32 UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 29 6 



fact no specimen was available), no real consideration was given to 

 Weltneria when the new species was described Utinomia newmani by 

 me in 1963. Now that I have been to South Africa and collected 

 numerous specimens from the type-host and locality, I have little 

 doubt that Utinomia is really Weltneria. The generic and specific 

 description of Weltneria spinosa by Berndt (1907b) consists of a total 

 of twenty-one words or their equivalent numbers and abbreviations. 

 Kriiger (1940, p. 146) questioned the presence of a caudal appendage. 



Weltneria spinosa Berndt, 1907b, page 289 



Figure 1 



Diagnosis: Weltneria with a pair of strong hooks at the apex of 

 the operculum; inner and outer margins of operculum armed with 

 strong teeth which may be entire or bifid. A pair of weak and irregular 

 lateral bars are present. 



Distribution: From Haliotis midae from Hermanns, near Cape 

 Town, South Africa (thanks to L. S. Meiring), Turbo sarmaticus in 

 association with Cryptophialus turbonis, and Argobuccinum argus from 

 Miller Point, False Bay, South Africa (latter two collected by Mrs. 

 C. M. Connolly). Hundreds of specimens were obtained, and dozens 

 examined. 



Material: USNM, Aust, BPB, Brit, Belg, BA, CA, Dublin, Mex, 

 Paris, Seto, SFSC, UCT, Vict. 



Size of female 3.89 mm X 2.10 mm in length and width, and an 

 estimated 1.65 mm thick (average of 29 specimens). The neotype is 

 4.7 X 2.5 mm (USNM 122606). 



The burrow aperture appears like a typed apostrophe, that is, a 

 tapered sHt more pointed on one end. 



The Ups of the mantle aperture are bright red in life, a dull reddish 

 brown when dried, and a light brown when preserved in 70-percent 

 alcohol. They are well developed, bearing heavy single and bifid 

 teeth along the inner and outer margins of both lip plates. A pair of 

 large hooks arm the apex of the curved aperture, between the heavy 

 chitinous plates just mentioned and the portion bearing the infolded 

 velum which terminates in the typical comb collar. The hooks are 

 curved dorsally, toward the attachment side of the mantle. The 

 velum tucks inward from the ventral end of the aperture, and is con- 

 tinuous with a very delicate membrane arising on each side inside the 

 mantle. The assumed function of this velum is to bear the comb 

 collar, with its numerous uniform and fine fibrils which are composed of 

 the convolutions of the membrane, against the cirri to serve a cleaning 

 or protective service. 



