Asst. Prof. Dr Chanidaporn Tumpeesuwan and Dr Sakboworn Tumpeesuwan, researchers from Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University published a paper in the Raffles Bulletin of Zoology (RBZ) journal in 2019 entitled “First Verified Record of the Genus Landouria Godwin-Austen, 1918 from Thailand (Gastropoda: Stylommatophora: Camaenidae) with Description of A New Species.”
A new species of land snail is described from the Suan Hin Pha Ngam Limestone Area in Loei Province, northeastern Thailand. This species is placed in the genus Landouria Godwin-Austen, 1918 based on the presence of a slightly long club-shaped flagellum with variably sized tubercles, a gametolytic sac with the swollen basal part, and absence of dart sacs and mucous glands. This is the first verified record of the genus Landouria in Thailand.
Landouria strobiloides, new species
Etymology. The specific epithet strobiloides derived from the strobilus, referring to the flagellum of the new species, which looks similar to the strobilus of non-flowering plants because it possesses many tubercles on its surface.
Diagnosis. Body whorl of the shell with very sharp keeled, aperture slightly thickened and with a reflexed rim. Flagellum slightly long, club-shaped, with variably-sized tubercles. The base of gametolytic sac enlarged and swollen.
Remarks. The genitalia of the new species agree in general detail with the genital anatomy of congeneric species, but it has the longest tubercles on the flagellum within the genus. The anatomy of Landouria differs from Aegista by the absence of a well-developed dart sac, lateral accessory sacs, and mucous glands (Schileyko, 2004). In Thailand, the snails that have the last whorl slightly descending in front and large umbilicus were assigned to Aegista, but this needs to be confirmed by a study of their anatomical characters.
The discovery of the world’s new land snail is indicative that the northeastern part of Thailand, especially the complex mountainous areas of Loei province, has hidden biodiversity waiting to be discovered. The study can apply in the teaching of Zoogeography and Mollusks biology. Anyway, there are numerous living things for us to study and give scientific names whenever the environment is plentiful.
Tumpeesuwan, C., & Tumpeesuwan, S. (2019). First verified record of the genus Landouria Godwin-Austen, 1918 from Thailand (Gastropoda: Stylommatophora: Camaenidae) with the description of a new species. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 67, 298-305. https://doi.org/10.26107/RBZ-2019-0021
