Taiwaneuma ramuligerum, Mikhaljova, Elena V., Golovatch, Sergei I. & Chang, Hsueh-Wen, 2011

Mikhaljova, Elena V., Golovatch, Sergei I. & Chang, Hsueh-Wen, 2011, The millipede family Niponiosomatidae new to the fauna of Taiwan, with descriptions of a new genus and two new species (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida), Zootaxa 2980, pp. 49-60 : 55-58

Taiwaneuma ramuligerum sp. nov.

Figs 19–31

Material examined. Holotype: male ( NMNS 6639–001), Taiwan, Taichung County, Mt Da-Shue-Shan, SE slope of Mt Shaolai Shan, 24°13.734’N, 120°58.738’E, ca 2000 m, primary broad-leaved forest, 24.X.2009, leg. L. Dányi & E. Lazányi; Paratypes: 1 female ( NMNS 6639–002), 2 females ( HNHM, T09–59), same locality, together with holotype, 24.X.2009, leg. L. Dányi & E. Lazányi.

Diagnosis. Differs from T. crinitum sp. nov., the only other congener, by the nearly 5 times shorter, subequal flagella of the anterior gonopod colpocoxite supplied with a small, dendroid, intercalary branch, as well as in the structure of male leg pair 9.

Description. Male. Length 6.5 mm, width with paraterga about 0.7 mm. Coloration in alcohol brown with a broad, beige, axial stripe. Paraterga with light spots around macrochaetae. Collum with two large spots resembling eyes. Venter and two segments immediately in front of telson beige. Legs pale beige with marbled brown distal parts. Ocellaria black. Antennae marbled brown. Head marbled light brown with a light anterior portion.

Body with 28 segments. Paraterga small, rounded. Head excluding vertex setose. Ocellaria as in T. crinitum . Antennae as in T. crinitum , except for a corolla of short strong setae on antennomere 6.

Collum oval. Metatergal macrochaetae short and clavate, tegument deeply alveolate with uneven and curved edges, as well as with longitudinal, low and short crests scattered all over ( Figs 19, 20 ). One legless body segment in front of telson, all setae on the latter pointed. Spinnerets devoid of apical setae (apparently, broken off), rod-like.

Legs as in T. crinitum . Tarsal papillae absent. Claws normal, with neither additional dorsal claws nor distinct ventral setiform filaments. Only claws of leg pairs 1 and 2 each with a ventral, short, setoid filament. Pregonopodal legs normal, neither enlarged nor otherwise modified. Vas deferens as in T. crinitum , except for the presence of a cup-shaped structure. Leg pair 7 normal. Leg pairs 10 and 11 with coxal glands. Each coxa 10 with a ventral, bifurcate, curved, cylindrical process ( Figs 23, 24 ). Coxae 11 without modifications. Prefemora 10 and 11 swollen ventrally.

Gonopods mostly exposed (likely only an individual variation due to a different fixation condition in alcohol). Angiocoxite part in front view ( Figs 21, 22 , 25 ) with fused mesal angiocoxites (ma) bearing an axial crest at midway and being setose at a swollen base. Distal part of fused mesal angiocoxites with two lateral lobes (lp), both beset with setae laterally, divided fringe-like apically into outgrowths (ou). Each lateral angiocoxite (la) in front view ( Figs 21 , 25 ) alveolate at base, carrying longitudinally arranged setae and a subtransverse crest (r), the latter showing a small, caudally directed, apically setose process (р) ( Fig. 26 ). Each la with a large, distomesal, somewhat helicoid lobe (pl) supplied with a fringed apex, as well as a small, evidently fringed lobe (ml) ( Figs 21 , 25, 27 ). Lateral angiocoxites in caudal view ( Fig. 27 ) with a median linguiform outgrowth in distal part (k), this outgrowth also serving as a site of la fusion.

Colpocoxite part ( Figs 28–30 ) with three pairs of flagella (А, В, С) and a soft structure (s) in the form of a long, slender, coniform sac with an elongate, finely hairy, distal part. Flagella curved and located somewhat behind and lateral to s. Flagella A very finely setose distally, whereas B rugulose posteriorly in middle part. Flagella C longest. A small, dendroid, distally bifurcate branch between А and В.

Legs 9 ( Fig. 31 ) with 2-segmented telopodites strongly setose mesally. Terminal segment attenuating toward tip. Coxite also with long mesal setae, basalmost of which strongest.

Female. Length about 6.5 mm, width with paraterga about 0.7 mm. Body with 28 segments. Leg pair 2 normal. Other nonsexual characters as in male.

Name. The specific epithet refers to the small, dendroid, distally bifurcate branch lying between flagella A and B of the anterior gonopod colpocoxite.

Figures

FIGURES 19 – 22. Taiwaneuma ramuligerum sp. nov., male holotype. 19, midbody segments, dorsal view; 20, fragment of metatergal surface; 21, angiocoxites of anterior gonopods, front view; 22, distal part of angiocoxites of anterior gonopods, front view; ma, mesal angiocoxites; lp, lateral lobe of mesal angiocoxites of anterior gonopods; ou, apical outgrowths of lateral lobe of mesal angiocoxites of anterior gonopods; la, lateral angiocoxite of anterior gonopods; pl, large mesal lobe of lateral angiocoxites of anterior gonopods; r, subtransverse crest of lateral angiocoxites of anterior gonopods; p, laterocaudal process of lateral angiocoxites of anterior gonopods; k, linguiform process of lateral angiocoxites of anterior gonopods; ml, small mesal lobe of lateral angiocoxites of anterior gonopods.

FIGURES 23 – 31. Taiwaneuma ramuligerum sp. nov., 23, coxa 10, 24, coxa 10, view (coxal outgrowth concealed by an everted coxal gland); 25, angiocoxites of anterior gonopods, front view; 26, lateral angiocoxite of anterior gonopods, lateral view, distal lobes omitted; 27, angiocoxites of anterior gonopods, caudal view; 28, colpocoxite part of anterior gonopods, caudal view; 29, colpocoxite part of anterior gonopods, right lateral view, slightly skewed behind; 30, colpocoxite part of anterior gonopods, left lateral view; 31, leg pair 9; ma, mesal angiocoxites; lp, lateral lobe of mesal angiocoxites of anterior gonopods; ou, apical outgrowths of lateral lobe of mesal angiocoxites of anterior gonopods; la, lateral angiocoxite of anterior gonopods; pl, large mesal lobe of lateral angiocoxites of anterior gonopods; r, transverse ridge of lateral angiocoxites of anterior gonopods; p, laterocaudal process of lateral angiocoxites of anterior gonopods; k, linguiform process of lateral angiocoxites of anterior gonopods; ml, small mesal lobe of lateral angiocoxites of anterior gonopods; А, В, С, flagella of colpocoxites of anterior gonopods; s, soft structure of colpocoxites of anterior gonopods. Scale bars in mm.