Abstract
The Western Australian Kimberley region harbours a diverse fauna of camaenid land snails characterised by marked patterns of narrow range endemism. The recently described genus Australocosmica comprised three species that are endemic to single offshore islands or island groups. Material of a further seven candidate species recognised by the late Alan Solem has been examined. Six of these manuscript species, NSP 40 (= A. rotunda n. sp.), NSP 76 (= A. pallida n. sp.), NSP 77 (= A. buffonensis n. sp.), NSP 78 (= A. bernoulliensis n. sp.), NSP 79 (= A. crassicostata n. sp.), and NSP 80 (= A. nana n. sp.), are here newly described based on examination of shell morphology and penial anatomy. Based on our findings, we are presenting an updated generic diagnosis of Australocosmica. Statistical analyses revealed that species exhibit similar shell characters (colouration, sculpture, dimensions), which render the delimitation of species based only on shells difficult. However, species were found to differ significantly in their penial anatomy. Although the material studied was not suitable for DNA extraction, the anatomical differences were considered sufficient to permit the description of distinct species.
References
Criscione, F., Law, M.L. & Köhler, F. (2012) Land snail diversity in the monsoon tropics of Northern Australia: Revision of the genus Exiligada Iredale, 1939 (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Camaenidae), with description of 13 new species. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 166, 689–722. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2012.00863.x
Gibson, L. & Köhler, F. (2012) Determinants of species richness and similarity of species composition of land snail communities on Kimberley islands. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement, 81, 40–65.
Gibson, L. & McKenzie, N. L. (2012) Identification of biodiversity assets on selected Kimberley islands: background and implementation. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement, 81, 1–14.
Köhler, F. (2010a) Three new species and two new genera of land snails from the Bonaparte Archipelago in the Kimberley, Western Australia (Pulmonata, Camaenidae). Molluscan Research, 30, 1–16.
Köhler, F. (2010b) Uncovering local endemism in the Kimberley, Western Australia: Description of new species of the genus Amplirhagada Iredale, 1933 (Pulmonata, Camaenidae). Records of the Australian Museum, 62, 217–284. http://dx.doi.org/10.3853/j.0067-1975.62.2010.1554
Köhler, F. (2011a) Australocosmica, a new genus of land snails from the Kimberley, Western Australia (Eupulmonata, Camaenidae). Malacologia, 53, 199–216. http://dx.doi.org/10.4002/040.053.0201
Köhler, F. (2011b) The camaenid species of the Kimberley Islands, Western Australia (Stylommatophora: Helicoidea). Malacologia, 54, 203–406. http://dx.doi.org/10.4002/040.054.0108
Köhler, F. (2011c) Descriptions of new species of the diverse and endemic land snail Amplirhagada Iredale, 1933 from rainforest patches across the Kimberley, Western Australia (Pulmonata, Camaenidae). Records of the Australian Museum, 63, 167–202. http://dx.doi.org/10.3853/j.0067-1975.63.2011.1581
Köhler, F. & Johnson, M.S. (2012) Species limits in molecular phylogenies: A cautionary tale from Australian land snails (Camaenidae: Amplirhagada). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 165, 337–362. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2011.00810.x
Köhler, F. & Shea, M. (2012) Youwanjela, a new genus of land snail from the Kimberley, Western Australia (Eupulmonata: Camaenidae). Zoosystematics and Evolution, 88, 25–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/zoos.201200004
McKenzie, N.L. (1991) An ecological survey of tropical rainforests in Western Australia: background and methods. In: N. L. McKenzie, R.B. Johnston & P.G. Kendrick (Eds), Kimberley rainforests of Australia. Surrey Beatty and Sons and Department of Conservation and Land Management Western Australia, Canberra, pp. 1–26.
Solem, A. (1979) Camaenid land snails from Western and central Australia (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Camaenidae). I. Taxa with trans-Australian distribution. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Suppl.10, 5–142.
Solem, A. (1981) Camaenid land snails from Western and central Australia (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Camaenidae). II. Taxa from the Kimberley, Amplirhagada Iredale 1933. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Suppl. 11, 147–320.
Solem, A. (1984) Camaenid land snails from Western and central Australia (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Camaenidae). IV. Taxa from the Kimberley, Westraltrachia Iredale, 1933 and related genera. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Suppl.17, 427–705.
Solem, A. (1985) Camaenid land snails from Western and central Australia (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Camaenidae). V. Remaining Kimberley genera and addenda to the Kimberley. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Suppl.20, 707–981.
Solem, A. (1988) New camaenid land snails from the northeast Kimberley, Western Australia. Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia, 9, 27–58.
Solem, A. (1991) Land snails of Kimberley rainforest patches and biogeography of all Kimberley land snails. In: N. L. McKenzie, R.B. Johnston & P.G. Kendrick (Eds), Kimberley rainforests of Australia. Surrey Beatty & Sons and Department of Conservation and Land Management Western Australia, Canberra, pp. 145–246.
Solem, A. & McKenzie, N.L. (1991) The composition of land snail assemblages in Kimberley rainforests. In: N.L. McKenzie, R.B. Johnston & P.G. Kendrick (Eds), Kimberley Rainforests of Australia. Surrey Beatty & Sons and Department of Conservation and Land Management Western Australia, Canberra, pp. 247–263.
Stankowski, S. (2011) Extreme, continuous variation in an island snail: local diversification and association of shell form with the current environment. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 104, 756–769. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2011.01748.x
Willan, R.C., Köhler, F., Kessner, V. & Braby, M.F. (2009) Description of four new species of limestone-associated Torresitrachia land snails (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Camaenidae) from the Katherine District of the Northern Territory, with comments on their conservation. The Beagle, 25, 85–98.