Electrocambala cretacea, Moritz & Wesener, 2021

Moritz, Leif & Wesener, Thomas, 2021, Electrocambalidae fam. nov., a new family of Cambalidea from Cretaceous Burmese amber (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida), European Journal of Taxonomy 755 (1), pp. 22-46 : 30-32

Electrocambala cretacea gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:83055E50-E37B-4253-8C8D-F14B0A749304

Fig. 3

Diagnosis

Electrocambala cretacea gen. et sp. nov. differs from Electrocambala ornata gen. et sp. nov. by the presence of at least two lateral ridges on the body rings ( Fig. 3C ), a prozonite without net-like ornamentation and a collum without lateral striae. Ommatidia arranged in rows ( Fig. 3E ). Male gonopods unknown.

Etymology

ʻ Cretacea ʼ in reference to the Cretaceous, the geological period to which the Burmese amber deposits are dated. Noun in apposition with a free ending.

Type material

Holotype MYANMAR • ♀; Kachin State, Hukawng Valley, Mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber inclusion; formerly in the collection of Patrick Müller ( BuB1142 ); ZFMK-MYR7370 .

Description

HABITUS. 55 + 3 body rings; body cylindrical, slender, up to at least 17.9 mm long, 0.6 mm in diameter. Colour brown to greyish ( Fig. 3B ).

HEAD.As wide as collum and body rings 6 onwards, wider than body rings 2–5 ( Fig. 3C ). Head and labrum with setae. 31/? ommatidia (left side obscured) arranged in 6 rows, posterior 4 rows with 6 ommatidia, row 5 (counted from posterior) with 5, anterior row with 4 ommatidia. Incisura lateralis present, closed ( Fig. 3E ). Antennae reaching to body ring 5, with 7 antennomeres, covered by setae, 6 = 4> 3> 5> 2> 1> 7, with 4 sensory cones ( Fig. 3F ).

TRUNK. Collum slightly curved, covering posterior margin of head. Collum laterally without striae ( Fig. 3C, F ). Body rings totally fused from body ring 5 onwards, anterior four body rings with sternite free from pleuro-tergite. Metazonites from body ring 6 onwards distinctly arched and wider than prozonite ( Fig. 3C ). Body rings with several longitudinal ridges. Metazonites ventrally with at least 5 longitudinal striae, posterior margin with 1 or 2 rows of setae ( Fig. 3E ), ozopores start lateral from body ring 6.

LEGS. Body ring 4 legless, from body ring 5 onwards 2 leg pairs per body ring. Midbody legs with coxa, prefemur, femur, postfemur, tibia, tarsus. Podomeres with few setae. Tarsus> femur> postfemur = prefemur> tibia> coxa. Tarsus with tarsal claw and accessory spine (only visible on well preserved legs separated from body, other legs partly decomposed). Podomeres with setae ( Fig. 3G ). 1 st and 2 nd leg pair shorter and stouter than midbody legs ( Fig. 3G ).

POSTERIOR BODY RINGS. Preanal ring without epiproct projecting, with marginal setae. Subanal scale not projecting over anal valve. Posterior body rings and anal valves covered by fungi ( Fig. 3D ).

MALE. Unknown.

Measurements and taphonomy

MEASUREMENTS. 17.9 mm long, 0.6 mm in diameter.

AMBER DESCRIPTION.Amber flat, oval-shaped, polished, 48.3 × 29.5 × 7.4 mm, yellow, reddish transparent ( Fig. 3A ).

SYNINCLUSIONS. Same as in ZFMK-MYR7370 ( Electrocambala ornata gen. et sp. nov.).

TAPHONOMIC FEATURES. From body ring 8 onwards body rings and anal valves partially covered by white, filamentous substance. Only right side of anterior body visible, left side obscured by leaf, several legs detached, next to body ( Fig. 3B ).

Figures

Fig. 3. Electrocambala cretacea gen. et sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (ZFMK-MYR7370). A. Amber piece, photograph. B. Habitus, lateral view, photograph. C. Head and anterior body rings, lateral view, photograph. D. Telson and posterior body rings, lateral view, photograph. E. Head and anterior body rings, lateral view, drawing. F. Antenna, drawing. G. Midbody leg, drawing. Abbreviations: 57 = body ring 57; as = apical spine; at = antennae; av = anal valve; cl = claw; co = collum; cx = coxa; il = incisura lateralis; L = leg; la = labrum; md = mandible; om = ommatidia; ta = tarsus; te = telson.