14 



A.R. MEAD 



The most prominent feature of the genital system (Fig. 11) 

 is the massive, muscular basal female conduit that seems to 

 be an ill defined fusion of vagina (V), spermathecal duct (SD) 

 and free oviduct (FO). Sessile to this, obliterating the penio- 

 vaginal angle, is the contrastingly short, broad penis sheath 

 (PS). Crowded together and projecting from the apical collar 

 of the PS are the long apical vas deferens (AVD) and the very 

 short penial retractor (PR). In fact, this latter is so short that 

 only its insertion on the broad right columellar retractor 

 (RCR) may be seen. Like that of L. petitia and Callistoplepa 

 barriana, it inserts far posterior on the RCR (Fig. 2). The 

 tripartite AVD starts as a slender tube, but soon enlarges to 

 form the thick- walled ejaculatory duct. This in turn narrows 

 and then once again enlarges into a thin-walled conduit 

 (possibly a secondary seminal vesicle) before fusing with the 

 FO to form the spermoviduct. When the PS is cut longitudi- 

 nally, it is found to be extremely thin and attached basally 

 only about half way down on the stubby, dome-shaped penis 

 (P). Both the inner surface of the PS and the outer surface of 

 the P are smooth and shiny, facilitating extroversion. In this 

 aspect, the PR is seen to hood over the apical P and, about 

 one-quarter the way down, blend with the substance of the 

 thick-walled P. When the PR is split longitudinally and its 

 muscle bands spread apart (Fig. 12), the basal vas deferens 

 (BVD) is seen within, discreet and without muscle or connec- 

 tive tissue attachment. Vertically cutting the penial wall 

 reveals a conspicuous, pendulous, vertically oriented pilaster 

 (PIL) whose thick transverse-diagonally textured brownish, 

 glandular epithelium is continuous with the inner wall of the 

 penis. Ventrolaterally on the PIL is a 1 mm vertical eccentric 

 apertural slit. This leads internally to a funnel shaped penial 

 sacculus, which joins the extension of the BVD in a dense 

 mass of connective tissue. It is clear at this point that the PIL 

 has been formed by a permanent partial eversion of the P. In 

 the process, the basal-most BVD, with its diagonal anchoring 

 muscle strands, forms the axial conduit of the PIL (Fig. 13). 

 During extroversion, to form the intromittent organ, the PIL 

 would take the lead, followed by the basal P, and finally the 

 PS, which would contain the BVD, PR, and a portion of the 

 RCR. Both PR and RCR would be involved in the introver- 

 sion process. 



The alignment of the V, SD and FO insures that the 

 intromittent organ will be channeled directly to the SD. This 

 has been accomplished not only by a large knob of tissue 

 eccentrically blocking the narrow lumen of the FO, but also 

 by a massive buildup of muscular tissue surrounding the large 

 lumen of the basal SD. These modifications, in turn, tend to 

 wedge the SD between P and FO (Fig. 11). Internally, there 

 is a sharp division between the thick-walled, heavily muscular 

 V, with its many narrow, tightly compressed, vertical plicae, 

 and the thick-walled basal half of the SD (functionally an 

 extension of the V), with its several bold, deep, coarse 

 vertical plicae. Cutting across these latter plicae are trans- 

 verse vermiculate rugae that produce a grossly serrate texture 

 on the crests of the plicae. This rough texture seems to 

 complement that of the P and PIL. All these structures 

 obviate the necessity of a distinct muscular vaginal retentor 

 found in many species of Achatininae. The apical SD is 

 thin-walled, as is the clavate spermatheca (S). The apical 

 saccular FO probably serves to hold the large egg immedi- 

 ately before expulsion; basally, however, it is thick-walled, 

 with a narrow lumen. An 'elbow' tends to form at the 

 junction of the two parts. The lower portion and the collar- 

 like thick-walled V doubtless serve as an ovijector. 



Three of the four dissected specimens had the uterus and 

 oviduct crowded with 4, 6 or 8 relatively large, off-white 

 hard-shelled eggs, measuring 4.3 x 3.7-5.1 x 4.4 mm. Their 

 long dimension is ca. 15% of the adult shell length, which is in 

 strong contrast, for example, to that relationship in Achatina 

 achatina at ca. 5%. All gravid specimens were collected 

 September-November, just before the long dry season, and 

 because of the demands of producing eggs, they manifested 

 considerable emaciation, especially in the digestive system. 

 Such observations raise the unanswered question of longevity 

 in this small species. In a single specimen, six ovotestis acini 

 were found under the columellar surface of the apical lobe of 

 the digestive gland. The talon is extraordinarily long and 

 slender and without a basal enlargement. 



Type material. The type of Morlet's Achatina mollicella, 

 collected by Vignon, has never been illustrated and its very 

 existence has been uncertain. It is not in the Morelet material 

 in the Paris, Geneva or Tervuren collections. Fulton (1920) 

 reported that he had purchased the Morelet land and fresh- 

 water shells in 1892, including 'all the types', but that in 

 transit between Dijon and London many of the fragile 

 specimens, including some types, were broken. The BMNH 

 accession book under date 2 April 1893 confirms this infor- 

 mation. It lists the accessioned types (pp. 230-254, 2049 

 entries) including a single entry indicating that there were 

 only two specimens: '93.2.4.119-120 Achatina mollecella, 

 Gabon'. However, neither of these two syntypes have the 

 length-width measurements of '18 x 12 mm' given by More- 

 let (1860) for an individual 6 whorl specimen. Under the 

 circumstances, it is most likely that the 6 whorl syntype is the 

 one Morelet had in hand. Further, there clearly is an error in 

 his reported measurements because in the 35 specimens 

 examined in the present study, the shell width averages 52% 

 of shell length, not 67% as would be the case if Morelet's 

 measurements were correct. For these reasons, the larger 

 syntype BMNH no.93.2.4.119 is here selected as the lecto- 

 type (Figs. 27, 28; Table 3) and BMNH no.93.2.4.120 

 selected as paralectotype. Morelet's incorrect measurements 

 have contributed greatly to the confused synonymies of his 

 valid species and Jousseaume's valid species Petitia petitia. 



The lectotype and 10 paralectotypes of von Martens' junior 

 subjective synonym Achatina pulchella are in Berlin (ZMB; 

 Kilias, 1992), type locality Bonjongo, Cameroon. Additional 

 single specimens here designated as paralectotypes have been 

 found and labeled in Stockholm (SMNH no. 4282) and Ter- 

 vuren (MRAC no. 5315). The holotype (monotypy) of Sower- 

 by's junior subjective synonym and junior primary homonym 

 Achatina smithi no. 89. 11. 18.1 is in London (BMNH), type 

 locality 'Calabar, Africa?' The holotype of Bequaert & 

 Clench's Leptocala mollicella zenkeri (1934c fig. 6) plus two 

 paratypes (their fig. 7 and one unfigured) are in Berlin 

 (ZMB; Kilias, 1992). A third paratype is at Harvard (MCZ) 

 under No. 98687, which was identified by the distinctive mark 

 at the junction of the ultimate and penultimate whorls (cf. 

 their fig. 5). All these were from Yaounde. A fourth 

 paratype, unfigured but listed on their page 119 is from Bitye 

 (BMNH, no.1908.6.3.2; Table 3). 



Type locality. Morelet (1860) lists it as, 'Habitat, rara, in 

 sylvis Guinea.' His two syntypes in BMNH were more 

 specifically labeled 'Gabon,' which is included in the early 

 broad generic geographic term 'Guinea.' 



Distribution. Sowerby (1890) described Achatina barriana 



