Search

Recent fossil shell mining for a new rail line in the Orlando area of Orange County, Florida has uncovered two species of the ellobioid genus Carychium O. F. Müller, 1773 in a bed of freshwater marl from the Lower Pleistocene Nashua Formation. To taxonomically interpret these finds, the well-preserved shells were imaged via high-resolution X-ray tomography (micro-CT) to view significant internal diagnostic characters such as the columellar configuration and the degree of lamellar sinuosity and their relationship in context to the entire shell. The image data are compared to that of type material and extant and fossil Carychium species inhabiting the SE USA, Mexico, Central America, and Jamaica. Based on these results, the species Carychium floridanum G. H. Clapp, 1918 and Carychium nashuaense sp. nov. are identified from fossil shells dating from the Early Pleistocene. This work documents the first fossil members of C. floridanum and the first fossil Carychium from the SE USA.

Recent integrative investigations of the terrestrial ellobiid genus, Zospeum, have revealed significant findings concerning its Alpine-Dinaric evolution and taxonomy. Due to the expected discrepancy between the useful, but limited, 1970s’ classification system based on shell data and the results of recent genetic analyses in the latest investigation, a revision of the entire radiation was undertaken, and a new classification system was devised by the present authors in an earlier paper. Concurrent to this work, molecular sequences from two Austrian caves were published independently of our revision by another research group. By incorporating these genetic data within our phylogenetic framework here, we show that the Austrian individuals are genetically most similar to Zospeum amoenum and consequently, classify them within that species. We additionally reveal two new genetic lineages from the largely under-sampled southern extension of Zospeum’s known distributional range. The first lineage, deriving from the region of Dubrovnik, Croatia, is a potential candidate for genetically clarifying Zospeum troglobalcanicum. The second lineage derives from the municipality of Tomislavgrad, Bosnia-Herzegovina and is herein, described a new species: Zospeum simplex Inäbnit, Jochum & Neubert, sp. nov.

The subterranean realm of the Cantabrian-Pyrenean region of northern Spain harbours a rich diversity of Zospeum. Due to their tiny size and the difficulty of finding them alive, scarce animal material has been available for scientific investigation. Recent investigations of Zospeum shells have provided valuable, but limited insights towards our understanding of the evolutionary processes occurring within this taxon in northern Spain. In an integrative study, we investigate 57 populations of Zospeum from northern Spanish caves using two mitochondrial (COI and 16S) and two nuclear markers (H3 and 5.8 S rRNA + ITS2). Revealed is a separate radiation of the northern Spanish species for which the new genus, Iberozospeum, is proposed. The independent radiation of Dinaric Zospeum from that of northern Spain justifies the designation of Iberozospeum n. gen. Morphological evidence is provided via histological analysis of Iberozospeum vasconicum and SEM analyses of radulae of eastern Alpine, Dinaric and Iberian species. Important differences in morphological structure and character states are presented, including the first view of the sexually mature female and the presence of the giant albumen gland in an individual of the subterranean, troglobitic Carychiidae. Significant differences are revealed in superficial crystallographic structure of the columellar lamellae, the morphology of the columellar muscle and in the radula. Radular ribbon length, ribbon broadness, straightness of the ribbon base and cusp configuration are distinctive in the Iberian species. One new species is described corroborated by genetic and morphological characters.

The present study aims to clarify the confused taxonomy of Z. schaufussi von Frauenfeld, 1862 and Zospeum suarezi Gittenberger, 1980. Revision of Iberian Zospeum micro snails is severely hindered by uncertainties regarding the identity of the oldest Iberian Zospeum species, Z. schaufussi von Frauenfeld, 1862. In this paper, we clarify its taxonomic status by designating a lectotype from the original syntype series and by describing its internal and external shell morphology. Using SEM-EDX, we attempt to identify the area of the type locality cave more precisely than "a cave in Spain". The shell described and illustrated by Gittenberger (1980) as Z. schaufussi appears not to be conspecific with the lectotype shell, and is considered a separate species, Z. gittenbergeri Jochum, Prieto & De Winter, sp. n. Zospeum suarezi was described from various caves in NW Spain. Study of the type material reveals that these shells are not homogenous in shell morphology. The holotype shell of Z. suarezi is imaged here for the first time. The paratype shell, illustrated by Gittenberger (1980) from a distant, second cave, is described as Zospeum praetermissum Jochum, Prieto & De Winter, sp. n. The shell selected here as lectotype of Z. schaufussi, was also considered a paratype of Z. suarezi by Gittenberger (1980). Since this specimen is morphologically very similar to topotypic shells of Z. suarezi, the latter species is considered a junior synonym of Z. schaufussi (syn. n.). The internal shell morphology of all these taxa is described and illustrated using X-ray Micro Computer Tomography (Micro-CT). Special gratitude goes to Anita Eschner (NHMW) for helping AJ access the von Frauenfeld collection and for providing valuable insights and primary literature. We are grateful to Markus Heneka and Andreas Heneka (RJL Micro & Analytic GmbH, Karlsdorf-Neuthard) for their help and technical prowess with the CT and SEM-EDX scans. We thank Katharina Jaksch-Mason (NHMW) for LM imaging the Z. schaufussi syntype material. We also gratefully acknowledge Emmanuel Tardy's (MHNG) image contributions and notes of the Gittenberger (1980) material formerly housed in the MHNG collection. Appreciation also goes to Gerald Favre for sharing his excellent forty-year-old speleological field notes with us. We acknowledge Thomas Neubauer and Michael Duda for their kind help in transporting the lectotype back and forth from Vienna. We thank the editor, Thierry Backeljau, the ZooKeys editorial team and our reviewers, Benjamin Gomez, Edmund Gittenberger and Barna Pall-Gergely for their helpful suggestions towards improving the manuscript. Lastly, we are indebted to SYNTHESYS for providing generous support in the form of three grants to AJ from the SYNTHESYS Project http://www.synthesys.info/, which is financed by the European Community Research Infrastructure Action under the FP7 "Capacities" Program.

Zospeumpercostulatumsp. n. from Cueva de La Herrería (Llanes, Asturias) is described. It is characterized by a relatively large shell (1.4–1.8 mm height), conical, with ovate aperture, continuous peristome and thickened parietal callus; shell costulate except two first whorls; without any sort of inner formations. It is the first clearly costulate Iberian species, filling a morphological gap in the Iberian clade, and the largest species from the Cantabrian region, being the first species described from Asturias.

Five years ago, the Panamanian evolutionary lineage (EL) C12 was uncovered along with four other ELs in an integrative phylogenetic investigation of worldwide Carychiidae. Since EL C12 lacked shell material post-molecular analysis to serve as a museum voucher, it remained undescribed. Now, after recent collection efforts of C12 and the congener, Carychiumzarzaae Jochum & Weigand, 2017 at their original Panamanian sites, C12 is morphologically described and formally assigned the name, Carychiumpanamaense Jochum, sp. n. In sync with recent taxonomic treatment of the genus, computed tomography (CT) is used in this work to differentiate shells of C.panamaensesp. n. from geographically-proximal, Caribbean, North and Central American congeners. Recent material of topotypic Carychiumjardineanum (Chitty, 1853) and undamaged C.zarzaae were additionally CT-scanned and assessed in the comparative analyses.

Three new species of the genus Carychium O.F. Müller, 1773, Carychium hardiei Jochum & Weigand, sp. n., Carychium belizeense Jochum & Weigand, sp. n. and Carychium zarzaae Jochum & Weigand, sp. n. are described from the Southeastern United States, Belize and Panama, respectively. In two consecutive molecular phylogenetic studies of worldwide members of Carychiidae, the North and Central American morphospecies Carychium mexicanum Pilsbry, 1891 and Carychium costaricanum E. von Martens, 1898 were found to consist of several evolutionary lineages. Although the related lineages were found to be molecularly distinct from the two nominal species, the consequential morphological and taxonomic assessment of these lineages is still lacking. In the present paper, the shells of these uncovered Carychium lineages are assessed by comparing them with those of related species, using computer tomography for the first time for this genus. The interior diagnostic characters are emphasized, such as columellar configuration in conjunction with the columellar lamella and their relationship in context of the entire shell. These taxa are morphologically described and formally assigned their own names.

A new genus of troglobitic Carychiidae Jeffreys, 1830 is designated from Nodong Cave, North Chungcheong Province, Danyang, South Korea. This remarkable find represents a great range extension and thus, a highly distant distribution of troglobitic Carychiidae in Asia. The Zospeum-like, carychiid snails were recently included, without a formal description, in records documenting Korean malacofauna. The present paper describes Koreozospeum Jochum & Prozorova, gen. n. and illustrates the type species, Koreozospeum nodongense Lee, Prozorova & Jochum, sp. n. using novel Nano-CT images, including a video, internal shell morphology, SEM and SEM-EDX elemental compositional analysis of the shell.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Ellobium chinense (Ellobioidea, Ellobiidae), an Endangered species in South Korea, is reported here for the first time. The mitogenome of E. chinense is 13,979 base pairs in total length and includes 13 PCGs, small and large rRNAs, and 21 tRNAs. Twelve genes are encoded on the light-strand and 24 genes on the heavy-strand. Compared to four other ellobiid species, the PCGs of E. chinense have a conserved gene order except for the positions of ND4L and ND4. These data provide useful molecular information for phylogenetic studies concerning ellobiids and related species.

The minute troglobitic species, Zospeum isselianum Pollonera, 1887 (Eupulmonata: Ellobioidea, Carychiidae) is widely distributed within its Southern Alpine-Dinaric range. Its broad distribution and highly variable shell has caused this species to be historically lumped into its current taxonomic state of ambiguity. In an integrative taxonomic approach, phenotypic and genotypic data are synthesized to assess the intraspecific variability recently inferred for this taxon. We collected 16 Zospeum specimens in the Slovenian Alpine Arc encompassing the type locality for Z. isselianum. The material comprises five morphologically recognized (sub)species. The species are re-evaluated using SEM, X-ray nanotomography (nano-CT), conchological, histological and molecular data. Four well-defined lineages are present, which can be attributed to i) Z. isselianum s.str. from its new type locality (Turjeva jama), ii) a highly morphologically variable lineage that so far cannot be attributed to a single morphospecies, iii) Z. kupitzense A. Stummer, 1984 (raised to species rank) and iv) a lineage comprising the two subspecies Z. alpestre alpestre (Freyer, 1855) and Z. alpestre bolei Slapnik, 1991 plus Z. isselianum individuals. The latter is treated as a single taxon Z. alpestre. After considering the severely degraded syntype material of Zospeum isselianum, we provide a taxonomic re-description and propose aneotype for this species. Furthermore, new diagnostic information is revealed regarding the columella of Zospeum isselianum and allied species. Detailed anatomical study reveals new structural aspects of Zospeum morphology and provides groundwork for future investigations.

The minute land snail, Carychium minimum Müller, 1774 is reported from New Brunswick, Canada. This new record further adds additional data to support the supposition that this introduced, European species is probably more widespread over temperate North America than currently known.

The current note reports two new populations of the introduced snail Carychium minimum O.F. Müller, 1774 at Ithaca, New York, USA. It confirms the naturalization of this species in Northeastern North America, which was previously known on drift material only.