Speciation in the desert: A new endemic Iberus land snail restricted to the southeastern Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

Arid habitats constitute harsh environments for hydrophilic animals such as land snails. Still, several land snail species appear to inhabit arid environments and such species present an array of adaptations needed to minimise water loss in dry habitats. However, different species may have found different solutions for the same problem. Here, we describe Iberus xerophilus sp. nov., a new species of arid-dwelling land snail from southeastern Spain, on the basis of phylogenetic analyses. Moreover, we show a detailed morphological description as well as a characterization of its habitat. A comparison with the shell morphology of other aridity resistant Iberus land snails casts the question of how this snail can succeed in such harsh arid environments. Southeastern Spain constitutes a hotspot for Iberus arid-dwelling species, displaying a plethora of shell morphologies. The description of this new species might contribute to our understanding of the evolution and diversification of land snails specifically adapted to drought and arid conditions.