Parabolus calceus, Enghoff, Henrik, 2011

Enghoff, Henrik, 2011, East African giant millipedes of the tribe Pachybolini (Diplopoda, Spirobolida, Pachybolidae), Zootaxa 2753, pp. 1-41 : 27-28

Parabolus calceus n. sp.

Figs 54–57 , 84

HOLOTYPE 3 KENYA, Gede, 3°28’S, 39°18E, 29.iv.1981, CIE A13123 ( NHML). – PARATYPES: 2 3, 3 ƤƤ, strongly fragmented, KENYA, Changamwe 4 miles W of Mombasa, 4°01’30’’S, 39°37’45’’E, 21–30.iii. (?) 1909, E.A. Mearns leg. ( USNM, ZMUC).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a Latin noun in apposition meaning “shoe” and refers to the tip of the posterior gonopod which somewhat resembles a (rather distorted) shoe.

Diagnosis. A species of Parabolus in which the anterior gonopod coxa has a distinct distolateral shoulder, and the terminal segment of the posterior gonopod has a faintly serrate mesobasal ridge, a strongly concave distolateral profile and no slender apical process.

Descriptive notes (mainly based on holotype): As Crurifarcimen vagans except as noted:

57 podous rings, no apodous rings. L 14 cm, B 13.4 mm. 10–11 rows of ocelli in six horizontal series, 41–44 ocelli per eye. 2+2 labral teeth, labral setae not visible. Lamellae linguales each with 5–6 distal setae. Collum smooth, no striae, with marginal furrow at anterior margin. Body rings: tergo-pleural suture visible on pro-, meso- and metazonite. Terga smooth, except for fine oblique striae ventrally on mesozona and fine, dense longitudinal striae on metazona. Ozopores 1 diameter in front of suture. Legs: length 51% of body width (markedly shorter than in P. dimorphus ). Telson as in Crurifarcimen v. but dorsal profile straight.

Male sexual characters. Anterior gonopods ( Figs 54–55 ) as in P. dimorphus , except that the coxa has a marked distolateral ’shoulder’, is apically truncate and lacks the internal ridge at the base of the mesal process Posterior gonopods ( Figs 56–57 ) as in P. dimorphus , except for shape of terminal segment which has a low, faintly serrate mesobasal ridge (instead of the coarsely serrate lobe of P. d i m o r p h u s), a strongly concave distolateral profile, concavity basally delimited by strong triangular tooth; distolateral surface deeply hollowed, forming a long, curved trough; oral wall of trough with a low subtriangular lobe.

Female sexual characters as in P. dimorphus .

Distribution. Only known from two sites in SE Kenya. ( Fig. 84 ) This is the only species of Pachybolini known from Kenya, excepting the widespread Epibolus pulchripes .

Figures

FIGURE 84. Known distribution of East African Pachybolini, except Hadrobolus crassicollis and Epibolus pulchripes. dots (●): Crurifarcimen vagans, filled diamonds (♦): Hyperbolus apicomplexus, open diamonds (♢): Hyperbolus morogoroensis, filled triangle (˔): Parabolus dimorphus, inverted open triangle (): Parabolus calceus, inverted filled triangle (ˑ): Pachybolus tectus,, filled square (․): Pachybolini indet. Based on Yahoo maps.

FIGURES 54 – 57. Parabolus calceus, paratypes. 54: anterior gonopods, without right telopodite, anterior view, 55: do., posterior view, 56: left posterior gonopod, anterior view, 57: do, posterior view. Scale for all: 2 cm. cx: coxa, mr: mesobasal ridge, st: sternum, tlp: telopodite, tt: triangular tooth.