The Types of Ampullariidae Gray, 1824 (Mollusca, Gastropoda) in the Malacological Collection of the Natural History Museum, Berlin: an annotated catalogue with lectotype designations

Abstract

Ampullariidae Gray, 1824, commonly known as apple snails, are a diverse and conspicuous element of freshwater molluscan faunas in tropical regions, with some 120 species in about ten genera. Some are economically important, e.g. as invasive species and crop pests. Systematic and phylogenetic knowledge of these limnic snails, however, is still unsatisfactory. To help in providing the foundation for a thorough taxonomic revision and phylogeny of the family, this paper lists the type material of Ampullariidae held by the Malacozoological Collection of the Natural History Museum, Berlin (ZMB). We document types of 46 described species-group taxa, of which 24 are from the Neotropics and 22 are from Africa, and designate 32 lectotypes. Among this material we have also identified type specimens that were hitherto unknown to be part of the collection, some of which were even assumed to be lost, and that were therefore not mentioned in the most recently published nomenclatural catalogue of the group. The taxa dealt with in the present article were described by, among others, E. von Martens (22 taxa), R. A. Philippi (10 taxa), F. H. Troschel (2 taxa), J. H. Jonas (2 taxa), J. Thiele (1 taxon), and W. Dunker (1 taxon). Where necessary, brief remarks are given on the taxonomy, systematics, type localities and distribution of the taxa.