Xystopyge zanzibarensis, Frederiksen, Sara B. & Enghoff, Henrik, 2012

Frederiksen, Sara B. & Enghoff, Henrik, 2012, East African odontopygid millipedes 1: Five new species of Xystopyge (Attems, 1909) and a proposal for a new gonopod terminology (Diplopoda; Spirostreptida; Odontopygidae), Zootaxa 3485, pp. 69-82 : 80-81

Xystopyge zanzibarensis n. sp.

Fig. 8 , 15–16 .

Material: Holotype male: Tanzania, Zanzibar, Jozani Forest, 10/VIII/1981. M. Stoltze and N. Scharff leg. ( ZMUC 00020497).

Diagnosis: Differs from other species by having proplica and metaplica fairly equal in size, but metaplica with a spine-shaped apical process reaching far above proplica. Particularly similar to X. corolla but differs by the absence of a basal solenomeric spine.

Etymology: The name is an adjective and refers to the type locality.

Description:

Body length 57 mm, diameter 3.3 mm, podous body rings 61, no apodous rings in front of telson.

Colour: Brownish yellow. Banding not as visible as in the other species, but otherwise colour pattern as in X. pelecys . A yellow dorsal stripe running anteroposteriorly starting from body ring 7. Telson light yellow.

Head and body: 6 supralabral setae, 6 rows of horizontal ocelli. Two furrows on ventral lobe of collum. Two setae on anal valves. The rest as described for X. pelecys .

Gonopods ( Figs. 8 , 15–16 ): Anterior sternum (st) as in X. corolla ; short and broad, squared, very slightly indented. - Coxa: Proplica (pp) large and elongate triangular, almost running the length of the entire coxa, just medially to it the pointed and spine-like distad apical metaplical process (amp) reaches above it. Below the median metaplical process (mmp) is situated; a lamellate fold resembling a continuation of the small and insignificant mesal metaplical flange (mmf) further proximally. By the proplica a posteriad posterior metaplical spine (pms) is situated, barely visible in anterior view, just protruding above the proplica, but clearly visible in apical view.—Telopodite: basomere with an extended torsotope, without spines, distally slightly thickened. Solenomere with a long, dark sclerotized spine (ass) apically overreaching the lamellate spear-shaped solenomere tip. Solenomere and telomere closely appressed to one another, forming one-and-a-half horizontal loop. Telomere ribbon-shaped, c. 1/3 along its length with a small dark sclerotized spine (ts), lamellae running from midway and down the length of it, starting with a hook-shaped lamellate process and ending in broadened lamellate folds and a lamellate spine-like process. Posterior sternum not preserved.

Remarks: Almost identical with X. corolla , but proplica with a posterior spine instead of a lobe and solenomere and telomere without basal spines. Instead telomere with a small spine situated slightly more distal than in X. corolla .

Figures

FIGURE 8. Xystopyge spp., solenomere apex (X. proplicatus: complete solenomere). — asl: apical solenomere lamella, ass: apical solenomere spine, bss: basal solenomere spine, msl: mesal solenomere lamella.

FIGURE 15 - 16. Xystopyge zanzibarensis n. sp. 15: left gonopod, apical view. 16: left gonopod, anterior view. Scales 0.5 mm. — amp: apical metaplical process, ass: apical solenomere spine, mmf: mesal metaplical flange, mmp: median metaplical process, pms: posterior metaplical spine, pp: proplica, st: anterior sternum, ts: telomere spine.