Genus-level revision of the Alycaeidae (Gastropoda, Cyclophoroidea), with an annotated species catalogue

Abstract

412 species-group names (including 11 replacement names), and 14 genus-group names of the Alycaeidae have been introduced to date. Type materials of 85% (336) of the known species and subspecies were examined, a further 5% (19) of the taxa were studied using available non-type material, and for another 6% (22) the original descriptions were sufficiently detailed to evaluate their taxonomic status. Only 3% of the taxa (12) could not be examined. Special attention was paid to the sculpture of the embryonic whorls and the sutural tube-microtunnel system in order to provide a novel classification for this group.</jats:p> <jats:p>In this study 363 taxa (320 species or 43 subspecies) are accepted within the family Alycaeidae. Of these, 22 have been described by the lead author and his coauthors in previous publications. In addition, there are 18 species that were formerly classified in <jats:italic>Cycloryx</jats:italic> and now belong to <jats:italic>Pincerna</jats:italic> due to its synonymy with <jats:italic>Cycloryx</jats:italic>. Among the remaining 323 species, 209 (65%) are transferred here to another genus, whilst 114 (35%) have remained in their original genus.</jats:p> <jats:p>Seven genera are accepted. While some questions (e.g., the distinction between <jats:italic>Pincerna</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Alycaeus</jats:italic>) remained unanswered, this revision made three main achievements: (1) The <jats:italic>Dicharax</jats:italic> species were identified based on the absence of spiral striation on the entire shell; (2) the <jats:italic>Metalycaeus</jats:italic> species were identified based on the spiral striation of the protoconch; (3) and <jats:italic>Stomacosmethis</jats:italic> was separated from <jats:italic>Alycaeus</jats:italic> based on the extremely short sutural tube.</jats:p> <jats:p>Five nominal species are being synonymised with other species, and eight species are now treated as subspecies. The following replacement names are proposed: <jats:italic>Dioryx urnula niosiensis</jats:italic> Páll-Gergely, <jats:bold>nom. nov.</jats:bold> for Alycaeus urnula var. daflaensis Godwin-Austen, 1914; <jats:italic>Dioryx urnula rotundus</jats:italic> Páll-Gergely, <jats:bold>nom. nov.</jats:bold> for Alycaeus urnula var. globosus Godwin-Austen, 1914; <jats:italic>Pincerna crenilabris juttingae</jats:italic> Páll-Gergely, <jats:bold>nom. nov.</jats:bold> for <jats:italic>Alycaeus crenilabris laevis</jats:italic> van Benthem Jutting, 1959; <jats:italic>Pincerna crenilabris korintjiensis</jats:italic> Páll-Gergely, <jats:bold>nom. nov.</jats:bold> for <jats:italic>Alycaeus crenilabris latecostatus</jats:italic> van Benthem Jutting, 1959; <jats:italic>Dicharax conicus jatingaensis</jats:italic> Páll-Gergely, <jats:bold>nom. nov.</jats:bold> for Alycaeus conicus var. nanus Godwin-Austen, 1914; <jats:italic>Metalycaeus godwinausteni</jats:italic> Páll-Gergely, <jats:bold>nom. nov.</jats:bold> for <jats:italic>Alycaeus neglectus</jats:italic> Godwin-Austen, 1914; and finally <jats:italic>Metalycaeus suhajdai</jats:italic> Páll-Gergely, <jats:bold>nom. nov.</jats:bold> for <jats:italic>Alycaeus varius</jats:italic> Godwin-Austen, 1914.