Eurygyrus C.L. Koch, 1847

Stoev, Pavel, 2007, First description of the male of the millipede Eurygyrus euboeus (Verhoeff, 1901) (Diplopoda: Callipodida: Schizopetalidae), Zootaxa 1447, pp. 63-68 : 64-65

Genus Eurygyrus C.L. Koch, 1847

Holotype: adult female ( ZMB)

Type locality: Stura, southern part of Euboea, Greece.

Material examined: 1 ad. female, Greece, Euboea, Steni Dirfios/ Ano Steni, calcareous rocks next to village, 27.iv.1978, A. Riedel leg. (FMNH-INS 0000 013 368). – 1 ad. male, 1 juv., Greece, Euboea, Steni Dirfios/ Ano Steni, south slope of Dirfis Mts, calcareous rocks, pine forest, 25.iv.1978, A. Riedel leg. (FMNH-INS 0000 013 373).

Description. Adult male: length ca. 85 mm, maximum width (10th pleurotergite) ca. 5 mm, 46 pleurotergites + telson. Pleurotergites (PTs) in cross-section almost as high as broad or slightly higher.

Body colour: generally brown-yellowish; prozonites light brown-greyish; metazonites darker than prozonites, light to dark brownish, with posterior dark brown band. A yellow mid-dorsal moniliform stripe (spots larger on prozonites, tapering towards posterior edge of metazonites) from collum to body end. Collum with same colour pattern as remaining PTs. Ozopores encircled by a lighter, yellowish spot. Antennae light brown, first and seventh antennomeres yellow; legs yellow-light brownish. Frontal part of head strongly concave, densely covered with dark setae. Edge between dorsal surface and frontal concavity light brown; frontal concavity yellow, labral edge brown. Ocellaria in triangle composed of 41 ocelli. Tömösváry organs brown, of same size as an ocellus, placed between ocellaria and antennal base. Antennae moderately long, extending beyond the posterior edge of the fourth PT when folded backward.

Crests on anterior PTs poorly developed, more pronounced in the midst of the middle and posterior PTs. About 20 crests between ozopores on 7th PT. Ozopores in a pit in the middle of a crest. Setal pattern: Table 1 .

First and second leg-pairs markedly shorter, third slightly shorter than subsequent legs. Tarsi of leg-pairs 1–3 single; bi-articulated from 4th to ultimate pair. Tarsi of leg-pair 4–7 with well-developed pads, (less so on 3rd leg), which get thinner towards the ultimate legs. Extension of pads varying: confined to tarsi on leg-pairs 4–5, a small tuft appearing at the posterior side of the postfemora on leg-pairs 6–7; further back pads gradually extending until covering the whole ventral surface of postfemora on middle and hind legs. All legs densely covered with long fine setae ventrally. Coxae of leg-pairs 4–6, normal, not swollen, with very small, apically rounded ventromedial projection pointing cephalad ( Fig. 1 ). Coxa of leg-pair 7 swollen mesally ( Fig. 2 ). Hypoproct tripartite, composed of larger trapezoidal middle plate, bearing a pair of macrosetae, and two triangular ones lateral to it, each having a seta. Anal valves subdivided into smaller dorsal and bigger ventral plates, latter densely setose along free margins. Spinnerets very small, each with a moderately long macroseta on tip.

Male gonopods ( Figs 3–6 ): Sternum chitinized, subtrapezoidal, apically rounded, perpendicular to femoroids, as high as half of the length of linomere. Posterior coxal process (p): approx. 4/5th of the length of the femoroidal stem, broader at base, curved anteriad; distal part extended cephalad; anterior side with three teeth pointing downwards. A small, subrectangular anterior coxal process arises at the mesal side of gonopod; its anterior side is expanded towards the sternum. A smaller setiferous lobe touches the base of femoroidal stem. Femoroid long, bow-shaped, twisted in its basal and apical parts, latter forming a process (n) at the base of the femoroidal shield (= posterior, enlarged part of the femoroid); a small inconspicuous tooth (k) on tip of n. Anterior side of stem with a black proximal spine (f), pointing downwards, and two notched processes – (m) and (d), the former arising just above the spine, the latter at the base of the shield; a black crenulate ridge (cr) connecting m and f. Linomere (li): emerging at about 1/3rd of femoroidal length or slightly higher, reaching as high as the second tooth of the posterior coxal process, apically rounded and pointing towards the femoroidal shield. Middle part of linomere broadened with a small lateral tooth (h). Terminal part of the femoroidal shield ending with a bifid solenomere (s) and a single parasolenomere (ps). A large and pointed process (b), pointing downwards, arising at mesal side of shield. Seminal groove (sg) well expressed and easily seen, ending at the upper branch of solenomere.

Female: Length hard to determine due to hardening and coiling, probably the same as in the male; 46 PTs + telson. Differing from male by having 3rd PT heavily enlarged and expanded ventro-laterally; coxae of anterior legs unmodified; paraprocts less setose. Colour similar to that of male. Second leg-pair unmodified. Crests on anterior PTs poorly developed, more pronounced in the midst of the middle and posterior PTs. The specimen differs from the female holotype by having well formed lateral rows of yellow spots, which do not merge with the yellowish base of PTs.

Juvenile: ca. 34 mm long with 40 PTs+telson.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Eurygyrus euboeus: anterior view of male legs 6 and 7, respectively; leg’s setation not shown.

FIGURES 3 – 4. Eurygyrus euboeus, gonopod: 3 – antero-lateral view; 4 – mesal view.

FIGURES 5 – 6. Eurygyrus euboeus, gonopod: 5 – mesal view, 6 – lateral view.

Tables

TABLE 1. Partial chaetotaxy in E. euboeus.

	Anterior setae	Posterior setae
Collum	a, b, c, d, e, f, g + a, b, c, d, e, f, g	h + h
2nd PT	a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j + a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j	k + k
3rd PT	a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j + a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j k + k	k + k
4th PT	a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j + a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j	k + k
5th PT	a, b, h + a, b, c, j	c, d, e, f, g, i + d, e, f, g, h, i, k
6th PT	a + a	b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l + b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l
7th PT	a + a	b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l + b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l
8th PT	-	a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k + a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k