Zoological Studies

Vol. 47 No. 6, 2008

A New Meghimatium Slug (Pulmonata: Philomycidae) from Taiwan

Chi-Li Tsai1,2,* and Shi-Kuei Wu1,3

1Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute, Jiji, Nantou County 552, Taiwan
2Department of Life Sciences, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
3University of Colorado Museum, Boulder, CO 80309, USA

Chi-Li Tsai and Shi-Kuei Wu (2008) Meghimatium burchi sp. nov. is described based on its small size (12-16.5 mm in body length), and its genitalia with a uniquely expanded proximal end of the vas deferens.  DNA sequence analysis within the family Philomycidae indicated that M. burchi belongs to the Taiwanese clade.  Specimens of this new species were collected from the watershed of Koan-Tau Mt. of Huei-Sun Agriculture Farm in Taiwan's Central Mountain Range.  The holotype is deposited at the National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan (catalog no. NMNS-4609-001).

Key words: Philomycidae, Meghimatium, New species, Morphology, Molecular analyses.

*Correspondence: Tel: 886-49-2761331.  E-mail:tcl@tesri.gov.tw