Stemmiulus beroni Mauries , 1989

Fiemapong, Armand Richard Nzoko, Masse, Paul Serge Mbenoun, Tamesse, Joseph Lebel, Golovatch, Sergei Ilyich & VandenSpiegel, Didier, 2017, The millipede genus Stemmiulus Gervais, 1844 in Cameroon, with descriptions of three new species (Diplopoda, Stemmiulida, Stemmiulidae), ZooKeys 708, pp. 11-23 : 18-19

Stemmiulus beroni Mauries, 1989 Figure 4

New material.

1 ♂, 1 ♀ (MRAC 22732), 1 ♂ (SEM, MRAC 22733), Cameroon, South Region, Kribi, road toward Bipindi, Bidou I, cocoa plantation, disturbed vegetation near secondary forest; N3°03'25", E10°06'02" 80 m a.s.l. collect by hand 14.X.2014, all leg. A. Henrard and VandenSpiegel.

Description.

Adult males ca 13 mm in length, 1.5 mm in maximum diameter (height/width ratio ca 1.36), body with 43-44 rings; female with 46 rings, including 2 apodous (height/width ratio ca 1.15). Body light brown with 2-3 marbled spots lying symmetrical to mid-dorsal region which is covered by a large yellowish band all along its extent (Fig. 4A). Metazonites and dorsal margins of antennomeres darkish; legs and ventral parts of body yellowish.

Head typical in shape, beset with numerous simple macrosetae (Fig. 4B); ommatidia 2+2, posterior ommatidia ca 1.6 times larger than anterior ones, antennae long and densely setose. Body rings with oblique striations converging dorsad; prozonital groove weakly visible. Gnathochilarium concave, stipes densely and uniformly porose. Lingual lamellae subtrapezoidal with concave striations (Fig. 4C). Collum with a small fold at anterior edge. Body rings ovoid (height/width ratio of midbody rings ca 0.38), with transverse oblique striae better expressed at pleurotergal margin and converging anteriorly dorsad. Ozopores very small. Pygidium with 2+2 setigerous spinnerets.

First pair of male legs with short and globular coxae, telopoditomeres clothed with numerous plumose setae. First article of telopodite long and voluminous, nearly equal in length to all three other telopoditomeres combined, tarsal segment with a brush of setae on basal two-thirds of ventral surface.

Second pair of male legs relatively simple, with rounded coxae and 2-segmented telopodites, distal segment of the latter being relatively slender. Anterior side of proximal part of telopodite covered with long plumose setae (Fig. 4G, H).

Ventral surface of first six pairs 3 to 7 of male legs clothed with numerous plumose setae, tarsal segment with a fringe of setae in basal two-thirds of ventral surface but no true brush formed (Fig. 4D, E).

Legs 8 and following unmodified (Fig. 4F).

Gonopods (Fig. 4 J–M) relatively simple; angiocoxite subconical, forming distally a corolla covered with a field of numerous setae. Colpocoxite shorter than angiocoxite, folded leaf-shaped, encompassing the flagellum tip and ending in a finger-like apical structure.

Remark.

This species is new to the fauna of Cameroon and is illustrated, based on new material taken from outside the type locality (Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria) for the first time. The fresh males from Cameroon are peculiar in the apical part of the colpocoxite being slightly curved (Fig. 4 K–M), versus straight in the holotype.