The Pyramidellidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from the Miocene Cantaure Formation of Venezuela

The Pyramidellidae Gray, 1840 present in the upper Burdigalian-lower Langhian, Lower-Middle Miocene, Cantaure Formation assemblage of Venezuela is described and discussed. Twenty-one species are recognised: 13 are described as new: Brachystomia cantaurana nov. sp., Goniodostomia bicarinata nov. sp., Iolaea miocenica nov. sp., Chrysallida cantaurana nov. sp., Kleinella pumila nov. sp., Parthenina martae nov. sp., Ividella guppyi nov. sp., Chemnitzia macsotayi nov. sp., Turbonilla paraguanensis nov. sp., Pyrgiscus caribbaeus nov. sp., Pyrgiscus silvai nov. sp., Eulimella dianeae nov. sp. and Iselica belliata nov. sp., three are left in open nomenclature. The state of knowledge of tropical American Neogene pyramidellids is rudimentary, but the assemblage is fairly typical at generic level to that of the tropical American Neogene today, with some species suggesting closer affinities with tropical American Pacific taxa.