Conus (Kalloconus) neumayri Hoernes & Auinger, 1879

(Figs 13, 14, 15; Table 6)

Conus (Lithoconus) neumayri Hoernes & Auinger, 1879: 27, pl. 1, figs 17-18;

Conus (Lithoconus) neumayri – Hoernes 1878: 195, nomen nudum.

Monteiroconus daciae – Landau et al. 2013: pl. 81, fig. 6.

Monteiroconus mercatii – Landau et al. 2013: pl. 81, fig. 8.

Kalloconus neumayri – Harzhauser & Landau 2016: 64-65, tables 1, 2, figs 3O, 11C 1 -C 3, 11D 1 -D 2, 11E 1 -E 2, 11F 1 -F 2

–0.20

Component 1

TYPE MATERIAL. — One syntype NHMW 1999Z0077/0027 (figured specimen of Hoernes & Auinger 1879: pl. 1, fig. 17) and three other syntypes NHMW 1854/0035/0056 (including the figured specimen of Hoernes & Auinger (1879: pl. 1, fig 18). TYPE LOCALITY. — Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), middle Miocene ( Langhian). STRATIGRAPHIC RANGE. — Langhian of Paratethys ( Vienna Basin, Transylvanian Basin [ Harzhauser & Landau 2016]), Serravallian of Turkey ( Karaman Basin [ Landau et al. 2013]), Tortonian of Greece ( Ierapetra and Messara Basins, Crete). MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Greece. Filippi: Six specimens AMPG (IV) 2644-2649; Makrilia: two specimens MNHN.F. A72602, MNHN.F. A72603; Crete: two specimens MNHN.F. A72604, MNHN.F. A72605. All of them display colour patterns under UV light .

DESCRIPTION OF COLOUR PATTERN

The colour pattern consists of one layer displaying very large, polygonal-like, rectangular blotches, restricted axially and spirally (see axial fluorescent and non-fluorescent boundary, Fig. 15). Not all blotches are rectangular. Some have sharp, not straight disruptions, while others fade randomly to the non-fluorescent base colour. On large specimens (seeFig. 15), some blotches tend to faintly connect with each other with faintly fluorescent areas between blotches (see unclear spiral interactions, Fig. 15). The pattern is continuous from the anterior part of the last whorl to the spire (Fig. 13A 6). Blotches might be narrow, separated by two non-fluorescent spiral bands, thus creating dash-like rows of blotches.

REMARKS

This species is not common in Crete (Table 12), but is very easily recognizable under UV light. The colour pattern of large rectangular blotches is characteristic of the species. Moreover, the interactions between the blotches and the dash-like patterns are also characters of this species (Figs 13, 15; see also Harzhauser & Landau 2016: fig. 11E1, F1). The Greek specimens differ morphologically from the Paratethyan ones in the strongly asymmetrical subsutural flexure (Table 6; moderately asymmetrical on Harzhauser & Landau 2016), but we consider that this difference could result from a local variation.

Landau et al. (2013), in our opinion, misjudged the more extreme Conus (Kalloconus) neumayri pattern (e.g., Fig. 14). They consider this extreme pattern as that of Conus (Monteiroconus) daciae from the Karaman Basin, Turkey (see Landau et al. 2013: pl. 81, fig. 6a, b). The colour pattern described therein is identical with the pattern of Conus (Kalloconus) neumayri . Unfortunately, their assumption was not fixed in Harzhauser & Landau (2016), since they assumed that Conus (Kalloconus) neumayri shows no signs of dots or dashes, but bears only large rectangular blotches. Herein we show that this is not the case, because interactions between the blotches and dash-like patterns between blotches, are present in the colour pattern spectrum of this species (Figs 13, 15). We believe the specimen of Landau et al. (2013: pl. 81, fig. 6a, b) is Conus (Kalloconus) neumayri . Therefore, the pattern assigned to Conus (Monteiroconus) daciae (Harzhauser & Landau 2016) is not correct and is herein considered as undescribed.

Harzhauser & Landau (2016) rejected the synonymy of this species with Conus (Monteiroconus) berghausi Michelotti, 1847, as Hall (1966) and Bałuk (1997) proposed. We agree that the shell morphology and colour patterns are different and are indicators of two species. Conus (Monteiroconus) berghausi dots are small compared to the blotches of Conus (Kalloconus) neumayri . Furthermore, morphologically, Conus (Kalloconus) neumayri is more elongate, with slightly striated spire whorls and a rounder shoulder.