Alfredo Dugès threeband (Humboldtiana dugesi) from Sierra de Penjamo, Guanajuato, Mexico

NEWS - Alfredo Dugès threeband (Humboldtiana dugesi) was first described as a species from Guanajuato, Mexico and diagnosed based on protoconch with growth lines and granular microsculptures, rounded penis with thick rim that covers half of the penis cavity and long flagellum that is 4x longer than the penis and epiphallus combined.

The new species was assigned to the H. buffoniana species group of the subgenus Humboldtiana based on the nearly smooth protoconch sculpture and the dart gland just above the sac. The H. buffoniana group contains 20 species that range from the border between New Mexico and Texas (H. ultima) to the Mexican Transvolcanic Belt.

H. dugesi can be distinguished from other species in the subgenus Humboldtiana by its protoconch with growth lines and granular microsculptures as opposed to other species of the subgenus where the protoconch lacks sculptures.

Three individuals were collected active in rock crevices during the day and two empty shells were collected from leaf litter at an elevation of 1939 meters. The vegetation of the type site is temperate subhumid oak forest. The epithet is dedicated to the 19th century French-Mexican naturalist Alfredo Dugès. Specimens are only known from the type sites: Guanajuato, Cuerámaro, Sierra de Penjamo, Fuerte de los Remedios.

Most of the species show an insular distribution and are only known from the type site, the researchers only compared the new species with H. potosiana Pilsbry 1927 from the Sierra de San Miguelito, H. salviahispanica Mejía 2009 from Huichapan, H. queretaroana Dall 1897 and H. pinicola Thompson and Brewer 2000 from Pinal de Amoles in the Sierra Gorda.

H. dugesi has a small shell, the number of whorls and shell engravings are similar to H. salviahispanica and H. potosiana, but H. dugesi can be diagnosed by the presence of growth lines and isolated grains in the protoconch which are unique characters in this genus.

The reproductive anatomy has a round penis like H. potosiana, but H. dugesi has a long and cylindrical epiphallus, a long flagellum with 4x the combined length of the penis + epiphallus and has a spermathecal appendix. In contrast, H. potosiana has a short and sturdy epiphallus, a short flagellum with 1x the combined length of the penis + epiphallus and does not have a spermathecal appendix.

Original research

Mejía O, López B (2024) A new species of the genus Humboldtiana (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, Xanthonychidae) from Sierra de Penjamo, Guanajuato, Mexico. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e132797, DOI:10.3897/BDJ.12.e132797

Dlium theDlium

Giant green leech (Raksasa hijau)

Lintah raksasa or giant green leech ( Raksasa hijau ) is a species of animal in Salifidae, large green leeches, carnivores, not hematophagic, can grow to lengths of more than 50 cm, the front is perfectly tubular, but it is getting bigger, wider and flat backward. R. hijau has a front end that ends with a white mouth and has a width equal to the diameter of the front end of the body. The rear end ends with the anus and has a width equal to the diameter of the rear end of the body. The upper surface is whole dark green or leafy green, looks shiny and has no other additional color features. The bottom surface is lighter or brownish green. The skin is wrinkled like tight, elastic joints that make it possible to lengthen the body. Giant green leech moves forward by extending the tip of the front of the body to keep the new location farther away and this movement is then followed by the middle body and gradually the rear where the body moves completely. R. hijau does not suck blo...

Telotaun (Manihot carthagenensis)

Telotaun ( Manihot carthagenensis ) is a plant species in Euphorbiaceae, trees or shrubs 2-10 m tall, erect and fibrous, white latex, leaves varying with the subspecies noted are Manihot carthagenensis ssp. carthagenensis , Manihot carthagenensis ssp. glaziovii and Manihot carthagenensis ssp. hahnii . M. carthagenensis has an erect stem, a tubular shape, a young stem which is bright green and covered in white wax, an old stem that has a thin layer of brown skin. Long leaf stems and white waxy, arranged alternately, growing in all directions, green on the bottom and redish on the top. Leaves have 3-7 fingers each up to 25 cm long and up to 15 cm wide, ellipses become obovoid, sometimes pandurate and apex acute. Each leaf finger has a bone in the middle that moves linearly with some pinnate bones. The upper surface is green and slightly shiny, the lower surface is whitish green. The base of the leaf is centered at the end of the stalk, the pointed end which ends at the head of the sp...

Purwaceng (Pimpinella pruatjan)

Purwaceng or purwoceng or antanan gunung or Viagra of Java ( Pimpinella pruatjan or Pimpinella priatjan ) are small termas growing horizontally in Apiaceae, growing in villages on Dieng Plateau, Central Java Province, Indonesia, at 1,500 to 2,000 meters above sea level, the roots have medicinal properties for aphrodisiacs and are usually processed in powder form for a mixture of coffee or milk. P. pruatjan grows flat on the ground but does not propagate, small leaves are reddish green for 1-3 cm in diameter. This plant is only found in Java and grows in high mountain areas. A low population where industrial demand is very high results in increasingly scarce. Another place that is likely to become a purwaceng habitat is the Iyang Mountains and the Tengger Mountains in East Java Province. Efforts to multiply and cultivate have a big problem where these plants have difficulty producing seeds. In vitro propagation research through tissue cultivation has been carried out to overcome ...

Dlium