Gypsobia cretacea Tausch 1886

Gypsobia cretacea Tausch, 1886 Figs 6A–F Gypsobia cretacea Tausch, 1886: 13, pl. 2, figs 3a, b, 4a, b, 5a, b. Gypsobia cretacea,— Oppenheim, 1892: 776. Gypsobia cretacea Tausch,—Wenz, 1939: 559, textfig. 1503. Types examined: 1 shell in matrix, lectotype, hereby designated (fig. 3 in Tausch 1886, pl. 2), IPUW 710021710; 2 shells (figs 4 and 5 in Tausch 1886, pl. 2), both in matrix, paralectotypes, IPUW 710021709. Diagnosis (based on the lectotype): Shell height ca. 8 mm, shell conical (mean spiral angle: 26°) with ca. 10 slowly growing whorls with low-convex profile; suture shallow. Shell surface glossy, with very fine spiral striation and irregular growth lines. Last whorl comparatively small, attaining c. 45% of total shell height (including aperture). Aperture oval-triangular, elongated, with palatal lip strongly protruding in direction of growth, and basal lip somewhat everted, comparable to a beaker’s flared spout. Remarks: We probably found all three specimens figured by Tausch (1886), but only two shells depicted by him can be attributed with certainty. The specimen figured by him on pl. 2, fig. 3 shows a complete shell with fractures on the last four whorls. Especially the fractures on last and penultimate whorls can be clearly traced on specimen IPUW 710021710 (Fig. 6A, B). Similarly, the specimen figured on pl. 2, fig. 5 shows irregular growth stops on the last four whorls, which are visible in one of the paralectotypes (IPUW 710021709, Fig. 6C, E, F). Only, the artist reconstructed parts of the aperture, which is however not present in the material. The specimen illustrated by Tausch on pl. 2, fig. 4 shows a complete shell with fractures on the last four whorls, but these features cannot be observed on the third specimen in IPUW collection (IPUW 710021709, Fig. 6D). Finally, because of the poor state of preservation, it cannot be decided with certainty whether the three specimens are conspecific. To avoid future confusion as to the species’ identity, we herein designate the specimen of pl. 2, fig. 3 as the lectotype. This species was not found by Bandel and Riedel (1994). Besides the type species from Ajka, another species has been included in this genus: Gypsobia sinensis Gu, 1989 from the Taizhou Formation (Campanian to Paleocene) from Hai’an, north Jiangsu, China (Gu & Wang 1989). That species has a high conical shell with a deep suture, lacking any diagnostic traits necessary for reliable classification. Therefore, a close relationship with Gypsobia cretacea is highly questionable.