Doratodesmus grandifoliatus (Zhang in Zhang & Wang, 1993 ) Golovatch & Geoffroy & Mauriès & VandenSpiegel, 2009

Golovatch, Sergei, Geoffroy, Jean-Jacques, Mauriès, Jean-Paul & VandenSpiegel, Didier, 2009, Review of the millipede family Haplodesmidae Cook, 1895, with descriptions of some new or poorly-known species (Diplopoda, Polydesmida), ZooKeys 7 (7), pp. 1-53 : 36-37

Doratodesmus grandifoliatus (Zhang in Zhang & Wang, 1993) n. comb.

Figs 27-30 .

Material. China, Yunnan Prov., Mengzi County, pothole no. 2 (Ma Fa Tiao Dong), 6.I.1989, leg. P. Beron, 2 ♁♁, 1 ♀ ( MNHN JC 315 ), 1 ♁, 3 ♀♀, 9 juv. ( NMNHS), 1 ♁ ( ZMUM), 1 ♀ (SEM) ; Yunnan Prov., Mengzi County, Longbaopo Dong Cave , 27.XI.1995, leg. I. Kos, B. Sket & F. Velkovrh, 1 ♁ & 1 ♀ in copula ( OBBFUL), 1 ♁ ( ZMUC), 1 ♁ (SEM) .

Diagnosis. Differs from congeners by the simultaneous lack of mid-dorsal outgrowths on metaterga and of lateral lobulations on paraterga 2, the presence of deep crenulations at the caudal edge of most metaterga, coupled with a peculiar shape of the gonopod telopodite supplied with a large, multidenticulate, lateral lobe and a long, slightly curved, rather simple acropodite.

Short redescription. Length of adults of both sexes ca 10-11 mm, width 1.8-2.1 mm, body broadest at segments 3 and 4. Coloration rather uniformly whitish to light yellow, anterior body parts often a little infuscate, light yellowish-brown.

Adults with 20 segments, conglobation pattern typical of “ Doratodesmidae ”, complete ( Golovatch 2003). Superficially, strongly resembling Eutrichodesmus incisus sp. n.

All characters fully agreeing with the original description ( Zhang and Wang 1993), but augmented here by illustrations showing more details: head ( Fig. 28C ), antennae ( Fig. 28C, D ), collum ( Fig. 27D ), meta- and paraterga ( Figs 27 A-C, E, F; 28B), tegument and tergal setae ( Figs 28F ; 29A, B ), ozopores ( Fig. 28E ), telson ( Fig. 27F ; 28A ), legs ( Figs 29C, D ; 30A ).

Sterna usually with a rather deep, narrow depression between coxae ( Fig. 28B ), only those between coxae 6, 7 and 9 much wider ( Fig. 30A ). Gonopod aperture transverse-oval, relatively small, far from reaching lateral sides of segment 7. Legs rather long; femoral and tarsal segments equal and longest; several basal segments microtuberculate; claw simple, slightly curved ventrad; some setae sparsely microdentate ( Figs 29C, D ; 30A ).

Gonopods ( Figs 30B, C ) relatively complex. Coxae subquadrate, large, microtuberculate and abundantly setose ventrolaterally. Telopodite considerably longer than coxite, subunciform, basal half slender and setose, at about midway conspicuously enlarged, with a multidenticulate lateral lobe (lo) and a very short solenomere (sl) with a hairpad on top; acropodite relatively long and simple.

Remarks. This species has hitherto been described or reported from three caves in Yunnan, China (Wang and Zhang 1993; Golovatch 2003). One of the new samples (from Longbaopo Cave) is strictly topotypic, while Ma Fa Tiao Dong Cave is known to support another millipede, Glyphiulus subgranulatus Golovatch, Geoffroy, Mauriès & VandenSpiegel, 2007 (see Golovatch et al. 2007a).

Figures

Figure 27. Doratodesmus grandifoliatus (Zhang in Zhang & Wang, 1993), ♀ from Longbaopo Dong Cave (A-C) and ♀ from Ma Fa Tiao Dong Cave (D-F); A, anterior part of body, lateral view;B, midbody segments, lateral view; C, posterior part of body, lateral view; D, anterior part of body, frontodorsal view; E, midbody segments, dorsal view; F, posterior part of body, dorsal view. − Scale bars: A-D, F, 0.2 mm & E, 0.5 mm.

Figure 28. Doratodesmus grandifoliatus (Zhang in Zhang & Wang, 1993), ♀ from Ma Fa Tiao Dong Cave; A, telson, ventrolateral view; B, cross-section of a midbody segment, caudal view; C, head, front view; D, distal part of antenna; E, paratergum with ozopore, lateral view; F, tegument, sublateral view. − Scale bars: A, E, 0.1 mm, B, C, 0.2 mm, D, 0.05 mm & F, 0.01 mm.

Figure 29. Doratodesmus grandifoliatus (Zhang in Zhang & Wang, 1993), ♀ from Ma Fa Tiao Dong Cave; A, texture of pro- and metazona; B, bisegmented seta; C, leg and sternum, caudal view; D, claw. − Scale bars: A, 0.05 mm, B, 0.002 mm, C, 0.1 mm & D, 0.02 mm.

Figure 30. Doratodesmus grandifoliatus (Zhang in Zhang & Wang, 1993), ♂ from Ma Fa Tiao Dong Cave; A, leg 9, caudal view; B & C, right gonopod, lateral and mesal views, respectively (sl = solenomere; lo = lateral lobe). − Scale bar: A, 0.2 mm, B, C, 0.1 mm.