ANATOMICAL STUDIES REVEAL NEW PHYLOGENETIC INTERPRETATIONS IN LISSACHATINA (PULMONATA: ACHATINIDAE)

Abstract

This is essentially a preliminary report on the revision of subgenus Lissachatina of the African land snail family Achatinidae. It extends the conchological revisionary work of J.C. Bequaert (1950) along the complementary line of comparative anatomical studies of the reproductive tracts. This is directed toward the goal of a better understanding of phylo-geny in this family. Species emphasized are Achatina albopicta E.A. Smith,1878; A. allisa Reeve, 1849; A. fulica Bowdich, 1822; A. loveridgei Clench & Archer, 1930; A. zanzibarica Bourguignat, 1879, and the new species A. eleanorae. Relegated tosynonymy are A. albicans Pfeiffer, 1851; A. delorioli Bonnet, 1864; and A. iredalei Preston, 1910. Tangible anatomical characters separate subgenera Lissachatina and Achatina. A. capelloi Furtado, 1886; A. craveni E.A. Smith, 1881; and A. connollyi Preston, 1912 are transferred from Lissachatina to Achatina s.s. Other transfers are in progress.