PROBLEMATIC TAXA FROM MOROCCO - THE STATUS OF HELIX-ARGONAUTULA WEBB AND BERTHELOT, 1833, HELIX-RENATI DAUTZENBERG, 1894 AND XEROLEUCA ANTOINEI PALLARY, 1936

''Helix'' argonautula (Webb & Berthelot, 1833) has been reported from both Canary Islands and Morocco but the systematic position of this ta xa and it's affinity to the Madeiran Geomitrinae (sensu Mandahl-Barth 1950) is unclear. Examination of shell material from Morocco and Canar y Islands have revealed two distinct and differing species, hence the taxonomic status is reviewed. Although most authors attribute the init ial use of the name ''Helix'' argonautula to the species on the Canari es, the type specimens (from Terver) are identical to the Moroccan spe cies, hence the Moroccan taxon should take the name argonautula. The s pecies present on the Canary Islands is not Helix argonautula, and a n ew species name is given and a lectotype designated from Wollaston mat erial in the Melvill-Tomlin Collection. Helix renati Dautzenberg, 1894 has a similar shell form to moroccan shells of ''Helix'' argonautula. Given that it is possible to have very similar shells for anatomicall y different animals both names are maintained until anatomical revisio n is possible. In addition there is a third species with similar shell characters, Xeroleuca antoinei, described by Pallary from this region . Examination of genital anatomy suggests that this species should be placed in the genus Helicella, and the ecology and distribution of thi s species is described.