published online Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana, 52 (3), 2013, i-ix. Modena Bela pseudoappeliusi n. sp. (Neogastropoda: Mangeliidae) from the Plio-Pleistocene of Italy Francesco NALDI, Giano DELLA BELLA & Daniele SCARPONI F. Naldi, Via Corone di Berti 10, I-40137 Bologna, Italy; [email protected] G. Della Bella, Via dei Cedri 91, I-40050 Bologna, Italy; D. Scarponi, Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Via Zamboni 67, I-40127 Bologna, Italy; [email protected]; corresponding author KEY WORDS - Gastropoda, Conoidea, Mangeliidae, Bela, Plio-Pleistocene, Italy. ABSTRACT - A new species of mangeliid, Bela pseudoappeliusi (Neogastropoda, Conoidea), is described from the Plio-Pleistocene of Italy. The systematic description is based on a series of eleven specimens selected from the numerous findings in northern and central Italy (Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Lazio). The new species shows affinities to Bela (s.l.) appeliusi (Bellardi, 1877) with regard to particular features such as shell dimension, teleoconch sculpture and aperture morphology. The study includes a detailed survey of the type locality as well as a brief account of occurrences at other localities. RIASSUNTO - [Descrizione di Bela pseudoappeliusi n. sp. (Neogastropoda, Mangeliidae) dal Plio-Pleistocene dell’Italia] - Sulla base di undici esemplari, riferibili al Plio-Pleistocene e selezionati fra quelli provenienti da varie zone dell’Italia settentrionale e centrale (Piemonte, Emilia-Romagna, Toscana e Lazio), è descritta la specie Bela pseudoappeliusi n. sp. (Conoidea, Mangeliidae). La nuova specie è confrontata con l’affineBela (s.l.) appeliusi (Bellardi, 1877), tramite un’accurata analisi morfometrica dei rispettivi olotipi unitamente ad altri esemplari provenienti da varie località fossilifere italiane. Bela pseudoappeliusi n. sp. condivide con B. (s.l.) appeliusi vari caratteri della teleoconca quali: dimensioni, tipo di ornamentazione, morfologia dell’apertura e seno esalante. Si distingue da B. (s.l.) appeliusi per la scultura della teleoconca più densa, la spalla non angolata e per le dimensioni e l’ornamentazione della protoconca. In ultimo è fornita una descrizione dettagliata della località tipo ed un elenco di altre località in cui è stata rinvenuta la nuova specie. INTRODUCTION In this working classification the family Mangeliidae is characterized by small to medium shells (length < 30 mm), The family Mangeliidae was established by Fischer with prominent axial and/or spiral teleoconch sculpture; as the Mangiliinae in the second half of the 19th century the latter often being represented by spirally aligned (Fischer, 1883). However, its taxonomic placement has granules that are especially evident on the subsutural been highly debated and a general consensus regarding ramp. Furthermore, the anal sinus is subsutural, the the latter has only been agreed on recently (Taylor et shoulder is often angulated and the protoconch is usually al., 1993; Rosenberg, 1998 and others). Fischer (1883) multispiral with the nucleus being smooth or spirally lirate; included the Mangiliinae within the Conidae; it was the remaining whorls often bear axial ribs sometimes subsequently assigned to the family Turridae (e.g., Hedley, overlapped by spiral elements. The radula consists of only 1922; Powell, 1966) and the Conidae (e.g., Taylor et al., marginal teeth, being variously shaped (from semi-enrolled 1993). Disagreement regarding the higher level taxonomic to true hypodermic; see Bouchet et al., 2011). classification persisted at least until the beginning of the Among the more than fifty extant genera of this family 21st century and may have been due to the differential the genus Bela Gray, 1847 is one of the most emblematic emphasis that taxonomists placed on the variety of of the ‘troublesome’ Mangeliidae. Bela was established by distinguishing characters used for systematic description Gray (1847) based on Murex nebula Montagu, 1803. The (teleoconch-protoconch features, radula morphology, etc.). precise identification of the latter is unclear and a more In addition, factors related to convergence and homoplasy detailed analysis of this taxon is deemed necessary in order have rendered shell characters a much less reliable tool in to avoid erroneous assignments to the genus (Mariottini conoidean taxonomy than was formerly assumed (e.g., et al., 2009). Indeed, since its establishment, Bela has Bouchet & Sysoev, 2001). This has led to contradictory often been used as a ‘wastebasket taxon’ for a vast array classifications and unsatisfactory consensus among the of unrelated eastern Atlantic-Mediterranean Cenozoic scientific community (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005; Garilli & turrids s.l. (see Powell, 1966). Hence, the numerous fossil Galletti, 2007; Figueira & Absalão, 2010 among others). and Recent species assigned to Bela require thorough A new and hopefully more stable classification of the revision. Among the hundreds of species documented as Conoidea has been outlined (Bouchet et al., 2011) based belonging to Bela (see Tucker, 2004), the World Register on recent molecular phylogenetic analyses (Puillandre et of Marine Species (http://www.marinespecies.org), al., 2008, 2011) and their relatively high congruence with estimated that approximately 28 can be stated as being a comprehensive anatomical classification of hard (e.g., Recent representatives, and Tucker (2004) reported only protoconch), and soft tissues (see Taylor et al., 1993). 44 as being valid Cenozoic fossil species. ISSN 0375-7633 doi:10.4435/BSPI.2013.01 ii Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana, 52 (3), 2013 In the present study research has been focused on a definition of Bela, the authors follow Mariottini et al. number of shells that preserve an original combination (2009) and include only species morphologically similar of features that, as far as the authors are aware, have to Bela zonata (Locard, 1891) within the genus. As for not been recognized to date in other mangeliids. Bela other representatives currently placed within this genus pseudoappeliusi is described herein as a new species for (such as Bela appeliusi), attribution to Bela (s.l.) pending the Plio-Pleistocene of Italy and is compared with the future revision has been adopted herein. closely related mangeliid, Bela (s.l.) appeliusi (Bellardi). This paper forms part of a series of contributions on the taxonomy and biodiversity of fossil conoideans from the Bela pseudoappeliusi n. sp. Plio-Pleistocene of the Mediterranean Basin (Scarponi & (Fig. 1a-c; Fig. 2a-c; Appendix I) Della Bella, 2004, 2010; Ceregato et al., 2006; Della Bella & Scarponi, 2007; Garilli & Galletti, 2007; Mariottini 1997 Mangelia appeliusi Bellardi - CHIRLI, p. 62, Pl. 17, fig. 17; Pl. et al., 2009; Spada & Della Bella, 2010; Scarponi et al., 18, figs 1-2. 2011a, b among others). Etymology - After the Greek pseudo (false) and the word appeliusi (dedicated to Appelius), referring to the MATERIALS AND METHODS comparative species Bela (s.l.) appeliusi (Bellardi, 1877). The material examined in the present study consists Type material - In total 11 specimens: Holotype of twenty specimens that have been ascertained herein as (MGGC-23470), and four paratypes (MGGC-23471 to belonging to Bela (s.l.) appeliusi and forty-three specimens -23474), from the Terre Rosse locality (Siena Basin; that have been attributed to Bela pseudoappeliusi n. sp. Pliocene sands of the S. Vivaldo Formation); three In order to better evaluate the variability of the latter and paratypes (MGGC-23475 to -23577), from Montelibretti to compare quantitatively the morphologic variations (Roma); two paratypes (MGGC-23478 to -23579), from between the two taxa, a batch of eleven specimens for Morrona (Terricciola, Pisa); one paratype (MGGC- each species was retained sufficient. Hence, a range of 23480), from Montopoli in Val d’Arno (Pisa). shell characters were carefully measured both on the holotype as well as on ten randomly selected shells for Additional material - Thirty-two specimens housed each species (see Appendixes I-II and Tab. 1). However, within the collections of the MGGC (inventory number it should be noted that both juvenile shells (teleoconch < MGGC-23482), even though attributed to the new species, 2.5 whorls) and excessively damaged shells were excluded are not considered as belonging to the type series (see (i.e., seven and 20 respectively) from the original batch provision 72.4.6 of International Code of Zoological of specimens prior to the selection process (see above). Nomenclature, 1999). The material includes: three shells Consequently, the description of the new species is based from Villalvernia (Alessandria); one shell from Vignola on five shells collected from the Terre Rosse outcrop (Modena); 15 shells from Terre Rosse (Siena); eight shells (Siena Basin, Italy) and six shells from localities in from Montelibretti (Roma), two shells from Morrona and Latium and Tuscany (Appendix I). All the studied material three shells from San Pietro quarry (Siena). is housed in the Museo Geologico Giovanni Capellini (MGGC) in Bologna, except for the holotype of B. (s.l.) Type locality - Terre Rosse (lat. 43°19’51’’N; long. appeliusi, housed in the Bellardi-Sacco (BS) collection in 11°35’11’’E, geographic coordinate on the World Geodetic the Museo di Scienze Naturali (Torino, Italy). System of 1984 [WGS84]), Castelnuovo Berardenga (Siena, Italy). Type material described herein is from the