Thericium miodacicum, Harzhauser & Guzhov & Landau, 2025

Thericium miodacicum sp. nov.

Figs 55A–C View FIGURE 55

Cerithium (Vulgocerithium) europaeum Mayer View in CoL — Kecskeméti-Körmendy 1962: 88, pl. 10, fig. 3 [non Thericium europaeum (Mayer, 1878) View in CoL ].

Type material. Holotype, NHMW 1856 View Materials /0007/0046, SL: 36.8 mm, MD: 12.6 mm, Figs 55A View FIGURE 55 1 –A View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 . Paratypes, NHMW 2023 View Materials /0042/0006, SL: 26.0 mm, MD: 8.8 mm, Figs 55B View FIGURE 55 1 –B View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 . NHMW 2023 View Materials /0042/0007, SL: 28.3 mm, MD: 9.7 mm, Figs 55C View FIGURE 55 1 –C View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 . NHMW 2016 View Materials /0177/0366, SL: 34.6 mm, MD: 11.2 mm .

Type locality. Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania) .

Age. Middle Miocene, middle Badenian (Late Langhian).

Etymology. Referring to the Miocene (Mio-) and the historical province Dacia.

Diagnosis. Medium-sized, moderately slender conical shell with distinct mid-whorl angulation; subsutural collar with close-set tubercles; stronger pointed tubercles along angulation and third weaker tubercular spiral cord just appearing at abapical suture on penultimate whorl, largely covered by subsequent whorl. Last whorl high with high, conical base. Spiral lirae deep inside aperture.

Description. Medium-sized, moderately slender conical shell of up to 12 teleoconch whorls, attaining ~ 26– 37 mm in height; apical angle ~28°. Protoconch unknown. Early teleoconch whorls high, weakly convex with slight angulation above mid-whorl. Sculpture of prominent, beaded subsutural cord and broad axial ribs. Later teleoconch whorls subsutural cord bearing well developed, dense tubercles, weakly concave subsutural ramp, mid-whorl angulation bearing spiral row of large, prominent, slightly pointed tubercles, 11 on last whorl; third weaker tubercular cord appears at abapical suture on penultimate whorl, largely covered by subsequent whorl. One broad secondary spiral intercalated on subsutural ramp, about four broader secondary spirals between angulation and abapical cord. Suture weakly incised, undulating. Last whorl high, ovate, attaining ~45% of total height, with one broad, weak varix. Mid-whorl spiral cord with very prominent, pointed tubercles, coinciding with periphery. Base weakly constricted with one stronger peribasal spiral bearing smaller tubercles and relatively well developed primary and secondary cords over base and fasciole. Aperture ovate, moderately wide. Columella moderately excavated in apical third. Columellar callus greatly thickened forming broad triangular columellar shield mid-aperture, narrowing in parietal area, sharply delimited from base.Anal canal distinctly incised. Outer lip not preserved. Three spiral lirae deep inside aperture. Siphonal canal moderately long, twisted, deeply incised, slightly deflected to the left.

Discussion. This species is characterized by its conical spire and the very large, pointed tubercles along the mid-whorl angulation, which become increasingly spinous with ontogeny. Thericium crenatocoronatum ( Sacco, 1895) , from the Pliocene of the Mediterranean Sea, may develop similar shapes (e.g., Chirli 2006, pl. 33, fig. 14) but is generally much more elongate and has a dense sculpture of secondary spiral cords (see Ferrero Mortara et al. 1984: pl. 34, fig. 13; Chirli 2006: pl. 33, figs 11–13). Some forms of Thericium vulgatum , such as that erected by Sacco (1895) as T. vulgatum spinisoissima ( Sacco, 1895) from the Pliocene of Villalvernia ( Italy), are reminiscent but have more spiny tubercles, are more slender and lack a subsutural spiral cord with tubercles. ‘ Cerithium ’ dertonense Mayer, 1868 sensu D’Amico et al. 2012 , from the Tortonian of Montegibbio ( Italy), is another similar species, but its spiral row of pointed tubercles is placed close to the abapical suture, resulting in a trapezoid whorl profile without mid-whorl angulation (see D’Amico et al. 2012, pl. 1, fig. 3).

A specimen from the Tortonian of Gurdezes ( Albania) illustrated by Bandat (1943: pl. 2, fig. 42) as Cerithium (Vulgocerithium) dertonense var. perlongata Sacco is similar to Thericium miodacicum sp. nov. but differs in its distinct axial sculpture on early whorls and has pointed nodes.

Thericium miodacicum sp. nov. is superficially similar to Pithocerithium zelebori ( Hörnes, 1855) , from the Early Miocene of Austria, in its large tubercles but differs in its marked mid-whorl angulation and the pointed tubercles; characters of the genus Thericium View in CoL . The sculpture of early teleoconch whorls of P. zelebori has two spiral rows of tubercles, whereas T. miodacicum develops axial ribs.

Paleoenvironment. Unknown.

Distribution. Only known so far from the middle Badenian (Late Langhian) of the Central Paratethys Sea.

Central Paratethys. Badenian (Middle Miocene): Pannonian Basin: Várpalota ( Hungary) ( Kecskeméti-Körmendy 1962); Făget Basin: Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania) (hoc opus).