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![Species illustrated for comparative purposes: (A–C) Tropidophora moulinsii, holotype of Cyclostoma moulinsii Grateloup, 1840, ‘Madagascar’, max. diameter 33.1 mm, NHMUK 1907.11.22.12; (D–F) Tropidophora thesauri Fischer-Piette, 1949, Orangea, Diego Suarez [= Antsiranana] district, max. diameter 38.0 mm, NMSA L8438; (G–I) Tropidophora reticulata , one of three syntypes of Cyclostoma reticulatum (Adams & Reeve, 1850), ‘Madagascar’, max. diameter 15.1 mm, NHMUK 1874.12.11.231; (J–L) Kalidos hova , syntype of Nanina hova Odhner, 1919, Catsèpe, Madagascar, max. diameter 24.4 mm (SMNH).](profile/David-Herbert-8/publication/256114777/figure/fig21/AS:297858008928256@1448026291465/Species-illustrated-for-comparative-purposes-A-C-Tropidophora-moulinsii-holotype-of.png)
Species illustrated for comparative purposes: (A–C) Tropidophora moulinsii, holotype of Cyclostoma moulinsii Grateloup, 1840, ‘Madagascar’, max. diameter 33.1 mm, NHMUK 1907.11.22.12; (D–F) Tropidophora thesauri Fischer-Piette, 1949, Orangea, Diego Suarez [= Antsiranana] district, max. diameter 38.0 mm, NMSA L8438; (G–I) Tropidophora reticulata , one of three syntypes of Cyclostoma reticulatum (Adams & Reeve, 1850), ‘Madagascar’, max. diameter 15.1 mm, NHMUK 1874.12.11.231; (J–L) Kalidos hova , syntype of Nanina hova Odhner, 1919, Catsèpe, Madagascar, max. diameter 24.4 mm (SMNH).
Source publication
Seven new land snail species are described from the Antsingimavo and Beanka karst formations, northeast of Maintirano, central western Madagascar: Ampelita andriamamonjyi, A. beanka, A. lindae, Conulinus randalanai, Kalidos maryannae, Tropidophora humbug and T. sericea. Additional notes, records and illustrations are also provided for a further ten...
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Citations
... Karst environments of northern and western Madagascar support diverse land snail faunas that are poorly sampled and few publications have focused on these areas (e.g., Griffiths and Herbert, 2013). Amongst the most poorly sampled are the Narinda karsts of northwestern Madagascar, which are composed of Eocene limestones (Middleton and Middleton, 2002) and underlie the Anjajavy Peninsula in the Analalava District (Fig. 1). ...
... However, there have been far fewer studies of invertebrates including ants, flies, butterflies, and aquatic invertebrates (Allnutt et al., 2008;Benstead et al., 2003;Irwin et al., 2010). Currently there are only two publications that include snails from the area (Griffiths and Herbert, 2013;Emberton and Rakotondrazafy, 2020), listing only two species: Tropidophora secunda Fischer-Piette and Bedoucha, 1965 and Ampelita anjajaviensis Emberton and Rakotondrazafy, 2020. The coastal karsts of Anjajavy Peninsula and the inland karsts around Lavaka Ambohimenamaso retain fragments of relatively intact lowland dry deciduous forest in addition to mangrove and scrub forests, and grassland habitats. ...
... bathiei was known from isolated records in north-western Madagascar (Fischer-Piette 1949). T. secunda was recorded first from northern Madagascar (Fischer-Piette et al. 1993) with later records further west (Griffiths and Herbert, 2013). The two taxa differ only in the presence of white maculations and streaks on T. secunda, which are part of the periostracum and wear off on some specimens. ...
The non-marine mollusc fauna of the northern part of t1he Narinda karst of north-western Madagascar, mostly from the Anjajavy Peninsula and Analalava District is enumerated based on collections made in the past 20 years. 102 species are recorded (73 terrestrial, 12 freshwater and 17 littoral). Twenty four are described as new species: Omphalotropis lavanensis n. sp., Boucardicus crassus n. sp., Boucardicus malama n. sp., Boucardicus minoratus n. sp., Cyclotopsis pectinata n. sp., Tropidophora narindana n. sp., Tropidophora tenona n. sp., Tropidophora jugia n. sp., Tropidophora neoliratoides n. sp., Tropidophora rovidrovitra n. sp., Gulella foucaultia n. sp., Gulella martiniana n. sp., Gulella anjajavyensis n. sp., Gulella volontany n. sp., Gulella antonibe n. sp., Parvedentulina lavana n. sp., Microcystis zorony n. sp., Microcystis embertoni n. sp., Sitala dickensi n. sp., Ctenophila tangolika n. sp., Kalidos unistriata n. sp., Kalidos quadrangulata n. sp., Kalidos narindana n. sp., and Kalidos mahafatifaty n. sp. A further six are new records for Madagascar. We propose two changes of genera and one new synonym. Madagascar’s dry forest continues to decline in area and much of the forest in the region is fragmentary. Three species were only recorded from old shells and may be locally extinct.
... A close relation to Tropidophora can be excluded based on the circular, multispiral operculum with the spiral ridge in the Omani species forming a sharp lamella. Tropidophora, in contrast, forms a paucispiral and smooth operculum with alate area (seeEmberton et al. 2010;Wilmsmeier and Neubert 2012;Griffiths and Herbert 2013). The operculum of Cyclotopsis is indeed very similar to that of the Omani species. ...
Terrestrial and aquatic gastropods from the upper Eocene (Priabonian) Zalumah Formation in the Salalah region of the Sultanate of Oman are described. The assemblages reflect the composition of the continental mollusc fauna of the Palaeogene of Arabia, which, at that time, formed parts of the southeastern Tethys coast. Several similarities with European faunas are observed at the family level, but are rarer at the genus level. These similarities point to an Eocene (Priabonian) rather than to a Rupelian age, although the latter correlation cannot be entirely excluded. At the species level, the Omani assemblages lack any relations to coeval faunas. This suggests the possible presence of a distinct biogeographic province during the Palaeogene or may simply reflect the extremely sparse non-marine fossil record of the Eocene in the Tethys region. The occurrence of the genera Lanistes, Pila, and Gulella along with some pomatiids, probably related to extant genera, suggests that the modern African–Arabian continental faunas can be partly traced back to Eocene times and reflect very old autochthonous developments. In contrast, the diverse Vidaliellidae went extinct, and the morphologically comparable Neogene Achatinidae may have occupied the equivalent niches in extant environments. Carnevalea Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Arabiella Kadolsky, Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Pyrgulella Harzhauser, Kadolsky and Neubauer nov. gen., Salalahia Kadolsky, Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Omanitopsis Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Arabicolaria Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Pacaudiella Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Goniodomulus Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Eoquickia Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Omanillya H. Nordsieck nov. gen. and Omanifera H. Nordsieck nov. gen. are introduced as new genera. Pila neuberti Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Arabiella arabica Kadolsky, Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Pyrgulella parva Harzhauser, Kadolsky and Neubauer nov. sp., Salalahia thaytinitiensis Kadolsky, Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Omanitopsis vandammei Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Procyclotopsis eocenica Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Palaeocyclotus kuehschelmi Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Arabicolaria arabica Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Pacaudiella omanica Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Pacaudiella flammulata Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Goniodomulus solaniformis Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Cerastus hyznyi Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Omanillya lunellifera H. Nordsieck nov. sp., Omanillya costellata H. Nordsieck nov. sp., and Omanifera euclista H. Nordsieck nov. sp. are described as new species.
... These include the relatively small size of the embryonic shell and its rather coarse spiral striae, the microscopically reticulate sculpture of the last adult whorl, and the limited reflection and thickening of the peristome at maturity. In terms of the reproductive tract, the absence of a papilla or verge in the penis also differs from the situation in other species for which such data are available (Schileyko, 1999;Griffiths & Herbert 2013), but since this is so few, it is largely uninformative from a phylogenetic perspective. ...
In 1990, Emberton hypothesized that the Madagascan land snail Helix covani Smith, 1879 was a previously unrecognized member of the Gondwanan family Rhytididae. The evidence put forward was based solely
on features of the shell. The present paper sets out to explore this hypothesis in more detail, using morphological characters
of the soft parts and molecular data, and so to test whether the present-day distribution of the Rhytididae includes Madagascar,
a biogeographically interesting question. The results obtained from several independent suites of morphological characters
are clearly inconsistent with the placement of Helix covani in the Rhytididae. Instead, the morphological evidence strongly supports its referral to the Acavidae, with affinity to the
genus Ampelita, in which it has traditionally been classified. Molecular data are fully consistent with this, providing strong support for
an acavid clade comprising Acavus, Ampelita, Helicophanta and Helix covani. Currently, the morphological and molecular data available are not sufficiently representative of Madagascan acavid diversity
to permit further resolution of the affinities of the taxon in relation to Ampelita and Helicophanta.
... By 2003, 28 families, 77 genera and 685 species were reported from Madagascar (Pearce 2003). Later generic revisions (Emberton 2002a(Emberton , 2002b(Emberton , 2003a(Emberton , 2003b(Emberton , 2003c(Emberton , 2003d(Emberton , 2004(Emberton , 2007 and fi eld surveys (Emberton 2009, Emberton and Griffi ths 2009a, 2009b, Emberton et al. 2010, Griffi ths and Herbert 2013 brought the species total to approximately 1100, nearly equal to the 1200 species found in North America, north of Mexico, but in less than 3% of the land area. Even so, there are several groups collected in these surveys that have not been monographed, including one of the island's most diverse and taxonomically diffi cult groups, the pomatiid land snail genus Tropidophora Troschel, 1847. ...
The terrestrial littorinoid snail genus Tropidophora Troschel, 1847 is especially diverse on Madagascar with 94 currently recognized species and numerous named varieties. Supposed high within-species variation in shell and genital morphology led some researchers to suggest that these characters may be too variable to distinguish species, prompting them to conclude that the group may be taxonomically over-split. Recent sampling allows an independent test using COI sequence data which suggests that Madagascar's Tropidophora species are not over-named but are more diverse than previously thought. Molecular diversity is congruent with traditional morphology-based species concepts suggesting that future work using both molecular and morphological data sets will be useful in a taxonomic revision of the genus.
... Beanka, an area to the north of Bemaraha (Fig. 1), has been the subject of intensive biodiversity inventories during the past decade in conjunction with a collaborative effort to protect its mosaic of sandstone and "tsingy" landforms and the plants and animals they support. The inventories of the birds (GOODMAN & al., 2011) and land snails (GRIFFITHS & HERBERT, 2013), have already lead to discovery of new species, and some new plant species have already been described (LETSARA & al., 2012). The ca. 14,000 hectares of Beanka are now under formal conservation Treelet to 3-5 m tall, generally decumbent on tsingy, stem prickly, up to 8 cm diam., dried leaves persistent, pending below the crown of green leaves, surrounding the stem. ...
A recent intensive inventory in the Beanka region in western Madagascar has led to the discovery of a new species of Pan-danaceae, described here as Pandanus tsingycola Callm. & Nusb. This remarkable species can be easily distinguished from all other known species by the unique shape and configuration of its syncarps. These possess few phalanges (6-7) that are incompletely united (with up to 38 carpels) with each of these carpels bearing an erect to curved, acute, thorny stigma. Pan-danus tsingycola seems to be endemic to the limestone "tsingy" formation of Beanka.
... Subsequently, a number of expeditions have been made to investigate further the diverse non-marine molluscan fauna of this area. Collections made during these expeditions have already led to the description of new, narrowly endemic land snails (Emberton, 1999;Griffiths & Herbert, 2013) and freshwater molluscs (Köhler & Glaubrecht, 2010). Given the presently high levels of non-marine mollusc extinction (Lydeard et al., 2004), it is important that focal zones of land snail endemism be identified and flagged as areas of conservation concern. ...
... Cyclophoridae -This family has many large and spectacular species in the Old World tropics and several genera occur in Madagascar. Unlike the Kalidos maryannae Griffiths & Herbert, 2013 x † x -85 ...
At least 77 species of terrestrial molluscs and nine species of freshwater molluscs have been recorded from the Tsingy Beanka, with several new species having been described from there in recent years. Beanka has a high degree of endemism and high species diversity for such a (relatively) small area. This faunistic richness is attributable to Beanka’s limestone (or karst) geology and to the diversity of forest types present. It is thus a very important site for land snails in Madagascar and emphasizes Beanka’s conservation importance.
Key words: diversity, land snails, limestone, regional biogeography.
... 1. Ampelita andriamamonjyi Griffiths & Herbertholotype from Beanka (Griffiths & Herbert, 2013) ( Figure 16-4). ...
... holotype from Beanka (Griffiths & Herbert, 2013). ...
... from Beanka (Griffiths & Herbert, 2013). ...
In a country such as Madagascar, with its extraordinary variation in climate and geology, associated vegetational variation, distinct biomes, and notable biotic heterogeneity, floristic and faunistic inventories over the past few decades have disclosed many hundreds of new species to science. Contrary to what might be anticipated given all of the inventory work conducted on the island, the level of discovery of previously unknown taxa continues at a largely unabated pace. Herein, using the Beanka Forest as an example, we present information on the importance of recent inventories in this previously unknown karst dry deciduous forest area, specifically in the discovery of numerous previously undescribed taxa and their importance to understand the conservation value of this site. Most of these discoveries have been made since large scale surveys commenced in 2009 and numerous other new taxa will be uncovered and described as taxonomists work through existing collections from the site and new material to be collected in other areas of the massif. These inventories have been important for 1) identifying the Beanka Massif as key biodiversity area, 2) understanding biotic patterns critical for allocating high priority status for conservation action at this site, 3) bringing to public attention the uniqueness of the area and different general conservation issues, and 4) collected data and specimens helping to resolve different aspects of the evolutionary history of locally occurring organisms.
L’île de Madagascar est connue pour présenter une variété climatique et géologique exceptionnelle, qui se traduit par une remarquable hétérogénéité biotique engendrant une diversité des biomes et des types de végétation. Les inventaires de flore et de faune qui y ont été menés dans les dernières dizaines d’années ont permis la découverte de centaines d’espèces nouvelles pour la science. Contrairement à ce à quoi on aurait pu s’attendre au vu de l’intensité du travail d’inventaire mené sur l’île, le taux de découvertes, d’un niveau sans précédent, se maintient. Dans ce chapitre basé sur les travaux récemment menés dans la forêt sèche décidue sur karst de Beanka (jusqu’alors à peine connue), nous discutons de l’importance de tels inventaires pour la découverte de nouveaux taxons ainsi que pour connaître la valeur de ce site en matière de conservation. La plupart de ces découvertes ont été réalisées depuis le début des inventaires qui y ont été menés sur une large échelle dès 2009. On s’attend encore à la description de nombreux autres taxons au fil de l’avancement du travail des taxonomistes sur le matériel accumulé au cours de ces inventaires ou qui pourra être collecté à l’avenir dans d’autres portions du massif. Jusqu’à présent les nouveaux taxons recensés sont :
● Plantes vasculaires: trois espèces décrites et quatre en cours de description ;
● Mollusques terrestres: sept nouvelles espèces décrites ;
● Araignées: deux nouvelles espèces décrites ;
● Fourmis : dix nouvelles espèces décrites ;
● Amphibiens : deux nouvelles espèces en cours de description ;
● Reptiles : une nouvelle espèce en cours de description et
● Oiseaux : une nouvelle espèce décrite.
L’importance des inventaires menés dans la forêt de Beanka peut se décliner de la manière suivante :
1) Contribuer à une meilleure connaissance de ce site unique et des espèces qui le peuplent. Les nouveaux taxons découverts y contribuent directement, mais également toutes les nouvelles données de distribution des espèces déjà connues, qui permettent de mieux comprendre leur biogéographie.
2) En se basant sur ces travaux, démontrer l’importance de Beanka comme Zone d’Importance Capitale pour les actions de conservation à Madagascar. La promouvoir et l’inclure au sein du réseau national d’aires protégées. Trouver des moyens financiers pour contribuer au développement des communautés limitrophes et lancer un programme de conservation proactif.
3) Communiquer à l’attention d’un public non spécialisé afin de le rendre conscient de l’importance de ce site unique et de le sensibiliser aux défis de la conservation. A ce titre, une couverture médiatique importante a été réalisée autour de la découverte en 2011 de Mentocrex beankaensis, la nouvelle espèce d’oiseau. Une telle découverte est un évènement rare au niveau mondial. Le public international et malgache a pu à cette occasion partager l’importance de cette découverte et être rendu attentif au sort tragique des forêts sèches.
4) Apporter des éléments manquants à la compréhension de l’histoire évolutive des organismes rencontrés. Les résultats obtenus à partir des spécimens récoltés au cours des inventaires font partie intégrante de l’accumulation du savoir. Ils soulignent l’importance de ces études fondamentales et de recherches plus intégratives dans des pays comme Madagascar.
... C'est le cas de la forêt sur faciès karstique de Beanka, située au nord du Parc National du Bemaraha. Une récente étude faunique a permis d'y découvrir une nouvelle espèce d'oiseau : Mentocrex beankaensis (Goodman et al., 2011), ainsi que des nouvelles espèces de mollusques, notamment Ampelita beanka, A. andriamamonjyi, Conulinus randalanai et Tropidophora humbug (Griffiths & Herbert, 2013). Parallèlement, une courte prospection botanique de dix jours de la forêt par le Missouri Botanical Garden en 2009 a permis d'y découvrir une nouvelle espèce d'Aloe pour la science : A. beankaensis (Letsara et al., 2011). ...
La forêt de Beanka se trouve sur le prolongement nord du Bemaraha dans l’Ouest de Madagascar et abrite également une végétation sur calcaires érodés. Très mal connue, elle s’en distingue physionomiquement par une couverture forestière plus fermée. De 2011 à 2012, des travaux botaniques approfondis ont été menés. Le présent article est axé à la caractérisation des groupes floristiques et structuraux de la forêt de Beanka et se base sur 46 relevés. Les différents paramètres floristiques et structuraux ont été traités et analysés pour caractériser les différents groupements floristiques et structuraux, en faisant appel à la méthode de Classification Ascendante Hiérarchique (CAH). On dénombre 585 espèces et morpho-espèces appartenant à 279 genres et 94 familles dans les relevés. Les familles les plus représentées sont les Fabaceae, les Euphorbiaceae et les Rubiaceae. Les types biologiques les plus rencontrés sont les phanérophytes, puis les lianes. Cinq groupes floristiques et trois groupes structuraux ont été identifiés. Les trois groupes structuraux ont été considérés comme des faciès des groupes floristiques. Les groupes floristiques de Beanka présentent une affinité significative avec les groupes écologiques rencontrés au Bemaraha, tandis que les groupes structuraux présentent plus de similarité avec les groupes écologiques de l’Ankarana, situé beaucoup plus au nord.
The Beanka Forest is located just north of the Bemaraha Massif in central western Madagascar. Like Bemaraha, the Beanka Forest has distinct vegetation occurring on exposed and eroded limestone (tsingy), but it differs physiognomically by a denser forest cover. Until recently, the Beanka Forest has been under prospected from a floristic perspective. In 2011 and 2012, joint fieldwork has been conducted to document the site’s biodiversity. This current contribution addresses the floristic and structural characterization of the forest vegetation types. It is based on 46 linear transects that have been classified separately according to floristic composition and vegetation structure, using the Hierarchical Ascending Classification method. In total, 585 species belonging to 279 genera and 94 families of vascular plants have been recorded during the course of these transects, which in turn have also significantly contributed to the floristic checklist presented elsewhere in this monograph.
In the context of the transects, the most species rich families were Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Rubiaceae. The most frequent biological types were phanerophytes and lianas. All main biological adaptations associated with climatic aridity have been recorded in Beanka, including leaf shedding, swollen bases in lianas and trees, sclerophylly, microphylly, pubescence, crassulescency, and reviviscence. On the basis of the transects, five floristic groups were identified: A) dominated by Cynometra abrahamii and Rinorea arborea; B) dominated by Breonia perrieri and Dalbergia purpurescens; C) dominated by Pandanus tsingycola; D) dominated by Poupatia silvatica and Commiphora pterocarpa; and E) dominated by Pandanus flagellibracteatus and Omphalea occidentalis. In addition, three structural groups could be recognized: 1) multistrata forest with closed canopy and high emergent cover; 2) multistrata forest with moderately open canopy and low emergent cover; and 3) multistrata forest with open discontinuous canopy.
The structural groups have been used to define subgroups among the floristic groups. And the following combinations occur: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2, D2, D3, E1, E2, and E3. Floristic groups of the Beanka Forest show affinities with the ecological groups of the nearby Bemaraha and structural groups show more affinities with the ecological groups of Ankarana, another tsingy area located at the north end of the island.
There are three major mollusc collections in South Africa and seven smaller, thematic collections. The KwaZulu-Natal Museum holds one of the largest collections in the southern hemisphere. Its strengths are marine molluscs of southern Africa and the southwestern Indian Ocean, and terrestrial molluscs of South Africa. Research on marine molluscs has led to revisionary papers across a wide range of gastropod families. The Iziko South African Museum contains the most comprehensive collections of Cephalopoda (octopus, squid and relatives) and Polyplacophora (chitons) for southern Africa. The East London Museum is a provincial museum of the Eastern Cape. Recent research focuses on terrestrial molluscs and the collection is growing to address the gap in knowledge of this element of biodiversity. Mollusc collections in South Africa date to about 1900 and are an invaluable resource of morphological and genetic diversity, with associated spatial and temporal data. The South African National Biodiversity Institute is encouraging discovery and documentation to address gaps in knowledge, particularly of invertebrates. Museums are supported with grants for surveys, systematic studies and data mobilisation. The Department of Science and Innovation is investing in collections as irreplaceable research infrastructure through the Natural Science Collections Facility, whereby 16 institutions, including those holding mollusc collections, are assisted to achieve common targets and coordinated outputs.
Many limestone ecosystems, particularly in tropical countries like the Philippines, still lack data regarding their malacofaunal diversity amidst extensive habitat destruction and modification, and uncontrolled tourism. To address this, the diversity and spatial distribution of land snails in the Masungi Georeserve in Rizal Province, Luzon Island were determined. A total of 120 5x5m quadrats were randomly set along six karst and six non-karst sites of the georeserve. Altitude, temperature, relative humidity, soil moisture, exchangeable soil calcium, number of trees, diameter of trees, canopy cover, and leaf litter depth were also determined per quadrat. A total of 1,283 land snails belonging to 45 species and 12 families were sampled. Three major land snail communities were distinguished by detrended correspondence analysis: the first group preferred cooler environments with high-calcium soil (karst), the second group dominated in warmer habitats with low-calcium soil (non-karst), and the third group was found in both habitat types. Species richness was highest (40 species/ H'=2.94) in the karst sites however non-karst sites had higher species evenness (J'=0.55). Species accumulation curve showed α-dominated community and efficient sampling (completeness ratio=0.97). Analysis of similarity further confirmed significant differences in land snail community assemblages between its karst and non-karst sites. These results suggest the rich malacofauna of the Masungi Georeserve needs to be protected as a refugia of land snail diversity.
