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Thapsia (gastropod)

Thapsia is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Sheldoniinae of the family Urocyclidae.

Distribution

Species in this genus are found in tropical western Africa, from Senegal to Gabon.

Description

Species attributed to the genus Thapsia sensu lato have shell diameters ranging from about 15 to 30 mm, with 5½-6½ whorls. These rather featureless dextral shells are characterized by a low spire and their yellow to brown color. The spiral sculpture of the postembryonic shell is slender. In some larger * The sculpture of the radial ribs is formed crosswise (like the letter X) or beadlike. The foot shows a long caudal horn.

Species

Thapsia was originally designated in 1860 by German zoologist Johann Christian Albers as a subgenus of Nanina <small>Gray, 1834, non Risso, 1826</small>.

This genus is a heterogeneous assemblage. Because the shell characters of this genus converge with those of the larger specimens of some closely related genera (Saphtia Winter, 2008, Pseudosaphtia Winter, 2008 and Vanmolia Winter, 2008), the delimitation of * To Thapsia s.l. is difficult. There very few papers that describe the anatomical features of this genus.

Thapsia contains the following species:

Synonyms

  • Thapsia calamechroa <small>(Jonas, 1843)</small>: synonym of Saphtia calamechroa <small>(Jonas, 1843)</small> (superseded combination)
  • Thapsia calamichroa <small>(Jonas, 1843)</small>: synonym of Saphtia calamechroa <small>(Jonas, 1843)</small> (invalid; incorrect subsequent spelling)
  • Thapsia chrysosticta <small>(Morelet, 1867)</small>: synonym of Apothapsia thomensis <small>(Dohrn, 1866)</small>
  • Thapsia euriomphala <small>Bourguignat, 1883</small>: synonym of Thapsia abyssinica <small>(Jickeli, 1873)</small>
  • Thapsia germaini <small>Connolly, 1925</small>: synonym of Apothapsia thomensis <small>(Dohrn, 1866)</small>
  • Thapsia gerstenbrandti <small>(Preston, 1914)</small>: synonym of Thapsia elgonensis <small>(Preston, 1914)</small> (junior synonym)
  • Thapsia mixta <small>E. A. Smith, 1899</small>: synonym of Thapsia pinguis <small>(Krauss, 1848)</small>
  • Thapsia rumrutiensis <small>Preston, 1911</small>: synonym of Afroguppya rumrutiensis <small>(Preston, 1911)</small> (original combination)
  • Thapsia sjoestedti <small>d'Ailly, 1896</small>: synonym of Vanmolia sjoestedti <small>(d'Ailly, 1896)</small> (original combination)
  • Thapsia thomensis <small>(Dohrn, 1866)</small>: synonym of Apothapsia thomensis <small>(Dohrn, 1866)</small>

References

  • Bank, R. A. (2017). Classification of the Recent terrestrial Gastropoda of the World. Last update: July 16, 2017.

External links