Utiliverpa decapsulatrix, Enghoff, 2016

Enghoff, Henrik, 2016, A mountain of millipedes V: three new genera of Odontopygidae from the Udzungwa mountains, Tanzania (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Odontopygidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 221, pp. 1-17 : 14-16

Utiliverpa decapsulatrix gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:559C22A7-AE92-4633-AB61-788EADDC9AE3

Fig. 7

Diagnosis

(redundant, genus monotypic)

Etymology

The name is a Latin noun meaning “remover of capsules”, cf. etymology of genus.

Material studied (total: 1 ♂)

Holotype TANZANIA: ♂, Morogoro Region, Kilombero District, Udzungwa Mts, Mwanihana Forest Reserve , near Sanje village , under rotten log in forest, K.M.Howell leg., KMH 1686 ( VMNH).

Description (male)

SIZE. Length ca 6 cm, diameter 3.9 mm, 67 podous rings, no apodous rings in front of telson.

COLOUR. Specimen faded, traces of a broad, light dorsal stripe. Colour according to the collector’s field notes: “dark, shiny black with brown stripe length of back; legs pale”.

HEAD. Without peculiarities.

COLLUM. With a marginal and a submarginal furrow.

BODY RINGS. Almost perfect cylinders, not vaulted; suture straight; ozopores ca three diameters behind suture.

ANAL VALVES. Each with a short, curved dorsal spine and a small ventral denticle; marginal rim slightly raised, setiferous tubercles hardly protruding.

OZOPORES. Starting from ring 6.

LIMBUS ( Fig. 7I ). With simple, long-triangular lobes. Surface of lobes longitudinally microstriate.

MALE LEGS. With postfemoral and tibial ventral pads on legs, except a few anteriormost and posteriormost pairs, pads gradually decreasing in size towards posterior end.

GONOPOD COXA ( Fig. 7 A–D). In anterior view parallel-sided, ca 4½ times as long as broad, subapically with a lateral triangular incision delimiting an apical lateral lobe (all). Proplica (pp) simple, parallel-sided; proplical lobe (prl) in anterior view hidden behind metaplical spine. Metaplica (mp) apically rounded, with a large mesal flange (mf) closing basal part of space between pro- and metaplica, subapically with a long basad spine (msp) covering proplical lobe and a stout, bifid process (mbp) on posterior surface.

GONOPOD TELOPODITE ( Fig. 7 E–H). Arculus 90°. Torsotope (tt) simple, compact, without processes ( Fig. 4B ). Posttorsal narrowing without processes or spines. Telopodite just distal to posttorsal narrowing dividing into slender solenomere and broader telomere. Solenomere (slm) ca as long as and normally resting within concavity of telomere (projecting perpendicularly on Fig. 7E due to shrinkage during preparation for SEM), simple, apically with a stout hook and a subapical pointed lobe, in profile strongly reminding of a kind of bottle-opener (e.g., http://www.barleypop.com/best-beer-bottle-opener-period/). A long, slender, curved spine (ps) arising near base of solenomere. Telomere forming a curved, roughly parallel-sided trough, vaguely boat- or pod-shaped, with a subapical spike (tss) and several complicated lamellae inside the concavity ( Fig. 7G ).

Distribution and habitat

Known only from the type locality. Habitat: forest (under log).

Coexisting species

No other odontopygid species were found in the same sample as the unique holotype, but three are known from Mwanihana Forest Reserve: Chaleponcus mwanihanensis Enghoff, 2014 , Aquattuor major Enghoff, 2015 and A. submajor Enghoff, 2015 .

Figures

Fig. 7. Utiliverpa decapsulatrix gen. et sp. nov., holotype. A–D. Right gonopod coxa. A. Anterior view. B. Mesal view. C. Posterior view. D. Posterior-apical view. E–H. Left gonopod telopodite. E. Anterior view. F. Posterior view. G. Mesal-anterior-apical view. H. Solenomere. I. Limbus. Abbreviations: All = apical lateral lobe of coxa, mbp = metaplical bifid process, mf = metaplical flange, mp = metaplica, msp = metaplical spine, prl = proplical lobe, pp = proplica, ps proximal solenomeral spine, slm = solenomere, tlm = telomere, tss = telomeral subapical spike, tt = torsotope. Scales: A–H = 0.1 mm; I = 0.01 mm.

Fig. 4. Casuariverpa scarpa gen. et sp. nov., paratype from Udzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve above Chita village, left gonopod telopodite. A. Apical view, coxal parts in orange colour. B. Basal view, purple oval roughly corresponds to Fig. 4D, coxal parts in orange colour, the green line indicates the distal margin of the telomere. C.Tip of solenomere. D. Origin of proximal solenomeral spine (ps) between two basal lobe of telomere (tlm), image roughly corresponding to purple oval on Fig. 4B. E. Micro-spinose field on basal external side of telomere basis, image roughly corresponding to area in yellow circle on Fig. 3G. F. Micro-spinose field on distal part of telomere concavity, image roughly corresponding to area in red oval on Fig. 3H. Abbreviations: eg = efferent groove, pn = post-torsal narrowing, ps = proximal solenomeral spine, slm = solenomere, tf = telomeral furrow, tlm = telomere, tr = telomeral ridge tt = torsotope. Scales: A–B = 0.1 mm; C–F = 0.01 mm.