Leucogeorgia satunini ( Lohmander, 1936 ) Antić & Reip, 2020

Antić, Dragan Ž. & Reip, Hans S., 2020, The millipede genus Leucogeorgia Verhoeff, 1930 in the Caucasus, with descriptions of eleven new species, erection of a new monotypic genus and notes on the tribe Leucogeorgiini (Diplopoda: Julida: Julidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 713, pp. 1-106 : 25-28

Leucogeorgia satunini ( Lohmander, 1936) comb. nov.

Figs 2D , 14–15 , 56–57

Archileucogeorgia satunini Lohmander, 1936: 95 .

Diagnosis

This species belongs to the group of Leucogeorgia spp. without modified mouthparts and with teeth on the mesomeral claw (vs their absence in L. golovatchi sp. nov., L. lobata sp. nov. and L. prometheus sp. nov.). Leucogeorgia satunini differs from L. abchasica by having a mesomeral lamella of the same height all along and the presence of a posterior rise (vs height of the mesomeral lamella gradually decreasing caudad, also lacking a posterior rise in L. abchasica ), and by having a rounded ventral margin of male body ring 7 without strong teeth in ventral view (vs subtriangular ventral margin of male body ring 7 with strong teeth in ventral view in L. abchasica ). Leucogeorgia satunini differs from both L. borealis sp. nov. and L. oculata sp. nov. by having an elongate and erect mesomeral claw (vs stout in L. borealis sp. nov. and L. oculata sp. nov.). Leucogeorgia satunini differs from L. gioi sp. nov. by having a more robust and strongly denticulate mesomeral claw (vs mesomeral claw being more slender and with just a few teeth in L. gioi sp. nov.) and a not too strongly denticulate mesomeral lamella (vs mesomeral lamella strongly denticulate in L. gioi sp. nov.). From L. oculata sp. nov., L. satunini in addition differs by the absence of both pigmenation and ommatidia (vs a pigmented body and ommatidia present in L. oculata sp. nov.). Besides all this, L. satunini differs from all of the previously mentioned species by the presence of longer midbody metazonal setae, these being ca 10% of vertical diameter of rings (vs either midbody metazonal setae 5–6 % of vertical diameter of rings in L. abchasica , L. borealis sp. nov. and L. gioi sp. nov. or metazonal setae completely absent in L. oculata sp. nov.).

Material examined

ABKHAZIA – Gulripsh District • 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, 8 juvs; Tsebeldinsky karst Massif, near Nizhniy Kyalasur village, Kelasurskaya Cave , depth - 95 m; 43.02° N, 41.14° E; 3 Sep. 2014; I.S. Turbanov leg.; ZMUM .

Redescription

SIZE AND NUMBER OF BODY RINGS. Male 17 mm long, vertical diameter of largest body ring 1 mm, body with 43 podous rings + 1 apodous ring + telson. Females 14–16.5 mm long, vertical diameter of largest body ring 0.95–1.2 mm, body with 38–40 podous rings + 1–2 apodous rings + telson.

COLOUR ( Fig. 14 ). Yellowish white in alcohol.

HEAD ( Figs 14B , 15A ). Without ommatidia. Frontal setae absent. Labrum with three labral teeth, four supralabral setae and 14 labral setae. Gnathochilarium with rhomboid promentum. Lamellae linguales with 4+4 setae, stipites with 3+3 distolateral and 5+4 medial setae. Antennae 1.5 mm long in male, their length 150% of vertical diameter of largest body ring. Lengths of antennomeres I–VIII (in mm): 0.08 (I), 0.34 (II), 0.27 (III), 0.24 (IV), 0.28 (V), 0.17 (VI), 0.1 (VII) and 0.02 (VIII). Length/width ratio of antennomeres I–VII: 0.8 (I), 3.4 (II), 2.5 (III), 2 (IV), 2.1 (V), 1.1 (VI) and 1 (VII). Antennomeres V and VI each with a terminal corolla of large sensilla basiconica bacilliformia; antennomere VII with a terminal corolla of small sensilla basiconica bacilliformia.

BODY RINGS ( Fig. 14C ). Entire metazonal area with longitudinal striations. Metazonal setae relatively long, length of midbody setae ca 10% of vertical diameter of rings.

TELSON ( Fig. 14F ). Epiproct with a very short and blunt preanal process, covered with dorsal and lateral setae. Paraprocts rounded, with numerous setae. Hypoproct without any modifications.

LEGS IN MALES. First pair of legs lost during SEM manipulations. Postfemoral and tibial ventral pads well developed on anterior legs, then gradually disappearing towards posterior legs.

VENTRAL MARGIN OF MALE BODY RING 7 ( Fig. 14 D–E). Well-developed, rounded in lateral view, without strong teeth in ventral view.

PENES. Not examined.

GONOPODS ( Figs 2D , 15 B–D). Promere (p) long and slender, slightly wider in central part, with a flagellum (f); apical part spatulate, with denticulate margins; basal half with two developed ridges. Mesomere (m) with a well-developed and denticulate mesomeral claw (mc); mesomeral lamella of same height as entire length, with a posterior rise, distal margin smooth, posterior part finely fimbriate. Opisthomere (o) bipartite. Anterior branch of o with a solenomere (s) with a medium-sized tip, and a well-developed and fimbriate velum (v). Posterior branch of o in form of a shield-like protective lamella (pl). Mesomere and opisthomere connected basally with an accessory membrane (am).

Type locality

Canyon of the Kelasuri River, Sukhum and Gulripsh districts, Abkhazia.

Distribution

Known only from three localities in Sukhum and Gulripsh districts ( Fig. 57 , black triangle).

Remarks

In the Kelasurskaya Cave, this species lives together with L. abchasica and an unidentified Leucogeorgia with modified mouthparts.

Figures

Fig. 2. Gonopods, mesal view. A. Leucogeorgia lobata sp. nov., right gonopods, paratype ♂ from Kalitshona Cave (ZMUM). B. L. longipes Verhoeff, 1930, right gonopods, ♂ from Dolabistavi Cave (SMNG). C. L. prometheus sp. nov., left gonopods, non-type ♂ from Sataplia II Cave (ZMUM). D. L. satunini (Lohmander, 1936) comb. nov., right gonopods, ♂ from Kelasurskaya Cave (ZMUM). Abbreviations: am = accessory membrane; f = flagellum; l = lobe; m = mesomere; mc = mesomeral claw; ml = mesomeral lamella; o = opisthomere; p = promere; pl = protective lamella; s = solenomere; v = velum.

Fig. 14. Leucogeorgia satunini (Lohmander, 1936) comb. nov., ♀ and ♂ from Kelasurskaya Cave (ZMUM). A. ♀, habitus, lateral view. B. ♀, anterior part of body, lateral view. C. ♂, midbody rings, lateral view. D. ♂, body ring 7, lateral view. E. ♂, body ring 7, ventral view. F. ♂, posterior part of body, lateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Fig. 15. Leucogeorgia satunini (Lohmander, 1936) comb. nov., ♂ from Kelasurskaya Cave (ZMUM). A. Head, ventral view. B. Right gonopods, mesal view. C. Left gonopods, mesal view. D. Left gonopods, lateral view. Abbreviations: am = accessory membrane; f = flagellum; m = mesomere; mc = mesomeral claw; ml = mesomeral lamella; o = opisthomere; p = promere; pl = protective lamella; s = solenomere; v = velum. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Fig. 56. General distribution of the Caucasian leucogeorgiinines. The white dashed line hypothetically indicates the boundary between the northwestern and southeastern groups of species of the genus Leucogeorgia Verhoeff, 1930.

Fig. 57. Distribution of the northwestern group of the genus Leucogeorgia Verhoeff, 1930.