Helicarion, FERUSSAC, 1821

GENUS HELICARION FÉRUSSAC, 1821 View in CoL

Helicarion Férussac, 1821: 19 View in CoL , 67 [quarto edition], 23, 71 [folio edition]. Type species Helix cuvieri Férussac, 1821 (by subsequent designation in Gray, 1847: 169); masculine.

Helicarium Agassiz, 1842 –1847: 174 (unnecessary replacement for Helicarion Férussac, 1821 View in CoL ).

Differential diagnosis

External morphology: Small to medium-sized shell, ear shaped, flattened, thin, golden, sometimes with a greenish tinge, glossy, 3.2–3.9 whorls, whorls rounded, base membraneous. Protoconch with fine spiral grooves, teleoconch with very fine spiral grooves. Body colour varying from black to pale grey, fawn or cream; sole often a contrasting colour to body. Mantle lobes and shell lappets of moderate size, none fused; mucous network prominent; caudal horn well developed.

Genital anatomy: Ovotestis of two to four lobes, embedded in digestive gland. Talon and carrefour embedded in albumen gland. Spermoviduct curves in a U shape towards tail then folds behind and descends towards head. Free oviduct with indistinct capsular gland in proximal portion; internal walls of capsular gland smooth; remainder of free oviduct with longitudinal pilasters. Bursa copulatrix moderately long, approximately half spermoviduct length; sac portion often tear shaped with elongated tip; inserted on free oviduct. Vagina short. Penis long, slender, with internal sculpture of V-shaped rows of papillose lamellae. Penis tunica attached by muscle fibres to middle of epiphallus; epiphallus enters penis through simple pore; epiphallic caecum absent; epiphallic flagellum with axial filament present, containing spiralling rows of internal cryptae. Spermatophore a soft-walled capsule with hard tail-pipe; branching spines present in spiralling pattern along tail-pipe.

Remarks

Helicarion View in CoL (masculine) is the conserved spelling for this genus name ( ICZN, 1992), and Helix cuvieri is its designated type species ( Gray, 1847). The original spelling ‘ Helixarion View in CoL ’ by Férussac (1821 –1822, p. 19 [quarto edition], 23 [folio edition]) was an inadvertent error for the correct spelling Helicarion View in CoL (1821–1822: p. 67 [quarto], 71 [folio]) and has been supressed subsequently ( ICZN, 1992). We follow Hyman & Ponder (2010) in excluding Desidarion Iredale, 1941 View in CoL , Luinarion Iredale, 1933 View in CoL , Platycloster Hasselt, 1824 View in CoL and Laconia Gray, 1855 View in CoL from synonymy with Helicarion View in CoL .

Helicarion View in CoL is found throughout Tasmania, in parts of Victoria and in southeastern NSW (as far north as the Central Coast) ( Fig. 6 View Figure 6 ). No other helicarionid semislugs are found in the southern part of its range (with the exception of Attenborougharion View in CoL in southern Tasmania). From Narooma northwards, Helicarion View in CoL shares its range with the semislug Mysticarion porrectus View in CoL , which is very similar to pale specimens of Helicarion View in CoL . However, M. porrectus View in CoL is generally arboreal and has a more globose shell than Helicarion View in CoL . Furthermore, members of Helicarion View in CoL generally have darker coloration on their tail and a contrasting pale sole, whereas M. porrectus View in CoL is uniformly pale. Further north in NSW, semislugs belonging to Parmavitrina View in CoL can be distinguished by their larger size.