A New Turkish Species and Association of Distribution with Habitat in the Genus Vitrea (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Pristilomatidae)

Abstract

Vitrea politissima n. sp. is described from south-western Turkey (Isparta Vilayet, Uluborlu). Shell characters suggest that the new species is closely related to other species that have a large shell and wide umbilicus such as Vitrea ernesti, V. ephesina, V. klemmi and V. sossellai. Our analysis of biogeography in the genus based on literature indicates that rockassociated species are frequently confined to small areas, whereas relatively widely distributed species are not associated with habitats on or under rocks. This cannot be explained by limited availability of rock habitats in small areas and instead suggests that the distribution ranges of rock-associated species may be limited by their small dispersal rates relative to those of other congeneric species. This study demonstrates that advancements in systematics and in faunal and ecological surveys provide an opportunity to gain useful insights into the pattern and process of biogeography.