LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 590.5 FI V. 51 cop. 3 SURVEY i 1- Bl FIELDIANA • ZOOLOGY Published by FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Volume 51 September 19, 1969 No. 12 Veronicellid land slugs from the New Hebrides, with description of Semperula solemi, new species "^^"^^1 ^^^^^^^ ^»^" lothar forcart • .^^ dec 1 <^ 1^03 Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel* LIBRARY '^ Previous records of New Hebridean land slugs belonging to the family Veronicellidae were given by Collinge (1900), Grimpe and Hoffmann (1925) and Hoffmann (1929). Collinge (1900) reported three species from Vate Island (=Esafate). One of these, Veronicella hrunnea, he described on the basis of a single specimen. Two speci- mens were refen-ed to Vaginula leydigi (Simroth) and one to V. hed- leyi (Simroth) . Both specimens were described originally by Simroth (1889, p. 552) from material collected in Brisbane, Queensland. The original specimens could not be located in the British Museum (Nat- ural History) by J. F. Peake and they are presumed lost. Although he had not seen these specimens, Hoffmann (1925, pp. 120, 190, 191), synonymized Vaginula leydigi of Collinge with Laevicaulis alte (F^rus- sac) and placed both Veronicella hrunnea and Vaginula hedleyi in the synonymy of Vaginulus (Sarasinula) plebeius Fischer. On the basis of Collinge's descriptions and illustrations, I concur in this action. Grimpe and Hoffmann (1925) reported on the anatomy of seven specimens belonging to Vaginulus plebeius from Malo Island. They could not be located in the Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel col- lection. Hoffmann (1929, pp. 115-117) recorded two examples of V. plebeius from Espiritu Santo. These are preserved in the British Museum (Natural History). This paper reports on material collected by Borys Malkin in 1958 and several sets collected by British zoologists in the 1920's and 1930's. For the loan of this material, I am indebted to Dr. Alan * Present address: Ziircherstrasse 9, Basel, Switzerland. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 71-92690 No. 1078 147 NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY UCT 6 1969 LifiRARY 148 FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 51 Solem, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, and to Mr. John Peake, British Museum (Natural History), London. The illustra- tions are by 0. Garraux, Basel. The following abbreviations indicate the depository of mentioned specimens: BMNH' — British Museum (Natural History), London FMNH — Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago NMB — Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel SYSTEMATIC REVIEW Previously recorded data was summarized by Solem (1959, pp. 41-42). He had no material available for study, so compiled the scattered records. Following the results of earlier studies, I recognize three genera in the available material, Laevicaulis, Vaginulus and Semperula. Genus Laevicaulis Simroth, 1913 Laevicaulis Simroth, 1913, in Voeltzkow, Reise Ostafrika, 3 (3), pp. 147, 202. Type species: Vaginula comorensis Fischer, 1883 by subsequent designation of Pilsbry (1919, p. 316). Eleutherocaulis Simroth, 1913, op. cit., pp. 187, 202. Type species: Vaginula comorensis Fischer, 1883, by subsequent designation of H. B. Baker (1925, p. 15); Solem, 1959, Fieldiana: Zoology, 43, p. 42. Meisenheimeria Grimpe and Hoffmann, 1924, Zool. Anz., 58, p. 177. Type species: Vaginula frauenfeldi Semper, 1885 by original designation. H. B. Baker (1931, p. 137) mentioned "In an earlier paper (1925, Naut., 39, p. 18), I followed Pilsbry 's use of Laevicaulis in preference to Eleutherocaulis, but now realize that Simroth's own use (1913, p. 202) of the latter as the ranking term makes Eleutherocaulis the valid name and Laevicaulis the synonym." This opinion was ac- cepted by Solem (1959, p. 42). It contradicts Article 43 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, which states that "The categories in the genus-group are of co-ordinate status in nomenclature. . . ." The selection of the name Laevicaulis by Pilsbry (1919, p. 316) as first reviser stands sub- sequently (Article 24 of the Code). Laevicaulis alte (F^russac, 1821) Vaginulus alte Ferussac, 1821, Tabl. syst. Limaces, p. 14. Type locality: Pondi- cherry, India; Ferussac, 1821, in Ferussac and Deshayes, Hist. Nat. Moll, terr. fluv., pi. 8A, fig. 8 and pi. 8B, fig. 6 (1822). I FORCART: VERONICELLID LAND SLUGS 149 Veronicella leydigi (Simroth), Collinge, 1900, in Willey, Zool. Res. Voy. N. Cale- donia, 4, p. 435. Meisenheimeria alte f. leydigi (Simroth), Grimpe and Hoffmann, 1925, Nova Caledonia, Zool., 3 ^3), p. 384. Meisenheimeria alte (Ferussac), Grimpe and Hoffmann, 1925, Zeits. wiss. Zool., 124 (1), pp. 26-31; Hoffmann, 1925, Jena. Zeits. Naturwiss., 61 (1/2), pp. 120- 129, 226-228. Laevicaulis alte (Ferussac), Forcart, 1953, Ann. Mus. Roy. Congo Beige, Ter- vueren, Zool., 23, pp. 63-68. Eleutherocaulis alte (Ferussac), Solem, 1959, Fieldiana: Zool., 43, p. 42. Range. — Vate and Espiritu Santo. Material examined. — Vila, Vate (2 specimens, FMNH 160006 collected July 1958 by B. Malkin). Santo, Espiritu Santo (7 speci- mens, FMNH 160007 collected July 1958 by B. Malkin). Genus Vaginulus Ferussac, 1821 Vaginulus Ferussac, 1821, Tabl. syst. Limaces, p. 13. Type species: Vaginulus taunaisii Ferussac, 1821 by subsequent designation of Stoliczka (1873, Jour. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, 42, p. 35). Subgenus Sarasinula Grimpe and Hoffmann, 1924 Sarasinida Grimpe and Hoffmann, 1924, Zool. Anz., 58, p. 177. Type species: Vaginulus plebeius Fischer, 1868 by original designation. Considerable controversy has existed concerning the taxonomic position of Sarasinula. Originally described as a genus, it was sjniony- mized with Imerinia Cockerell (1891, type species: Vaginula grandi- dieri Crosse and Fischer, 1871 by subsequent designation of Cockerell and Collinge, 1893, p. 195) by H. B. Baker (1925a, p. 17). While Hoffmann (1927, p. 3) accepted Baker's proposal, at a later time H. B. Baker (1931, pp. 135-136) separated the two taxa. He classi- fied Sarasinula as a section of Angustipes Colosi, 1922, which he placed as a subgenus of Vaginulus, while Imerinia was considered generically distinct. H. B. Baker (1925b, 1931, p. 136) gi'ouped the subsections of Vaginulus as follows: Genus Vaginulus Ferussac, 1821 Subgenus Vaginulus, s. s. Section Vaginulus, s. s. Section Phyllocaulis Colosi, 1922 Subgenus Angustipes Colosi, 1922 Section Angustipes, s. s. Section Latipes Colosi, 1922 Section Sarasinula Grimpe and Hoffmann, 1924 150 FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 51 As a result of additional studies and the fact that the taxon "sec- tion" is not accepted for general use, I propose to divide Vaginulus into five subgenera— Vagfinw^Ms, s. s., Phyllocaulis, Latipes, Angus- tipes, and Sarasinula. KEY TO THE SUBGENERA OF VAGINULUS 1. Hindgut and vagina enter body wall separated 2 Hindgut and vagina enter body wall in close juxtaposition 3 2. Penis with spatha Phyllocaulis Penis without spatha Vaginulus, s. s. 3. Canalis junctor enters bursa of receptaculum seminis near apex Latipes Canalis junctor enters bursa of receptaculum seminis near base 4 4. Bursa of receptaculum seminis sessile Angustipes Receptaculum seminis with bursa and pediculus Sarasinula Vaginulus (Sarasinula) plebeius Fischer, 1868 Vaginulus plebeius Fischer, 1868, Jour, de Conchy., 16, p. 146. Type locality: New Caledonia. Veronicella brunnea Collinge, 1900. Fn A. Willey, Zool. Res. Voy. New Caledo- nia, 4, p. 435, pi. 41, figs. 18-23. Type locality: Vate, New Hebrides. Veronicella hedleyi (Simroth), Collinge, 1900, loc. cit. Sarasinula plebeja (sic) (Fischer), Grimpe and Hoffmann, 1925, Nova Caledonia, 3 (3), pp. 343, 353, 357-362, 365-366, 377-378, 383, text Egs. 2a, 3a, 4a, 5a, 5c, 6a, 6c, 7, 8a, 9, pi. 6, figs. 1-3. Imerinia plebeja (sic) (Fischer), Hoffmann, 1929, Zocl. Anz., 84, (5/6), pp. 108, 115-117. Angustipes (Sarasinula) plebeius (Fischer), Solem, 1959, Fieldiana: Zool., 43, p. 41. Range. — Vate, Omba, Malekula, Espiritu Santo, and Malo. Material examined. — New Hebrides (4 specimens, BMNH 1936.9. 52-55 collected by T. Hamson): Omba (=Aoba), Bankaharijitoa above Dunduy at 1,500-2,000 ft. elevation in forest under logs and bark (13 specimens, FMNH 160012 collected August 1958 by B. Malkin). Malekula (1 specimen, BMNH 1936.12.9.10): Ounua (1 specimen, BMNH 1936.12.9.25 collected April 1929 by L. E. Chees- man). Espiritu Santo, Hog Harbour (2 specimens, BMNH 1929.6. 25.4-5 collected by J. R. Baker). Genus Semperula Grimpe and Hoffmann, 1924 Semperula Grimpe and Hoffmann, 1924, Zool. Anz., 58, p. 177. Type species: Vaginula idae Semper, 1885. FORCART: VERONICELLID LAND SLUGS m 151 Fig. 1. Semperula solemi, new species. Paratype from Santo, Espiritu Santo. FMNH 160020. a, dorsal view, actual size; b, dorsal view, 2 X ; c, ventral view, 2 X • Semperula solemi, new species. Figures 1-3. Diagnosis.- — A species of the genus Semperula that is closely re- lated to S. wallacei (Issel), but separable externally by the shorter distance of the female gonopore from the pedal groove and the nar- rower sole. Description. — External features (fig. 1): Ground color of notum yellowish-brown with gray speckles. Hyponota and sole with same ground color, some specimens possessing fine dark spots on the hypo- nota. Notum with fine pores and very fine papillae. Sole width half or less than half width of one hyponotum. Female opening a trans- verse slit in hyponotum, usually surrounded by darker pigmentation, but the latter indistinct in some specimens. Internal anatomy typ- ical of genus Semperula, with penis (figs. 2-3) having a longer and more slender glans than in S. wallacei (see Hoffmann, 1941, p. 230, fig. 1). Penial gland consists of a pointed papilla and about 16 glan- dular tubules that are partly forked and are compacted to form an "S"-shaped bundle (fig. 3, b). Range. — Vate and Espiritu Santo. Holotype. — Santo, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides. Field Museum of Natural History 160022. Collected by Borys Malkin in July 1958. 152 FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 51 Fig. 2. Semperula solemi, new species. Holotype. Penis drawn from a transparent preparation, 15 X. Paratypes.—Yate: Vila (22 specimens, NMB 11.007-b, FMNH 160016-7). Espiritu Santo: Santo (38 specimens, NMB 11.007-a, FMNH 160010, FMNH 160018-21 collected by B. Malkin in July 1958). Remarks.- — Measurements of the nine largest examples from each locality are given in Tables I and II. Definitions of the measure- ments are: 1. Notum la. Notum length, bowed measurement lb. Notum width, bowed measurement Ic. Length/width ratio 2. Right hyponotum 2a. Width at midpoint 2b. Width at female pore 3. Sole 3a. Width at midpoint 3b. Ratio of right hyponotum width (2a) to sole width (3a) 4. Female opening 4a. Distance from anterior end of notum 4b. Distance from posterior end of notum FORCART: VERONICELLID LAND SLUGS 153 Fic. 3. Semperula solemi, new species. 15 X; 6, penial gland, 15 X. Paratype from Vila, Vate. a, penis 4c. Distance from middle of pore to pedal groove 4d. Ratio of 4a/4b 4e. Ratio of 2b/4c All measurements are in millimeters and were made to conform with those used by Hoffmann. There are no significant differences be- tween the two samples. All specimens had been preserved in 70 per cent alcohol. 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