Thericium lomnickii, (Friedberg, 1914)

‘Thericium’ lomnickii ( Friedberg, 1914)

Figs 63A–B View FIGURE 63

* Benoistia Łomnickii Friedb.— Friedberg 1914: 270 View in CoL , pl. 16, fig. 18.

Benoistia lomnickii Friedb.— Urbaniak 1974: 32 , pl. 12, fig. 18, pl. 13, fig. 9, pl. 19, fig. 12.

Type material. Syntype?, ZNG PAN A-I-50/623.1, SL: 13.0 mm, MD: 7.5 mm. Hołdy Hill near Buchyna ( Ukraine) Middle Miocene, Badenian. Figs 63A View FIGURE 63 1 –A View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 . The specimens, which are labelled as types in the collection of the Geological Museum of the Institute of Geological Sciences (Polish Academy of Science) in Kraków ( Poland), differ from the illustration in Friedberg (1914) in the more convex whorls and the smaller size ( Friedberg 1914 mentions a height of 18 mm). Therefore, we doubt that the illustrated specimen is preserved in this lot and the identity of this species remains dubious.

Additional material. ZNG PAN A-I-50/623.2, SL: 13.9 mm, MD: 8.6 mm, Zboriv (Ternopil Region, Ukraine), Figs 63B View FIGURE 63 1 –B View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 .

Revised description. Small, stout conical shell of about eight teleoconch whorls; apical angle 50°. Protoconch unknown. Spire whorls low, strongly convex with prominent varices and broad, prominent axial ribs, separated by narrower interspaces. Spiral sculpture indistinct, composed of narrow spiral cords. Axial ribs weaken abapically, bearing small tubercles at shoulder on last three whorls, indistinct tubercular or beaded subsutural collar and faintly concave sutural ramp. Suture moderately incised. Last whorl slightly inflated, attaining more than 50% of total height, with strongly constricted base delimited by prominent beaded peribasal cord. Further weaker spiral cords over base. Aperture ovate. Columella broadly and strongly excavated; columellar callus thin. Anal canal weakly incised. Outer lip thickened. Siphonal canal unknown.

Discussion. This species was placed by Friedberg (1914) in the Paleogene genus Benoistia Cossmann, 1900 (type species Cerithium muricoides Lamarck, 1804 ; Eocene, France), placing in family Brachytrematidae . The sculpture of the early teleoconch whorls with densely spaced, prominent axial ribs, however, suggests a placement in Cerithiidae . Friedberg (1914) discussed a similarity with Hemicerithium tauroconicum ( Sacco, 1895) , from the Burdigalian of Italy. However, these species are clearly unrelated. Hemicerithium tauroconicum differs in its stout conical shape, the straight-sided whorls and it lacks any granules. The placement in Thericium by us is tentative at best.

Paleoenvironment. Unknown.

Central Paratethys. Voronyaky Hills: Hołdy hill (between Makitra and village Buchyna) (Lviv Region, Ukraine); Polish-Ukrainian Fore-Carpathian Basin: Tarnów ( Poland) ( Urbaniak 1974); Zboriv (Ternopil Region, Ukraine) ( Friedberg 1914).