Inchoatia haussknechti
Encyclopedia
Inchoatia haussknechti is a species
of air-breathing land snail
, a terrestrial
pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Clausiliidae
, the door snails.
is dark horny brownish, very finely striated, slightly coarser at the cervix. The shell has 9-11 whorls
. The cervix is with strong basal and dorsal keels and a basal forrow in between, also inside the aperture
. The columellaris is not very prominent, the frontal upper palatalis is short, basalis is short, subcolumellaris is visible in an oblique view.
The width of the shell is 3-3.5 mm. The height of the shell is 13–17 mm.
areas from south Ipiros to Central Greece.
Diagnosis: The entire teleoconch is with sharp, mostly whitened riblets. The parietal side of the apertural border is not protruding. Lamella columellaris is shortly protruding into the aperture
. Lamella parietalis is moderately long, i.e. reaching slightly further than the lamella spiralis. The lunella is prominent.
Range: The type locality is Greece, Thessalia, Karditsa
: northern side of the Voutsikaki Mts (= 25 km WSW of Karditsa). The type locality ‘Gion Skala’, apparently a high, narrow passage, cut through the rocks at the northern side of the Voutsikaki Mountains, could be located on the basis of the detailed excursion report by Stussiner, in Boettger (1886: 47). The disjunct range of this subspecies is built up by three populations in the eastern Pindos Mountains.
Notes: The population that was discovered recently at an isolated limestone outcrop near Mesochori, is located 45 km SE of the type locality. The Mount Oeta
, where according to Nordsieck (1972, 1974) the same subspecies occurs (see Inchoatia haussknechti orina), is situated 35 km SE of Mesochori and 80 km SE of the Voutsikaki Mts. It should be investigated whether these disjunctions, which are quite extreme when compared with the distributional patterns of the other subspecies, are not correlated with any taxonomically relevant differentiation.
Diagnosis: Initial teleoconch whorls with lengthened white papillae, without regular riblets; parietal side of the apertural border not protruding; lamella parietalis short; lamella columellaris (very) low; lunella rather prominent.
Range: This subspecies is known from the Mt. Timfristos (= Veluchi) area, north of Karpenisi
. The type locality is 4 km north of Karpenisi, Mt. Timfristos ski resort, 1900 m alt.
Initially (Nordsieck, 1972) this form was not separated from Inchoatia haussknechti semilaevis.
Diagnosis: Initial teleoconch whorls with often whitened riblets, which become more irregular and are often not whitened on the lower whorls; parietal side of the apertural border usually protruding; lamella columellaris clearly protruding into the aperture; lamella parietalis moderately long, i.e. reaching slightly further than the lamella spiralis; lunella prominent.
Range: This subspecies is only known from the type locality: Greece, Thessalia, Trikala
: 1 km W of Pyli
(= Pili), near the classical bridge, 300 m alt.
Material.― Greece, Fthiotida/Fokida, Mt. Oiti (= Iti), c. FH1097 (but see ‘Range’).
Diagnosis.― See the notes.
Range: The type locality ‘Koraki Besa im Oetagebirge’ (Westerlund, 1894: 175) could not be located. The Mt Oeta is nowadays called Oiti or Iti Oros (situated 20 km SW of Lamia). Nordsieck (1974: 148) suggested that ‘Koraki Besa’ refers to the Korax Mtn (= Korakas) in the Vardousia Mts (about 35 km SW of Lamia), c. 15 km SW of the Oiti Oros. The area should be visited to get more certainty. The material examined by Gittenberger & Uit de Weerd (2009) is listed as: "Greece, Fthiotida/Fokida, Mt. Oiti (= Iti), c. FH1097".
Neither a detailed description nor a figure is available, but a lectotype
has been selected by Nordsieck (1972: 16). Nordsieck (1972: 16; 1974: 148) considered this taxon a synonym of the nominate subspecies, whereas Zilch (1981: 125) and Nordsieck (2007: 48) listed it as a subspecies, without adding more data.
Diagnosis: The entire teleoconch is with sharp, mostly whitened riblets. The parietal side of the apertural border is protruding. Lamella columellaris is shortly protruding into the aperture. The lower part of the lunella is obsolete. The subspecies was characterized, with the designation of a lectotype, by Nordsieck (1972).
Range: Only known from the type locality. ‘Katafiyi (800 m)’ and ‘Katafiyi (2000 m)’, mentioned by Nordsieck (1972), refer to Katafigio (= Katafiyion) at the western foot of the Tschumerka Mts.
Diagnosis: Only the initial whorls of the teleoconch and the cervical part with sharp, partly whitened riblets; parietal side of the apertural border not protruding; lamella columellaris shortly protruding into the aperture; lunella prominent.
Range: The type locality of this subspecies is indicated in a somewhat misleading way because the Mt Veluchi (= Velouhi) or Mt Timfristos is situated a few km N of Karpenisi
, where Inchoatia haussknechti alticola occurs, whereas “Kaljakuda” refers to Mt Kaliakouda, 16 km SSW of Karpenisi. The localities ‘Karpenission’ and ‘Timfristos-Geb. 13 km n. Karpenission’, cited for this subspecies by Nordsieck (1972), should be transferred to Inchoatia haussknechti alticola, though only the latter record is repeated (in a slightly different wording) by Nordsieck (1974).
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of air-breathing land snail
Land snail
A land snail is any of the many species of snail that live on land, as opposed to those that live in salt water and fresh water. Land snails are terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells, It is not always an easy matter to say which species are terrestrial, because some are more or less...
, a terrestrial
Terrestrial animal
Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land , as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats...
pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Clausiliidae
Clausiliidae
Clausiliidae, common name door snails, are a taxonomic family of small, very elongate, mostly left-handed, air-breathing land snails, sinistral terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks....
, the door snails.
Description
The shellGastropod shell
The gastropod shell is a shell which is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, one kind of mollusc. The gastropod shell is an external skeleton or exoskeleton, which serves not only for muscle attachment, but also for protection from predators and from mechanical damage...
is dark horny brownish, very finely striated, slightly coarser at the cervix. The shell has 9-11 whorls
Whorl (mollusc)
A whorl is a single, complete 360° revolution or turn in the spiral growth of a mollusc shell. A spiral configuration of the shell is found in of numerous gastropods, but it is also found in shelled cephalopods including Nautilus, Spirula and the large extinct subclass of cephalopods known as the...
. The cervix is with strong basal and dorsal keels and a basal forrow in between, also inside the aperture
Aperture (mollusc)
The aperture is an opening in certain kinds of mollusc shells: it is the main opening of the shell, where part of the body of the animal emerges for locomotion, feeding, etc....
. The columellaris is not very prominent, the frontal upper palatalis is short, basalis is short, subcolumellaris is visible in an oblique view.
The width of the shell is 3-3.5 mm. The height of the shell is 13–17 mm.
Distribution
Inchoatia haussknechti is distributed in limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
areas from south Ipiros to Central Greece.
Subspecies
According to the Gittenberger & Uit de Weerd (2009) the species Inchoatia haussknechti include 6 subspecies:- Inchoatia haussknechti haussknechti (O. Boettger, 1886)
- Inchoatia haussknechti alticola (Nordsieck, 1974)
- Inchoatia haussknechti hiltrudae (Nordsieck, 1974)
- Inchoatia haussknechti orina (Westerlund, 1894)
- Inchoatia haussknechti refuga (Westerlund, 1894)
- Inchoatia haussknechti semilaevis (O. Boettger, 1889)
Inchoatia haussknechti haussknechti
Synonyms include:- Sericata (Sericata) haussknechti haussknechti
- Carinigera (Carinigera) haussknechti haussknechti
- Albinaria haussknechti haussknechti
Diagnosis: The entire teleoconch is with sharp, mostly whitened riblets. The parietal side of the apertural border is not protruding. Lamella columellaris is shortly protruding into the aperture
Aperture (mollusc)
The aperture is an opening in certain kinds of mollusc shells: it is the main opening of the shell, where part of the body of the animal emerges for locomotion, feeding, etc....
. Lamella parietalis is moderately long, i.e. reaching slightly further than the lamella spiralis. The lunella is prominent.
Range: The type locality is Greece, Thessalia, Karditsa
Karditsa
Karditsa is a city in western Thessaly in mainland Greece. The city of Karditsa is the capital of Karditsa peripheral unit.Inhabitation is attested from 9000 BCE. Karditsa ls linked with GR-30, the road to Karpenisi, and the road to Palamas and Larissa...
: northern side of the Voutsikaki Mts (= 25 km WSW of Karditsa). The type locality ‘Gion Skala’, apparently a high, narrow passage, cut through the rocks at the northern side of the Voutsikaki Mountains, could be located on the basis of the detailed excursion report by Stussiner, in Boettger (1886: 47). The disjunct range of this subspecies is built up by three populations in the eastern Pindos Mountains.
Notes: The population that was discovered recently at an isolated limestone outcrop near Mesochori, is located 45 km SE of the type locality. The Mount Oeta
Mount Oeta
Mount Oeta is a mountain to the south of Central Greece, in Greece, forming a boundary between the valleys of the Spercheius and the Boeotian Cephissus. It is an offshoot of the Pindus range, high. In its eastern portion, called Callidromus, it comes close to the sea, leaving only a narrow...
, where according to Nordsieck (1972, 1974) the same subspecies occurs (see Inchoatia haussknechti orina), is situated 35 km SE of Mesochori and 80 km SE of the Voutsikaki Mts. It should be investigated whether these disjunctions, which are quite extreme when compared with the distributional patterns of the other subspecies, are not correlated with any taxonomically relevant differentiation.
Inchoatia haussknechti alticola
Synonyms include:- Carinigera haussknechti alticola Nordsieck, 1974 - pl. 3 fig. 9 (holotype)
- Carinigera (Carinigera) haussknechti alticola
- Albinaria semilaevis alticola
Diagnosis: Initial teleoconch whorls with lengthened white papillae, without regular riblets; parietal side of the apertural border not protruding; lamella parietalis short; lamella columellaris (very) low; lunella rather prominent.
Range: This subspecies is known from the Mt. Timfristos (= Veluchi) area, north of Karpenisi
Karpenisi
Karpenisi is a town in central Greece. It is the capital of the peripheral unit of Evrytania. The area around Karpenisi is mountainous while farmlands are mainly in valley areas....
. The type locality is 4 km north of Karpenisi, Mt. Timfristos ski resort, 1900 m alt.
Initially (Nordsieck, 1972) this form was not separated from Inchoatia haussknechti semilaevis.
Inchoatia haussknechti hiltrudae
Synonyms include:- Carinigera haussknechti hiltrudae Nordsieck, 1974 - pl. 4 fig. 10 (holotype)
- Carinigera (Carinigera) haussknechti hiltrudae
- Albinaria hiltrudae
Diagnosis: Initial teleoconch whorls with often whitened riblets, which become more irregular and are often not whitened on the lower whorls; parietal side of the apertural border usually protruding; lamella columellaris clearly protruding into the aperture; lamella parietalis moderately long, i.e. reaching slightly further than the lamella spiralis; lunella prominent.
Range: This subspecies is only known from the type locality: Greece, Thessalia, Trikala
Trikala
Trikala is a city in northwestern Thessaly, Greece. It is the capital of the Trikala peripheral unit, and is located NW of Athens, NW, of Karditsa, E of Ioannina and Metsovo, S of Grevena, SW of Thessaloniki, and W of Larissa...
: 1 km W of Pyli
Pyli
Pyli is a municipality in the Trikala regional unit, Greece. Situated 18 km west of Trikala, right at the bottom of two mountains Itamos, and Koziakas, which mark the beginning of the Pindos mountainline, Pyli marks the entrance to a great gorge and the natural path that leads to the city of...
(= Pili), near the classical bridge, 300 m alt.
Inchoatia haussknechti orina
Synonyms include:- Clausilia (Albinaria) orina Westerlund, 1894
- Carinigera (Carinigera) haussknechti orina
- Albinaria haussknechti orina
Material.― Greece, Fthiotida/Fokida, Mt. Oiti (= Iti), c. FH1097 (but see ‘Range’).
Diagnosis.― See the notes.
Range: The type locality ‘Koraki Besa im Oetagebirge’ (Westerlund, 1894: 175) could not be located. The Mt Oeta is nowadays called Oiti or Iti Oros (situated 20 km SW of Lamia). Nordsieck (1974: 148) suggested that ‘Koraki Besa’ refers to the Korax Mtn (= Korakas) in the Vardousia Mts (about 35 km SW of Lamia), c. 15 km SW of the Oiti Oros. The area should be visited to get more certainty. The material examined by Gittenberger & Uit de Weerd (2009) is listed as: "Greece, Fthiotida/Fokida, Mt. Oiti (= Iti), c. FH1097".
Neither a detailed description nor a figure is available, but a lectotype
Lectotype
In botanical nomenclature and zoological nomenclature, a lectotype is a kind of name-bearing type. When a species was originally described on the basis of a name-bearing type consisting of multiple specimens, one of those may be designated as the lectotype...
has been selected by Nordsieck (1972: 16). Nordsieck (1972: 16; 1974: 148) considered this taxon a synonym of the nominate subspecies, whereas Zilch (1981: 125) and Nordsieck (2007: 48) listed it as a subspecies, without adding more data.
Inchoatia haussknechti refuga
Synonyms include:- Clausilia (Albinaria) refuga Westerlund, 1894
- Sericata (Sericata) haussknechti refuga - Nordsieck (1972): plate 2, fig. 21 (lectotype).
- Carinigera (Carinigera) haussknechti refuga
- Albinaria haussknechti refuga
Diagnosis: The entire teleoconch is with sharp, mostly whitened riblets. The parietal side of the apertural border is protruding. Lamella columellaris is shortly protruding into the aperture. The lower part of the lunella is obsolete. The subspecies was characterized, with the designation of a lectotype, by Nordsieck (1972).
Range: Only known from the type locality. ‘Katafiyi (800 m)’ and ‘Katafiyi (2000 m)’, mentioned by Nordsieck (1972), refer to Katafigio (= Katafiyion) at the western foot of the Tschumerka Mts.
Inchoatia haussknechti semilaevis
Synonyms include:- Clausilia (Albinaria) haussknechti var. semilaevis O. Boettger, 1889
- Sericata (Sericata) haussknechti semilaevis - Nordsieck (1972): 16, plate 2, figure 20 (lectotype)
- Carinigera (Carinigera) haussknechti semilaevis - Zilch (1981): 125, plate 12, figure 14 (lectotype).
- Albinaria semilaevis semilaevis
Diagnosis: Only the initial whorls of the teleoconch and the cervical part with sharp, partly whitened riblets; parietal side of the apertural border not protruding; lamella columellaris shortly protruding into the aperture; lunella prominent.
Range: The type locality of this subspecies is indicated in a somewhat misleading way because the Mt Veluchi (= Velouhi) or Mt Timfristos is situated a few km N of Karpenisi
Karpenisi
Karpenisi is a town in central Greece. It is the capital of the peripheral unit of Evrytania. The area around Karpenisi is mountainous while farmlands are mainly in valley areas....
, where Inchoatia haussknechti alticola occurs, whereas “Kaljakuda” refers to Mt Kaliakouda, 16 km SSW of Karpenisi. The localities ‘Karpenission’ and ‘Timfristos-Geb. 13 km n. Karpenission’, cited for this subspecies by Nordsieck (1972), should be transferred to Inchoatia haussknechti alticola, though only the latter record is repeated (in a slightly different wording) by Nordsieck (1974).