New land microsnails of the genus Gastrocopta (Eupulmonata: Gastrocoptidae) in the semiarid region of Brazil

• Published in: Papéis avulsos de zoologia (São Paulo) 2024-11, Vol.64, p.e202464040
• Main Authors: Lima, Silvio Felipe Barbosa, Abreu, Evandro Cosmo Tomaz de
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0031-1049; 1807-0205
• DOI: 10.11606/1807-0205/2024.64.040

Gastrocoptidae Pilsbry, 1918 is a group of land snails with expressive species richness and widely distributed through the planet's terrestrial ecosystems. In Brazil, members of this family include only representatives of the genus Gastrocopta Wollaston, 1878, which are mainly found in the phytogeographic domains of the Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, Cerrado and Pampa. Here, two new species of Gastrocopta are describe from the phytogeographic domain of the Caatinga (semiarid scrubland): Gastrocopta joaoherminioi sp. nov. and Gastrocopta caatinga sp. nov. The shell morphology of G. joaoherminioi n. sp. differs substantially from native and invasive congeners of Brazil, mainly in the greatly convex whorls as well as number and configuration of apertural barriers, which totals 11 very strongly developed teeth (except suprapalatal tooth) that greatly obstruct the region. The shell morphology of G. caatinga n. sp. has a typical ovoid shape and apertural barriers totaling four teeth that does not obstruct the region (except for the projection of parieto-angular tooth). The new land snails found in a dense layer of leaf litter on sandy soil at a semi-open dry tropical forest habitat are compared with congeners from the neotropical region