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212 F. LIberto, S. GIGLIo, M.S. CoLoMba & I. SparaCIo
be definitely ruled out. Hence, it appears that the
taxon/binomial Palizzolia monterosati Bourgui-
gnat 1877 is a nomen dubium, attributable with
certainty at neither genus nor species level. In
these cases, on the basis of article 75.5 of ICZN,
the Commission may be asked, in order to settle
all taxonomic doubts, to set up a neotype which,
in our opinion, should be Milax gagates since Pa-
lizzolia, as prevalent use, has been considered a sy- idem, 18 shells (CS); idem VIII.2012, 2 speci-
nonym of the genus Milax, and monterosati
synonym of Milax gagates.
For North Africa, particularly Tunisia and
North Eastern Algeria, no species of the genus
Tandonia was ever reported (Cockerell, 1891;
Wiktor, 1987; Abbes et al., 2010). Milax gasulli
Altena, 1974 and Amalia ater Collinge, 1895 are
well known morphologically (genitalia) and con-
sidered as valid species of the genus Milax. Wiktor
(1987) based on specimens of Algeria (without ad-
ditional indications) puts Limax scaptobius Bour-
guignat, 1861 in synonymy with Milax gagates
and both Amalia cabiliana (Pollonera, 1891) and
A. gagates (var. or subsp.) mediterrana Cockerell,
1891 in synonymy with Milax nigricans.
Amalia maculata Collinge, 1895, described for
the surroundings of Algiers, was considered by
Wiktor (1987) synonymy of T. sowerbyi, but the
original description does not allow per se a certain
assignment to the genus Tandonia. The taxon ma-
culata Collinge 1895, however, is pre-occupied by
Amalia maculata Koch & Heynemann, 1874 =Ly-
topelte maculate (Koch & Heynemann, 1874) of
the family Agriolimacidae (see Wiktor, 1987) and,
for this reason, Hesse (1926) published, in its
place, the new taxon Milax collingei. Limax ere-
miophilus Bourguignat 1861 (locus typicus Al-
giers, Algeria) was described only based on color
and remains a taxon of uncertain allocation at both
genus and species level. T. sowerbyi is reported for
the regions of Southern Italy, attested with cer-
tainty up to Basilicata (Ferreri et al., 2005).
For Calabria two little-known taxa were de-
scribed by Paulucci (1879), unreported even by
Alzona (1971): Amalia mongianensis (locus ty-
picus: Monte Pecoraro, Mongiana, Catanzaro)
and A. fulva (locus typicus: “Monte Sant'Elia,
Palmi”). The specimens from Calabria we could
examine are to be considered as T. sowerbyi, al-
though there are some morphological features
that require further study.
Family Subulinidae Thiele, 1931
Rumina saharica Pallary, 1901
ExAMINED MATERIAL. Rumina saharica. Italy,
Sicily, Egadi Islands, Marettimo, admist Case
Romane and Buccerie 200-250 m, 37°58’N,
12°03’E, 30.V.2010, 6 specimens, 1 shell (CL);
mens, 10 shells (CC).
DESCRIPTION. Shell dextral (Figs. 27-30), whi-
tish, truncated, height 30.5 mm, maximum dia-
meter 10 mm, slender, sub-cylindrical, with
slightly convex sides, the last whorl is wider than
the penultimate whorl. Animal white. Genitalia
(Figs. 31-32) characterized by vagina internally
with longitudinal pleats and penis internally with
some sparsely distributed papillae towards the
proximal end.
BIOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION. R. saharica is a
thermophilic and xeroresistant species. The genus
Rumina Risso, 1826 has Mediterranean distribu-
tion extending to Macaronesia, but it was disper-
sed by man in some extra-Mediterranean countries
(United States, Mexico, Cuba, Bermudas, China,
Japan). Currently, R. saharica seems to prevail in
the north African-East European area (Carr, 2002;
Prèvot et al, 2007).
REMARKS. Prèvot et al. (2007) with molecular
analyses demonstrated the presence in the Mediter-
ranean area of two groups of species: R. decollata
and R. saharica. They also showed the presence in
R. decollata of two clades genetically distinct but
morphologically similar. In addition, Mienis (2002)
re-evaluates the validity of R. paviae (Lowe 1861)
from Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. In Sicily, ac-
tually, is known only R. decollata (Manganelli et
al., 1995; Bank, 2012) (Figs. 23-24).
Carr (2002) signals, in the collection of Na-
tural History Museum of London, the presence
of three shells similar to R. saharica collected in
Sicily, however he points out that without data
on the genitalia the classification of Rumina spe-
cies is not certain. The population of Rumina
from Marettimo Island (Western Sicily) which
we examined shows the typical morphological
characters of R. saharica (sensu Carr, 2002) with
the exception of the duct of bursa copulatrix
which is slightly longer.