0 Check List biodiversity data NOTES ON GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION Check List 13(2): 2096,17 April 2017 do¡:https://doi.Org/10.15560/13.2.2096 ISSN 1809-127X ©2017 Check List and Authors First record ofCecilioides acicula (Müller, 1774) (Mollusca: Ferussaciidae), from Buenos Aires province, Argentina Ana C. Díaz14, Stella Maris Martín2, Roxana Mariani3 & Graciela L. Varela3 1 Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, División Zoología Invertebrados. Paseo del Bosque s/n. Buenos Aires, Argentina investigador Independiente CIC. Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, División Zoología Invertebrados. Paseo del Bosque s/n. Buenos Aires, Argentina 3 Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, División Entomología. Paseo del Bosque s/n. Buenos Aires, Argentina 4Corresponding author. E-mail:[email protected] Abstract: Cecilioides acicula (Müller, 1774), family Ferus- MATERIALS AND METHODS sadidae, is native to the Palaearctic región but has been Our specimens o f C. acicula were obtained from sedi­ dispersed around the word by human activity. Here, we ments associated with human remains and wrappings (from report the presence of this introduced spedes in La Plata a depth of 40 cm) from legal exhumations at the Municipal dty, Buenos Aires province, Argentina. This snail is largely Cemetery of La Plata (34°57'21B S, 057°57'02" W ) (Figure subterranean and frequently is found in oíd graves in asso- 1). The exhumed remains and wrappings were transferred riation with skeletal remains. Our samples were collected to the School of Medical Sdence o f the National University from sediments from the Municipal Cemetery o f La Plata, o f La Plata (UNLP) (Municipal Bylaw 7638/90) for research Buenos Aires province, Argentina. and teaching and for the creation of the “Prof. Dr. Rómulo Key words: new record; subterranean habits; cemetery; La Plata Lambre” Osteological Collection. Faunal remains were sampled from five exhumations performed in 1994, 1996 and 1997. These were taken from the wrappings, dothing, INTRODUCTION the insides o f bone cavities, and sediments, and collected Cecilioides acicula (Müller, 1774) (Mollusca: Gastropoda: with brushes, pins, or fine-tipped tweezers, depending on Ferussadidae) is native to central and western Europe, the size and condition; sediments were also inspected using the Mediterranean, Arabia, North Africa, and Central water flotation. The recovered samples induded whole Asia. (Barker 1999). This terrestrial snail is recorded as or fragmented specimens lacking soft structures. Adults, an introduction from many places worldwide, South Africa pupae and larvae o f insects, other arthropods, and mol- (Co n n o lly 1912,1916;Q u ick 1952; H erbert 2010), New luscan shells were recovered. The cadaverous entomofauna Zealand (Suter 1913), Mallorca (G asu ll 1965), the Azores was earlier analyzed to interpret the colonization in burial (Backhuys 1975), the Canary Islands (Barrer 1999), and contexts (M a r ia n i et al. 2014). The shells o f 12 C. acicula Tasmania (Bo n h a m 2005). In North America, the species specimens were found. The shells were measured under a was reported from Bermuda (Blan d 1861) and Cañada stereomicroscope microscope (Leica EZ4). The specimens (Forsyth et al. 2008), as well as in the USA. There, C. acic­ o f C. acicula were deposited in the Malacological Collection ula is known from Pennsylvania, Florida (Pilsbry 1946), the Museo de La Plata (MLP-Ma), Buenos Aires province, Maryland (G r im m 1959), New Jersey (D undee 1974), Argentina (number MLP-Mal4219). California (Ro th 1986), New México(M etcalf & S m a r tt 1997), Hawaii(B arrer 1999) and Virginia(Ó rstan 2007). Cecñiodes acicula (Müller, 1774) Finally, in South America, it was found in the 1990s in Figure 2 Argentina from Rosario, Santa Fe province (M iquel et al. Buccinum aciculum MÜLLER 1774:150. Caerílianella acicula — Melvill & P onsonby 1898: 184. N obrb 1995; M iquel & P a r e n t 1996) and In Uruguay (Punta Bal­ 1941:167, pars, excluding C. barbozae and C. binodosa. lena, Department o f Maldonado; Barrio Podtos and Barrio Caerílianella (Acicula) praeclara W estbrlund 1898:176. Parque Batlle, Department o f Montevideo; Department Caerílioides acicula — Adams 1900: 297; Pilsbry 1908: 9, pl. 1; o f Canelones [Scarabino 2003]). Here, we report the Connolly 1912:206; 1916:188. presence of C. acicula in the dty o f La Plata, Buenos Aires Cecilioides (Cecilioides) — acicula Pilsbry 1909: 9,pl. 1, figs. 1,2 ,5 -8 ; province, Argentina. Barrer 1999: 59, figs. 36, 76,117,146,172,198, 226, C9, M13, 1 Díaz et al. | First record of Cecilioides acicula from Buenos Aires province, Argentina Figure 2. Cecilioides acicula collected in sediments from a grave at the Municipal Cemetery of La Plata, Buenos Aires province, Argentina (MLP- Ma 14219). Photos by ACD. DISCUSSION Cecilioides acicula is largely subterranean, burrowing in soil down to 70 cm (Bo n h a m 2005) and in some cases to 2 m (K erney 1999), which may explain the paucity o f records o f this species and why its presence seems to have passed Figure 1. Map showing previous and new records of Cecilioides acicula in unnoticed. Many authors emphasize the species’ prefer­ Argentina. ente for calcareous substrates (G er m ain 1930; Kerney & C a m b r ó n 1979;G iu s ti et al. 1995; Barrer 1999). It is frequently observed among skeletal remains o f oíd graves, M14, M56, M57, map 9; Schileyko 1999: 553-554; Bank et al. and in Egypt, Georges and Ch ar lie r (2010) found as many 2002:107; Albuquerque de Matos 2004:48,2014:146. Cecilioides acicula — Connolly 1930: 297; 1939: 368, pl. 8, fig. 12; as 364 specimens in a single grave. From Latvia, dose to Pilsbry 1946:185, fíg. 89a; Q uick 1952: 188; Van Bruggbn the natural range, Steffek et al. (2008) first recorded the 1964:163; Miqubl et al. 1995:26; Miquel & P arbnt 1997:110, presence C. acicula from the oldest cemeteries in Riga; these fig. 2; Van Bruggbn & V an Goethbm 2001:156, figs. 10,11. authors described cemeteries as suitable refuges for the For extended synonym lists see Barrer (1999), H erbbrt (2010), snail fauna within an urban area due to favorable soil con- and H olyoak & H olyoak (2015). ditions. Moreover, Ó rstan & K ósem en (2009) reported Cecilioides acicula has a transparent, thin and glossy shell, that cemeteries in Istanbul (Turkey) serve as refuges and with elongated shape. Apexblunt, protoconch rounded. The conserve habitat not only for terrestrial gastropods but aperture is oval and narrow at the base, 40% o f the total also for many native plant spedes. length. The columella is short and obliquely truncated. Our The presence o f C. acicula in graves in the Municipal specimens are between 1.22-5.25 mm long and 0.49-1.46 Cemetery o f La Plata could be a consequence o f optimum mm wide. The spire is composed o f 2-5% whorls, the last conditions for this spedes' development and survival. The whorl occupies more than 50% o f the total length. high calcium content of the soil would be beneficial for Cecilioides consohrina (d’Orbigny, 1837), the only native this calcifilic species. There are no data available on how Cecilioides species in Argentina and Uruguay, presents long this species has existed in the cemetery. It may have an elongate-oval shell, shallow sutures and the suture been there since the formation o f the cemetery in 1886. between the last whorl and preceding one is more straight Given its cryptic underground habits, it could be more compared with C. acicula. widespread in surrounding areas. ® Check List | www.biotaxa.org/cl 2 Volume13 | Issue2 | Article2096 Díaz et al. | First record of Cecilioides acicula from Buenos Aires province, Argentina In addition to graves, this species has been found in Georges , P. & P. Ch arlier . 2010. Localisation préférentielle association with vegetables, ornamental plants (includ- de Cecilioides acicula (O. F. Müller, 1774) dans deux tombes hellénistiques de Plinthine (Egypte). MalaCo 6: 298-302. http:// ing bulbs and cacti), wet soil among dead leaves, stones, www.journal-malaco.fr/documents/Malaco_2010_06_Georges_ and roots, but it is rarely found at the surface (Dundee Charlier_298_302.pdf iq u el 1974; M et al. 1995). Therefore, as with many other Germ ain, L. 1930. Mollusques terrestres et fluviátiles. Faune de terrestrial gastropods, movement o f plants and soil from France 21:1-477. one place to another likely accounts for the dispersal of Giusti, F., G. M ang an elli & P.J. S chem bri . 1995. The non-marine this species. molluscs o f the Maltese Islands. Monografie 15: 467. Tormo: Our new record of C. acicula adds to the geographical Museo Regionale di Sciencia Naturale. 607 pp. Gr im m , W. 1959. Land snails of Carroll County, Maryland. The Nauti- distribution of the species in Argentina, reporting this spe­ lus 72(4): 122-127. http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8521169 cies from the province o f Buenos Aires for the first time. H erbert, D.G. 2010. The introduced terrestrial Mollusca of South Africa. Biodiversity Series 15. Pretoria: South African National ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Biodiversity Institute. 108 pp. http://biodiversityadvisor.sanbi . We wish to thank Cecilia Moreno, who helped with the org/wp-content/uploads/2015/ll/BioSeries_15_2010.pdf. English versión this manuscript. This study was ñnancially H olyoak , D.T & G.A. H olyoak . 2015. A taxonomic review of supported by CONICET (PIPO 796-2014) and Proyectos de Cecilioides (Gastropoda: Ferussaciidae) in continental Portugal.