Fastosarion comerfordae Stanisic 2018

Fastosarion comerfordae Stanisic, 2018

Figs. 6, 7E, 8E, 12C–D, 13

Fastosarion comerfordae Stanisic, 2018: 61, figs. 1, 2, 3, 4A–B, 6A–C.

Material examined

Types: Holotype: QM MO85406, Broken River, Granite Belt Track, Eungella NP (20°10’S, 148°30’E), nvf, under log, 17.xi.2016, J. Stanisic, L. Holcroft.

Paratypes: QM MO20221, 0.5km along Diggings Rd, Eungella NP (21°10’S, 148°24’E), 16.vi.1987, J. Stanisic, D. Potter; QM MO36086, lower slopes of Mt Dalrymple, Eungella- Mt William Rd, Eungella NP (21°04’S, 148°35’E), nvf, in discarded palm fronds, 16.v.1990, J. Stanisic, D. & N. Potter; QM MO50272, Eungella NP, Eungella NP (20°54’S, 148°36’E), 26.xii.1993, ANZSES; MO76946, Mt William trig station saddle, Eungella NP (21°01’S, 148°36, E), 8.iii.1994. ANZSES; QM MO19792, Broken River, Eungella NP (20°10’S, 148°30’E), nvf, 800 m, xi.1976, M. J. Bishop; QM MO59653, Dalrymple Heights, Eungella NP (21°02’S, 148°36’E), nvf, 1000 m, xi.1976, M. J. Bishop.

Non-type material: See table 1.

Diagnosis

External morphology: Shell (fig. 7E)large (21.0– 24.4 mm), amber, 3.4–3.8 whorls, subglobose with a low spire. Body (fig. 8E) 45–55 mm long, orange brown to black, sole paler with narrow with very distinct dark vertical stripes. Shell lappets and mantle lobes large, darker than body, right lappet with a single ridge. Tail strongly keeled, slime network moderately strong.

Genital anatomy: Genitalia (figs. 12C–D, 13) with rounded vagina, internally smooth; bursa copulatrix moderately long, duct distinct, internally smooth. Penis short, slender, internally with one longitudinal pilaster and two rounded pilasters distally, internal wall sculptured with fine diagonal lamellae arranged in a chevron pattern; all of penis and part of epiphallus contained in penial tunica. Penis shorter than epiphallus, approx. equal in diameter; epiphallic caecum short; flagellum moderately short, slender.

Remarks

Fastosarion comerfordae was described by Stanisic (2018) for a large semislug from Eungella NP (Qld) on the basis of external animal features and reproductive anatomy. Previous studies had assumed this population was part of F. superbus (e.g., Scott, 1995; Hyman & Ponder, 2010). Fastosarion comerfordae differs from F. superbus in its slightly smaller size, its brown to black body colouring with reddish markings (compared to the greenish-brown body colouration of F. superbus) and the presence of black, dart-like markings on the sides of the sole, its coarser penial lamellae and shorter longitudinal penial pilaster. We also show that it has a relatively shorter, narrower penis than F. superbus, and a correspondingly longer epiphallus 2.

This species is found living in moist notophyll vine forest in the Clarke Range of Eungella NP at altitudes above 800 m, or along drainage lines at slightly lower elevations (Stanisic, 2018). It is sympatric with F. ephelis n. sp. and F. mcdonaldi, but can be distinguished from both by its larger size. It also comes into close proximity with congeners F. aquavitae, F. superbus and F. tuljun n. sp.