Abbottella (Gundlachtudora) paradoxa Watters, 2013, new species

Abbottella (Gundlachtudora) paradoxa new species

Figures 1 Z–CC, 9 F

Other material examined. UF 216119, 20 weathered or immature specimens, from the type locality.

Distribution and habitat. This species occurs at Loma Diego de Ocampo of the Cordillera Septentrional, on the mountain crest in dense forest with thick vegetative debris, mosses, and epiphytes. Loma Diego de Ocampo is located north of Santiago de los Caballeros and is the highest point of the Cordillera Septentrional at 1,200 m. Snails were collected on limestone rocks at this peak. Locally common.

Description. Shell small (largest specimen, 7.9 mm total length x 9.1 mm total width; smallest specimen, 5.9 mm total length x 6.8 mm total width; holotype, 7.8 mm total length including peristome x 9.0 mm total width including peristome), turbinate, whorls adnate except just before lip. Umbilicus wide, ca. 30% of total width, open to earliest whorls. Protoconch of ca. 1.5 erect whorls but demarcation between protoconch and teleoconch not welldefined. Teleoconch of 2.75–3.25 whorls. Axial sculpture of two sizes. The primary sculpture consists of 50–65 low, erect lamellae, widely spaced on the last ½ whorl, more closely spaced elsewhere. Secondary sculpture of 3– 10 microscopic lamellae between primary sculpture. Spiral sculpture of ca. 30 low, weak cords between suture and into umbilicus. Intersections of primary axial and spiral sculpture form minute, hollow points or scallops, often obsolete on base. Suture narrowly channeled, serrate. Aperture double, circular (4.2 mm maximum width in holotype), solute from final whorl. Inner lip smooth, very narrowly exserted. Outer lip expanded, composed of numerous coarse lamellae, very narrow at the 11 o’clock position, then forming a broad auricle. Shell dirty white/ tan patterned with narrow, pale brown, spiral bands, apparent on both sides of outer lip. Operculum multispiral with a calcareous lamella; lamella arises vertically, arches over distally, and overlaps with previous whorl to form a continuous plate. The edge of this plate at the 11 o’clock position overlaps the lip and in most specimens the operculum cannot be withdrawn into the aperture. However, in a few specimens this edge has been broken off and the operculum withdrawn.

Variation in specimens. 43 specimens seen. Specimens are uniform in shell characteristics, varying only in the number of primary axial lamellae (50–65) and strength of the color bands.

Comparison with other species. The structure of the operculum separates this from all other Abbottella except A. bombardopolensis from Haiti and A. decolorata from Cuba, the only other recognized members of the subgenus Gundlachtudora. Abbottella bombardopolensis (Figure 1 DD) is known from Bombardopolis on the western-most tip of the northern Haitian peninsula to Terre Neuve in the Cordillera Centrale over 200 km west of A. paradoxa. Both species have nearly identical sculpture but the outer lip of A. paradoxa is widely expanded and notched; the outer lip of A. bombardopolensis is narrower but uniformly expanded.

Etymology. L. paradoxus, strange, contrary to expectation; the position of this species, whether in Gundlachtudora or not, is problematic. It’s presence in the Dominican Republic was also unexpected.