Subgeneric division of the genus Orcula Held 1837 with remarks on Romanian orculid data (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Orculidae)

Barna Pall-Gergely,Tamás Deli,Josef Harl,Atanas Irikov

doi:10.3897/zookeys.301.5304

Abstract

The genital anatomy of Orcula jetschini (Romania), Orcula zilchi (Bulgaria), and Orcula wagneri (Albania) is described. Based on anatomical features (morphology of the penial caecum) shell characters (sculpture and shape) and unpublished molecular data the genus Orcula is subdivided into three subgenera. Orcula zilchi was classified within the monotypic subgenus Orcula (Hausdorfia) subgen. n.; Orcula jetschini, Orcula wagneri, and Orcula schmidtii were classified to Orcula (Illyriobanatica) subgen. n. (type species: Pupa schmidtii) whereas the other Orcula species remain in the nominotypical subgenus. Orcula (Hausdorfia) is known from South-Eastern Bulgaria and North-Western Turkey, Orcula (Illyriobanatica) inhabits Western Romania, North-Western Greece, Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, and Montenegro. The nine species of Orcula (Orcula) are known mainly from the Alps and the Western Carpathians (from Eastern France to Eastern Hungary and Slovakia).The occurrence of only one Orcula species namely Orcula jetschini is verified from Romania. Available information suggests that data on the Romanian occurrence of Orcula dolium and Orcula gularis were based on wrongly identified specimens. Sphyradium dobrogicum (=Orcula dobrogica) is considered as a synonym of Sphyradium doliolum.

Highlights

Orcula Held 1837, the type genus of the family Orculidae is a group of small (5–10 mm), pulmonate land snails with ovate–cylindrical shells and 3–4 lamellae within the aperture and the body whorl
Non-Alpine species include O. jetschini (Kimakowicz 1883) from Romania (Banat, Transylvania, Crişana), O. schmidtii (Küster 1843) from Montenegro, Albania and northwestern Greece, O. wagneri Sturany 1914 from Albania, Macedonia (FYROM) and Kosovo and O. zilchi Urbański 1960 is distributed from South-Western Bulgaria to North-Western Turkey
In this paper we describe the genitalia of the Eastern European Orcula jetschini and O. zilchi for the first time

Summary

Introduction

Orcula Held 1837, the type genus of the family Orculidae is a group of small (5–10 mm), pulmonate land snails with ovate–cylindrical shells and 3–4 lamellae within the aperture and the body whorl. There are at least 50 names described within the genus and 14 of them are considered as valid on species level (Harl et al 2011). The Alps are inhabited by eight Orcula species, and this area is considered as the centre of the diversity of the genus. The type species, Orcula dolium (Draparnaud 1801), has the widest distribution within the genus, occurring from Eastern France to Eastern Slovakia and North-Eastern Hungary and several subspecies are recognized (Klemm 1967, Gittenberger 1978, Harl et al 2011). Other Alpine Orcula species have much narrower areas and occur in the Alps of Austria, Italy and Slovenia only. Non-Alpine species include O. jetschini (Kimakowicz 1883) from Romania (Banat, Transylvania, Crişana), O. schmidtii (Küster 1843) from Montenegro, Albania and northwestern Greece, O. wagneri Sturany 1914 from Albania, Macedonia (FYROM) and Kosovo and O. zilchi Urbański 1960 is distributed from South-Western Bulgaria to North-Western Turkey

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