Probata, SARASUA, 1989

Fedosov, Alexander, Puillandre, Nicolas, Herrmann, Manfred, Kantor, Yuri, Oliverio, Marco, Dgebuadze, Polina, Modica, Maria Vittoria & Bouchet, Philippe, 2018, The collapse of Mitra: molecular systematics and morphology of the Mitridae (Gastropoda: Neogastropoda), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 183, pp. 253-337 : 324-325

GENUS PROBATA SARASÚA, 1989

( FIGS 38E, 40E, F)

Type species: Mitra espinosai Sarasúa, 1978 ; OD. Diagnosis: Shell small to medium sized (15–45 mm), broadly fusiform, light brown, sometimes with occasional white flakes. Protoconch white, pointed, of about 2.5 smooth glossy whorls. Suture distinct, impressed. Teleoconch whorls slightly convex, sculptured with fine, low, evenly interspaced spiral cords. Siphonal canal stout, tapering, siphonal notch shallow. Aperture elongate, outer lip convex, thickened adapically. Inner apertural lip with five fine columellar folds, weakening gradually towards siphonal canal. Radula triserial, rachidian narrow, with eight pointed cusps, two medial longest, those situated laterally becoming gradually weaker. Laterals with 15+ cusps, strong and long compared to length of tooth base.

Species included: Probata barbadensis (Gmelin, 1791) 1 comb. nov., P. espinosai (Sarasúa, 1978) 3.

Remarks: Mitra espinosai , the type species of Probata , has been considered a junior synonym of Mitra barbadensis by Cernohorsky (1991). Indeed, the immature holotype of the former very much resembles M. barbadensis and, even if not conspecific, they are definitely closely related. Thus, we tentatively allocate the name Probata to the M. barbadensis clade. The affinities of Probata remain unclear and obviously need further studies. In terms of sculpture pattern, typical Atrimitra , as typified by Mitra idae , resembles Probata ; however, the latter differs notably in shell proportions and number of columellar folds. The overall plesiomorphic radula of P. barbadensis ( Fig. 38F) resembles the radula of many other lineages of Mitridae and gives no clue as to where the genus should be assigned.