Janella papillata Hutton, 1879

Hutton, 1879. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, 11 (1878): 332.

Type material. Lectotype (designated by Barker 2018: 232), OMNZ IV5713, and paralectotypes (4), OMNZ IV94332–35 [ex IV5713] (in alcohol). One or more paralectotypes formerly in Canterbury Museum, Christchurch (Hutton 1898 – 1900: 10), but not mentioned by Freeman et al. (1997), and apparently lost. However, the molluscan collection at CMNZ has radula fragments mounted on a glass slide with the label details ‘ Janella papillata, Wellington, XIV p. 159’ in Hutton’s handwriting (i.e., CMNZ 2017.17.123), which is probably primary type material (see description of radula by Hutton 1882i: 159).

Label details. OMNZ IV5713—‘ Janella papillatus Hutton, Wellington (Hutton’s handwriting), Athoracophorus’.

Type locality. ‘ Wellington and Dunedin, on trees’ (Hutton 1879: 332).

Previous illustrations of type material. Radula teeth illustrated by Hutton (1882i: pl. 5, figs 10, 11) probably from type material.

Remarks. The original description of this species was based on material from Wellington and Dunedin that was collected by Hutton himself (Hutton 1884c: 206). The type series was evidently split between collections at Otago and Canterbury museums (Hutton 1898 – 1900: 10; Suter 1913: 803). The collection at NHMUK contains a specimen from Dunedin labelled ‘ Janella papillata Hutton’, which was sent from Otago Museum to London as an exhibit in the Colonial and Indian Exhibition of 1886, and subsequently purchased by the British Museum (i.e., NHMUK 1886.11.18.18). It is possible that this specimen is part of the type series, though the NHMUK molluscan accessions register and label details do not refer to it as type material, list the collector, or state who identified it. As discussed by Barker (2018: 218, 232), there has been considerable confusion over the identity and distribution of Janella papillata Hutton, 1879. It was listed as a variety of Janella bitentaculata (Quoy & Gaimard) by Hutton (1884c: 206) and Hedley (1893: 158), and subsequently reinstated as a full species by Cockerell (1891b: 217), who designated it as the type species of Pseudaneita Cockerell, 1891, based on morphological characters of the specimen in NHMUK 1886.11.18.18. Redescriptions of non-type material identified as Pseudaneita papillata were given by Suter (1913: 801) and Burton (1963: 61), who considered that this species was widely distributed throughout the South Island and the southern North Island. However, Barker (2018: 232) re-examined type material of Janella papillata Hutton, 1879 in OMNZ that had been collected in Wellington, and the specimen from Dunedin (ex OMNZ) in NHMUK 1886.11.18.18, and determined that at least two different species of athoracophorid slugs were represented. He designated a specimen from Wellington as the lectotype of J. papillata Hutton, 1879, noting that it is a “a common North Island, New Zealand Athoracophorus species, distinct from A. bitentaculatus (Quoy & Gaimard) ”, and restricted the type locality of papillata to Wellington. He noted that the specimen in NHMUK 1886.11.18.18, and material from the South Island and southern North Island that most New Zealand workers from Suter (1909: 325) onwards have identified as papillata, is a different, as yet undescribed species. Barker (2018: 218) also pointed out that this has implications for the status of Pseudaneita Cockerell, 1891, which is unresolved at the time of writing.

Taxonomy: Treated here as Athoracophorus papillatus (Hutton, 1879) n. comb. —after Barker (2018: 232).

Distribution. New Zealand; southern North Island, according to Barker (2018: 232).

Family CHAROPIDAE Hutton, 1884