On the identity of Helix digna Mousson, 1872, and description of another extinct helicid from La Gomera, Canary Islands

The enigmatic Helix digna Mousson, 1872, one of the largest and most ornamental snails of the Canary Islands, was known only by a single fossil shell collected 120 years ago on the island of La Gomera. We report on the recent discovery of a new fossil population and discuss its systematic status within the genus Hemicycla. During our search for this forgotten species we discovered another extinct helicid species which is named described as Hemicycla migueli. It is compared to conchologically similar species from the same and other islands, such as H. gomerensis, H. consobrina from Tenerife, and H. granomalleata from La Palma. Twelve other species were found at the type locality of the new species, including the genus Leiostyla which was not known from La Gomera before.