Tectonatica scutaria, Harzhauser & Landau & Guzhov, 2025

Tectonatica scutaria nov. nom.

Figs 26A–B View FIGURE 26

* Natica transgrediens Schaff. var. elata Schaff.— Schaffer 1912: 166 View in CoL , pl. 54, figs 12–14 [ non Natica alderi var. elata Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1883 View in CoL ].

N [ atica]. ( N [ acca].) transgrediens elata Schff.— Sieber 1958: 140 View in CoL [ non Natica alderi var. elata Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1883 View in CoL ].

Natica ( Lunatia) catena helicina Brocchi— Răileanu & Negulescu 1964: 175 View in CoL , pl. 13, figs 5–6 [ non Euspira helicina ( Brocchi, 1814) View in CoL ].

Type material. Lectotype (designated herein): KM FI 1166 , SL: 17.0 mm, MD: 14.8 mm, Maria Dreieichen ( Austria), illustrated in Schaffer (1912: pl. 54, fig. 13), Figs 26A View FIGURE 26 1 –A View FIGURE 1 4 View FIGURE 4 . Paralectotype: KM FI 1167 , SL: 17.1 mm, MD: 15.0 mm, Maria Dreieichen ( Austria), illustrated in Schaffer (1912: pl. 54, fig. 14), Figs 26B View FIGURE 26 1 –B View FIGURE 1 4 View FIGURE 4 .

Etymology. Scutarius, Latin for shield-bearing, referring to the umbilical features.

Revised description. Small, elongate ovate shell of about three teleoconch whorls; higher than wide (SL/MD = ~1.1). Protoconch unknown. Spire moderately high conical with moderately convex whorls; apical angle ~98°. Suture linear, adpressed. Teleoconch whorls with broad, steep, concave subsutural shelf, delimited by faint shoulder. Last whorl strongly expanding, attaining ~93% of total height. Regularly convex below faint shoulder angulation. Periphery just below mid-whorl (~46%). Growth lines weakly prosocyrt in apical view, prosocline and insignificant at periphery (note that surface of the specimens is corroded).Aperture relatively narrow, high D-shaped, moderately prosocline. Position of adapical tip of aperture moderately high (~82%). Aperture attaining ~75% of total height. Columellar lip straight, solid, basal lip thickened, outer lip moderately thin. Columellar angle ~5°. Opercular ridge in outer lip not preserved. Umbilicus largely filled by thick, shield-like, semicircular umbilical callus, slightly sunken into umbilicus, covering broad funicle. Parietal callus long (~53%), strongly thickened, slightly expanding over base, with concave margin. Anterior lobe of parietal callus fused with umbilical callus. Distinct umbilical channel encircling umbilical callus. Base solid, rounded. No color pattern preserved. Operculum unknown.

Discussion. This species was established by Schaffer (1912) as a variety of Natica transgrediens Schaffer, 1912 , which is placed herein in Cochlis . They differ in the open umbilicus of Cochlis transgrediens and its more globose outline. The name Natica elata is preoccupied by Natica alderi elata Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1883 [= Euspira nitida (Donovan, 1803) ]. Therefore, we propose Tectonatica scutaria as a replacement name.

The coeval Tectonatica miocolligens ( Sacco, 1890) , from the Burdigalian of the Colli Torinesi ( Italy), shares very similar umbilical features but differs in its lower spire, resulting in a more spherical shape (see Robba et al. 2016: pl. 6, figs 1–6). Tectonatica dertomamilla ( Sacco, 1890) , from the Late Miocene of the Po Basin ( Italy), has a similar outline but differs in its narrower and shorter umbilical channel and the lower spire (see Robba et al. 2016: pl. 5, figs 12–13). Tectonatica tectula ( Sacco, 1890) , from the Tortonian to Pliocene of the Mediterranean Sea, differs in its wider shell and the nearly sealed umbilicus with narrow umbilical channel (see Pedriali & Robba 2008a: pl. 2, figs 8–9; Robba et al. 2016: pl. 6, figs 13–15).

Paleoenvironment. The section Maria Dreieichen ( Austria) exposed shallow sublittoral environments with sand bottoms in few meters water depth ( Mandic et al. 2004).

Distribution in Central Paratethys. Eggenburgian (Early Miocene): North Alpine Foreland Basin: Maria Dreieichen ( Austria) ( Schaffer 1912). Transylvanian Basin: Coruş ( Romania) ( Răileanu & Negulescu 1964).