicki, 1836) for Italy
Author
Mattia, Willy De
International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) Padriciano, 99. 34149 Trieste, Italy, E- mail: Willy. DeMattia @ icgeb. org * Corresponding author.
Author
Pešić, Vladimir
text
Ecologica Montenegrina
2014
2014-11-26
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4
193
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journal article
54623
10.37828/em.2014.1.27
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2336-9744
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Xeropicta derbentina
(Krynicki, 1836)
Italian population
Shell and genitalia are shown in
Figs 13
and
28
. This second known Italian population of
X. derbentina
belongs to the group of “short penial flagellum“
Xeropicta
species
(cfr.
Altena 1960
;
Hesse 1934
) and perfectly matches the anatomical and shell descriptions provided for the species (
Hesse 1926
;
Schileyko 1978
;
De Mattia 2007
).
Figures 19
. Genitalia of
Xeropicta krynickii
from Podgorica, Montenegro. 12 whole genitalia, gonad excluded; 3 inner structure
of
distal genitalia; 4 dart sac complex; 5 section of penial papilla; 6 section of vagina; 7 penial papilla; 8 digitiform glands; 9 inner structure of epiphallus.
Figures 1013
. 1012 genitalia and jaw of
Xeropicta krynickii
from Podgorica, Montenegro. 10 mantle edge; 11 first hermaphrodite duct; 12 jaw; 13 whole genitalia, gonad excluded, of
Xeropicta derbentina
from Trieste (Italy).
Remarks
While the newly discovered populations of
X. krynickii
in
Montenegro
show all the major diagnostic features of the species (
Hesse 1926
;
Schileyko 1978
;
De Mattia 2007
), they show some differences in shell and genital morphology compared to other studied populations and in particular to the Greek population reported here. It is not clear that these differences are taxonomically significant. There is a long list of synonyms associated with
X. krynickii
(
Bank 2011
)
, and it is evident that a revision of the genus is needed using modern methods.
The discovery of
X. krynickii
in
Montenegro
extends the known range of this species. To date the westernmost locality known has been Skopje (
Macedonia
) (cfr
Bank 2011
). It seems likely that it will be found in other places in the western Balkans, and possibly elsewhere in the eastern Mediterranean region. The apparent spread of this species has almost certainly been aided by humans.
Xeropicta derbentina
was recorded for the first time in
Italy
by
De Mattia (2007)
. It was collected on grass and branches of halophilous plants on sandy dunes next to the seaside in an undisturbed site near the mouth of the Isonzo river (province of Gorizia). The origin of this population, probably the result of an anthropochorous dispersal, is likely to be very old. In fact, more than a century ago
Stossich (1899: 11)
cited “
Xerophila arenosa
Ziegler. In
luoghi sterili a Monfalcone” (“
Xerophila arenosa
Ziegler. Along
sterile fields near Monfalcone“). In contrast, this newly discovered population probably settled only during recent times. The new site is a heavily disturbed industrial docking area which has repeatedly undergone multiple and drastic urban reshuffles during past decades. It seems unlikely that an old settled population (from the 1800s) could survive such severe environmental changes. The intense docking activity further strengthens the hypothesis of a relatively recent settlement.
X. derbentina
has notoriously been carried over long distances, as evidenced by the now very abundant populations in southern
France
(
Aubry
et al
. 2006
).