A new species of Oxychilus from the Ligurian Apennines (Italy) (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Zonitidae)

A new species of Oxychilus Fitzinger from the Ligurian Apennines (Italy) is described. The new species is particularly characterized by its penial complex which has a very slender proximal penis with variable inner sculpture and a widened distal penis. The proximal penis inner structure consists of a series of longitudinal pleats which may often be crenulated, undulated or fragmented to form rows of papillae, providing new evidence to support the opinion that this is not a valid diagnostic character for separating Oxychilus into the nominal subgenus and Ortizius Forcart. Consequently Ortizius is herein proposed as a junior synonym of Oxychilus s. str. © 1991 The Malacological Society of London.