Annotated checklist of the terrestrial and freshwater molluscs of the Arabian Peninsula with descriptions of new species.

Abstract

In this work, all valid species and lists of primary synonyms of terrestrial and freshwater Gastropoda and Bivalvia known from the Arabian Peninsula are given. The type specimens of many of the species are illustrated. All species are described and anatomical details are given whenever possible. Zoogeographic relationships of the malacofauna of the area are discussed. A hypothesis explaining the time scales and pathways of colonisation of the Arabian Peninsula by molluscs is given. Ecological data are added, where known, to further the knowledge of autecology and distributional patterns. The following taxa are described as new to science: Stenothyra arabica n. sp., Arabivitrina jansseni n. sp., Cerastus schweinfurthi brunneus n. ssp., Cerastus schweinfurthi apicostatus n. ssp., Oxychilus (Costoxychilus) n. subgen., Oxychilus (Costoxychilus) profundus n. sp., Levantina (Laevihelix) n. subgen., Levantina (Laevihelix) symensi n. sp., Levantina (Laevihelix) asira n. sp., Levantina (Laevihelix) asagittata n. sp., Levantina (Laevihelix) semitecta n. sp. Additionally, several taxa are recorded as new to the malacofauna of the Arabian Peninsula: Assiminea nitida nitida (Pease, 1864), Gastrocopta klunzingeri (Jickeli, 1873), Boysia boysii (L. Pfeiffer, 1846), Lauria cylindracea (Da Costa, 1778), Toltecia pusilla (Lowe, 1831), Cecilioides aff. tumulorum (Bourguignat, 1859), Cecilioides acicula (O.F. Muller, 1774). New generic or subgeneric combinations are introduced: Homorus splendens (Thiele, 1910), Homorus arabica (Connolly, 1941), Streptostele (Raffraya) scotti (Connolly, 1941). Lectotypes for the following species are designated: Hydrobia lactea (Kuster, 1852), Bithynia badiella (Kuster, 1853).