NEW SUBFAMILY AND GENUS ACHATINIDAE 



volumes of the U.S. Board of Geographic Names and their 

 locality figures were preferentially used. A list of acronyms of 

 institutions and private collections follows the text. Symbols 

 and abbreviations used in the Tables: Holo = Holotype, L = 

 Length, Lect = Lectotype, LW = Last Whorl, Para = 

 Paratype, PLec = Paralectotype, W = greatest Width, f = 

 dissected, * = see photograph. 



Continued research along the lines of Mead (1950, 1978, 

 1992) and in the present work promises to establish a sound 

 taxonomic and phylogenetic base for the Achatinidae. 



METHODS 



Examining a great number of variously preserved whole 

 specimens in the present project has once again emphasized 

 the importance of using proper preservation procedures. 

 Ideally, specimens selected for preservation of the soft parts 

 should be put in previously boiled water that has reached 

 ambient temperature. They should drown normally 8-12 

 hours. Overdrowning will cause the basal genital structures to 

 evert, irreparably distorting the taxonomically valuable fea- 

 tures. Underdrowning permits the specimen to withdraw 

 excessively into the shell. Crowding the specimens or using 

 too small a volume of fluid promotes maceration. The 

 adequately drowned specimen usually contracts slightly when 

 placed in the initial 40% alcohol. In a few hours, depending 

 upon the size of the specimen, it should next be placed in a 

 60% solution, followed by at least one change to 70% 

 alcohol. 



Formalin is a powerful, penetrating, irritating fixative. If it 

 is used at a very low percentage for a short period before the 

 specimen is washed thoroughly and transferred to 70% 

 alcohol, it can be quite effective. But in general, its use 

 should be avoided because formalin alters the colour of the 

 shell, makes the shell brittle and chalky, causes the perios- 

 tracum to crack and peel off upon drying, promotes adhe- 

 sions between the shell and soft parts, severely hardens the 

 muscular body wall, and precipitates great quantities of 

 albumin and recrystallized calcareous islands in the tissues. 

 As a result, extrication rarely can be accomplished without 

 damage to both shell and soft parts. Further, even with 

 prolonged soaking in a 0.5% trisodium phosphate solution, 

 the muscular body wall remains so hard and tough that, with 

 extreme difficulty it has to be snipped out, piece by small 

 piece, to get to the soft parts, which often are so intensely 

 fixed that they are brittle. Once the soft parts are removed, 

 they usually can be relaxed for limited manipulation only by 

 further soaking in trisodium phosphate and one or more 

 prolonged water baths. Even then, a distressing degree of 

 brittleness remains. The practice of 'neutralizing' formalin for 

 the preservation of vertebrate specimens by first dropping 

 live snail specimens in the solution is deplorable. 



ABBREVIATIONS - ANATOMICAL 



GA 



genital atrium 



OTD 



ovotestis duct 



P 



penis 



PA 



penial atrium 



PIL 



pilaster 



PR 



penial retractor 



PS 



penis sheath 



RCR 



right columellar retractor 



ROR 



right ommatophore retractor 



S 



spermatheca 



SD 



spermathecal duct 



SO 



spermoviduct 



ssv 



secondary seminal vesicle 



T 



talon 



V 



vagina 



VA 



vaginal atrium 



VR 



vaginal retentor 



Achatinidae 



AVD 



apical vas deferens 



BVD 



basal vas deferens 



E 



egg 



EM 



eversion muscle bands 



FO 



free oviduct 



Basal genital conduits simple, without accessory organs. A 

 conspicuous sheath partially, or usually, completely envelops 

 the penis. Spermatophores not formed. The right branch of 

 the columella muscle system regularly remains to the left of 

 the genitalia. Kidney long, two to three times the length of 

 the pericardium; sigmurethrous. Pulmonary vein without 

 major branches. Holopod. Rachidian tooth very slender and 

 apparently nonfunctional, rarely wide. Jaw simple; smooth or 

 usually striated. Shell ovate, elongate-ovate or conic-oblong, 

 rarely columnar; anomphalous or umbilicate; columella trun- 

 cate or continuous with outer lip, some forms are intermedi- 

 ate. Endemic in continental Africa and its adjacent small 

 coastal islands; four known introduced species elsewhere in 

 the world. 



Key to Subfamilies 



Vas deferens does not penetrate the penis sheath, but leaves 

 apically with the penial retractor through the sheath aperture. 

 The penial retractor inserts on the right columellar retractor; 

 it is extremely short, entirely or almost entirely covered by 

 the penis sheath; penis contains a large, conspicuous pilaster. 



Rachidian tooth about as wide as the laterals CALLIS- 



TOPLEPINAE 



Vas deferens penetrates the penis sheath. Even within a 

 single population, the penial retractor may variously insert on 

 muscle bands, body wall, diaphragm or fascia; it is usually 

 long to very long and entirely or almost entirely free of the 

 penis sheath; penis contains an ill-defined pilaster, no pilas- 

 ter, or a verge. Rachidian tooth usually much narrower than 

 the laterals ACHATININAE 



CALLISTOPLEPINAE - new subfamily 



This subfamily contains the most primitive achatinids yet 

 known. Phylogenetically, it is at the base of the Achatinidae, 

 near the Subulinidae. Like that in the Subulinidae, the vas 

 deferens does not penetrate the penial sheath. The more 

 ovate, patterned shell, however, with its larger aperture and 

 limited number of whorls places this taxon in the Achatinidae 

 rather than the Subulinidae. Supportive of this are the long 

 kidney and the pattern of lung venation. The radula is 

 uncharacteristic of either family, but this is of lesser impor- 



