Skip to main content

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

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

Popular Posts

Korean mulberry (Morus indica)

Murbei or Korean mulberry ( Morus indica ) is a species of plant in Moraceae, shrub or small tree, up to 10 meters tall, slow growing, cylindrical stem, light brown with white nodules, M. indica has heart-shaped or oval-shaped leaves and sometimes three-lobed, 4-12.5 cm long, 2.5-7.5 cm wide, pointed tip, serrated margin, green and has a stalk. Monoecious inflorescences with male and female grow on the same tree, though often on different branches. Male flowers have a size of 9-11.5 mm and are covered with fine hairs. The female flowers are subglubose or only round in shape, measuring 6-9.5 mm. Stigma is 3.5 mm long with short, thick hair. The female flowers form compound fruit and are fleshy, green and white-haired to white, red and black when ripe. Korean mulberry is used in regulating blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Rosales Family: Moraceae Genus: Morus Species: Morus indica

Swietenia mahagoni and Swietenia macrophylla, the differences

SPECIES HEAD TO HEAD - To date, mahogany ( Swietenia Jacq.) is recorded as having four species: West Indian mahogany or small-leaved mahogany ( Swietenia mahagoni (L.) Jacq.), big-leaf mahogany ( Swietenia macrophylla King), Honduran mahogany ( Swietenia humilis Zucc.) and Swietenia × aubrevilleana Stehlé & Cusin. The debate over the number of taxa in the genus is still not resolved. Some researchers believe that there are only two species: S. mahagoni and S. macrophylla . I agree with that opinion and the two species can only be differentiated by the size of the leaves. All species in this genus have similar morphology except for leaf size. The following is the key to identifying these two species. S. mahagoni has a stalk length of around 37 cm with 5-6 pairs of strands. The strands are about 10 cm long and about 3.5 cm wide. S. macrophylla has a stalk length of up to 45 cm with 4-5 pairs of strands. The strands are up to 31 cm long and up to 8 cm wide. By Aryo Bando...

Aquatic bacteria Comamonas testosteroni eats plastic waste into carbon for microbial growth

NEWS - Researchers report an enzyme that breaks down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in a somewhat unlikely place: Comamonas testosteroni , a microbe that lives in sewage sludge. The enzyme could be used by wastewater treatment plants to break down microplastic particles and recycle plastic waste. Plastic pollution is everywhere, and it mostly consists of PET. The polymer is used to make bottles, containers and even clothing. PET beads are an increasingly common microplastic found in places ranging from remote oceans to inside our bodies. But the particles are so small that they can escape water treatment processes and end up in wastewater that re-enters the environment. On the other hand, wastewater also contains microorganisms that like to eat these plastic particles, including C. testosteroni, so named because it degrades sterols like testosterone. “It’s important to note that PET plastic represents 12% of global plastic use. And it accounts for up to 50% of microplastics in wastew...