A new problematical Hygromiidae from the Aeolian Islands (Pulmonata: Hygromiidae)

Helicotricha n. gen. is proposed for a very small hygromiid from the Aeolian Islands, Italy: H. carusoi n. sp. The new species has a shell with persistent postembrional hairs and is characterized anatomically by: a right ommatophore retractor independent of the genitalia; a penial nerve originating from the right cerebral ganglion; a vaginal complex with digitiform glands and dart-sac complex consisting of two couples of stylophores disposed on opposite sides of the vagina (each couple is formed by a larger dart-bearing outer stylophore and a smaller dartless inner stylophore); and a penial complex with a very peculiar penial papilla. Direct anatomical comparison of the new genus with other genera of the Hygromiidae suggested that it may be very closely related to Microxeromagna. This hypothesis was subsequently found to be supported by the results of cladistic analysis. New evidence is thus provided to confirm that the distinction between the Hygromiinae and the Trichiinae is artificial. A neotype is designated for Helix aetnea Benoit, 1857, a junior synonym of Xerotricha conspurcata (Draparnaud, 1801), and the presence of Helicopsis (s. str.) in western North Africa is confirmed.