Pseudoflagellophorella eskovi

Antić, Dragan Ž. & Makarov, Slobodan E., 2016, The Caucasus as a major hotspot of biodiversity: Evidence from the millipede family Anthroleucosomatidae (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida), Zootaxa 4211 (1), pp. 1-205 : 167-173

Pseudoflagellophorella eskovi gen. et sp. nov.

Figs 139–143

Diagnosis. Differs from P. mirabilis gen. et sp. nov. by the shape of the sternal lamella (squarish vs. rounded), and by the absence of fimbriated lateral parts. From P. papillioformis gen. et sp. nov., it differs by the shape of the anterior gonopods (wings-like in P. papillioformis ), and by the presence of more complex posterior gonopods.

Etymology. The new species is named after Dr. Kirill Yuryevich Eskov, Russian biologist and palaeontologist, collector of numerous specimens considered in this study.

Material studied (total: 69 males, 85 females, 17 juveniles). Holotype. AZERBAIJAN: male, Mountainous Karabakh , Askeran District, ca 6 km WNW of Dashbulag, near Badara, Quercus & Carpinus forest, 850–900 m asl, litter, under bark and stones, 2 May 1983, S. Golovatch leg. ( ZMUM ρ3412).

Paratypes (total: 4 males, 7 females). All from AZERBAIJAN: 3 males , 7 females (ZMUM ρ3413), 1 male ( IZB), same data as holotype.

Other material (total: 64 males, 78 females, 17 juveniles). ARMENIA : 13 males, 16 females, 3 juveniles ( ZMUM ρ3414), 5 males, 3 females ( IZB), Ararat District, Khosrov Nature Reserve , 1450–1550 m asl, Juniperus with Quercus & Crataegus along river, litter and under stones, 19–20 Apr. 1983, S. Golovatch leg. ; 8 males, 20 females, 10 juveniles, Kafan District, Shikahoh Nature Reserve, village Shikahoh , 900–950 m asl, Quercus , Fagus , Carpinus forest near spring, litter, logs and under stones, 28 Apr. 1983, S. Golovatch leg. ( ZMUM ρ3415) ; 6 males, 5 females, same data, except: Tsav , 100 m asl, Quercus , Fagus , Carpinus forest, litter, 29 Apr 1983 ( ZMUM ρ3416) ; 5 males, same data, except: Shishkert , 1700–1800 m asl, Quercus , Fagus , Carpinus forest, litter and under stones, 29 Apr. 1983 ( ZMUM ρ3417) ; 4 females, Ekheknut , ca 20 km N of Vanadzor (formerly Kirovakan), 1200– 1250 m asl, Quercus, Caprinus , Acer , etc. forest, litter, 23 May 1987, S. Golovatch & K. Eskov leg. ( ZMUM ρ3418) ; 1 male, 1 female, Odsun W of Alaverdi , 1500–1550 m asl, Quercus , Fagus , Carpinus , etc. forest, litter and under stones with ants, 23–24 May 1987, S. Golovatch & K. Eskov leg. ( ZMUM ρ3419).

AZERBAIJAN: 1 male, Mountainous Karabakh , Aganos S of Lachin, 1100 m asl, Quercus , Fagus , Carpinus forest, litter, 30 Apr. 1983, S. Golovatch leg. ( ZMUM ρ3420) ; 4 males, 3 females, Mountainous Karabakh, Dashalty near Shusha, 1100–1300 m asl, Quercus & Carpinus forest, litter, logs, under stones, 1 May 1983, S.

Golovatch leg. (ZMUM ρ3421); 6 males, 6 females, Goygol Nature Reserve, 50 km S of Gyanja (formerly Kirovabad), 1500–1900 m asl, Fagus , Carpinus , Quercus forest, litter, logs and under stones, 3–4 May 1983, S. Golovatch leg. ( ZMUM ρ3422).

GEORGIA: 6 males, 6 females, 3 juveniles, S of Bakuriani, Pass Tshkra-Tskaro , 2100 m asl, sparse Betula forest at timber-line, 13 May 1983, S. Golovatch leg. ( ZMUM ρ3423) ; 1 male, 2 females, Kartli Mt. Ridge, Pass Sabaduri , ca 40 km NNE of Tbilisi, 1400 m asl, Fagus forest, litter and under bark, 6 May 1987, S. Golovatch & K. Eskov leg. ( ZMUM ρ3424) ; 6 males, 12 females, Mariamjvari Nature Reserve, ENE of Sagarejo , 1150–1250 m asl, Fagus , Carpinus , Acer , Pinus , etc. forest, litter, under bark and stones, 13–14 May 1987, S. Golovatch & K. Eskov leg. ( ZMUM ρ3425) ; 1 male, 1 juvenile, Pass Magalakhari between Akhmeta and Tianeti, Fagus & Caprinus forest, 1200 m asl, litter and under bark, 6 Jul. 1987, S. Golovatch & K. Eskov leg. ( ZMUM ρ3426) ; 1 male, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Bakuriani , 2080 m asl, small Rhododendron thicket surrounded by alpine meadows and screes, 17 Sep. 2011, F. Walther leg. ( SMNG).

Type locality. AZERBAIJAN: Mountainous Karabakh , Askeran District, ca 6 km WNW of Dashbulag, near Badara, Quercus & Carpinus forest.

Description. Body with 31 segments (including telson) in adults.

MEASUREMENTS. Males 9–11 mm long, vertical diameter of the largest pleurotergite 0.8–0.9 mm. Females 9– 11 mm long, vertical diameter of the largest pleurotergite 0.95–1.05 mm.

COLORATION ( Fig. 139 ). Dorsal and lateral sides of prozonites greyish, dorsolateral and ventrolateral sides with yellowish spots. Metazonites brownish with yellowish spots on lateral keels.

HEAD. Flattened in males. Labrum with three medial teeth and 6+6 labral and 2+2 supralabral setae. Promentum triangular, without setae. Lingual plates with 5+5 setae, on each plate arranged in two rows. Stipites with 23+23 setae. Antennae 1.5 mm long in holotype. Length of antennomeres (in mm): I (0.09), II (0.18), III (0.38), IV (0.2), V (0.36), VI (0.17), VII (0.1) and VIII (0.02). Length/breadth ratios of antennomeres I–VII: I (1), II (2), III (5.4), IV (2.8), V (3.2), VI (1.7) and VII (1.2). Antennomeres II, IV, V, VI and VII with one, three, one, four and one sensillum, respectively. Number of ocelli 16–20, arranged in 5–6 rows in both sexes.

COLLUM. Narrower than head, with six macrochaetae. Anterior edge semi-circular, posterior margin gently concave.

BODY SEGMENTS ( Figs 139 , 140 ). Lateral keels like lateral swellings. Macrochaetae long and trichoid. CIX (pleurotergite 15) ~ 0.9; MIX (pleurotergite 15) ~ 2; PIX (pleurotergite 15) ~ 0.5; MA (pleurotergite 15) ~ 100˚. TELSON. Epiproct with a pair of spinnerets and 3+3 setae (1+1 paramedian, 2+2 marginal). Hypoproct with 1+1 apical setae. Paraprocts with 3+3 marginal setae.

WALKING LEGS. In both sexes, leg-pairs 1 and 2 with tarsal combs; prefemora with several long and robust setae; femora and postfemora with a group of several long and robust setae.

MALE SEXUAL CHARACTERS ( Fig. 141 ). Leg-pairs 3–7 enlarged. Leg-pairs 3 and 4 each with a basal exterior protrusion on prefemur. Leg-pair 5 with a basal oral protrusion on prefemur. Leg-pair 6 without peculiarities. Legpair 7 with a posterior, wide, mesally rounded, extreriorly somewhat acuminate, lamellar, coxal process clothed with setae. Leg-pair 10 with coxal glands and with a well-developed, caudally curved, coxal horn, with one long seta and with minute spikes on top. Leg-pair 11 with coxal glands, without other peculiarities.

ANTERIOR GONOPODS ( Figs 142 A–C, 143A–E). Sternal plate (sp) with an anterior, medial, hairy, sternal lamella (sl). Coxal processes divided distally, connected to each other by posterior lamellae; consisting of a medial (mp) and lateral parts (lp). Medial parts with wide upper halves and narrow basal halves; distally with a U-shaped rift; on mesal side, with a posteriorly curved horn (h); laterally, medial parts with a posteriorly curved apex (a) and a short, acuminate, subapical process (sac). Lateral parts with a very wide base (b), distally with a lamellar structure (ls). Both lateral parts anteriorly with a long and slender process (pf) drawn below upper halves of medial parts, ending apically as the highest parts of anterior gonopods. In some males (including holotype), these processes are broken off, without visible apical parts. Anterior gonopods posteriorly with a mesal (ml) and lateral lamellae (ll), with a pair of longitudinal rows of setae (rs) and a pair of squarish protrusions (spr).

POSTERIOR GONOPODS ( Figs 142 D, 143F–H). Coxited (c) divided. Telopodites (t) present posteriorly. Coxal processes (cp) bifurcated distally. Anterior side with a membranous crest (mc). Coxal vesicles (cv) present anteriorly.

Distribution. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia ( Fig. 169 , green triangle).

Figures

FIGURE 139. Pseudoflagellophorella eskovi gen. et sp. nov., male from Khosrov Nature Reserve, Ararat District, Armenia, habitus. Scale line = 1 mm.

FIGURE 140. Pseudoflagellophorella eskovi gen. et sp. nov., male from Khosrov Nature Reserve, Ararat District, Armenia. A. Pleurotergites 15 and 16, posterior view. B. Pleurotergites 15 and 16, lateral view. C. Prozonite 15, dorsal view. D. Lateral keel 16, dorsal view. E. Pleurotergites 15 and 16, dorsal view.

FIGURE 141. Pseudoflagellophorella eskovi gen. et sp. nov., holotype male. A. Leg 3. B. Leg 4. C. Leg 10. D. Leg 7. Scale lines = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 142. Pseudoflagellophorella eskovi gen. et sp. nov., gonopods. A. Holotype male anterior gonopods, anterior view. B. Holotype male anterior gonopods, lateral view. C. Holotype male anterior gonopods, posterior view. D. Male from Khosrov Nature Reserve, Ararat District, Armenia, posterior gonopods, posterior view. a = apex; b = base; c = coxite; h = horn; t = telopodite; cp = coxal process; cv = coxal vesicle; ll = lateral lamella; lp = lateral part; ls = lamellar structrue; mc = membranous crest; ml = mesal lamella; mp = medial part; pf = anterior long and slender procees (pseudoflagella); rs = row of setae; sl = sternal lamella; sac = acuminate subapical process; spr = squarish protrusion. Scale line = 0.3 mm.

FIGURE 143. Pseudoflagellophorella eskovi gen. et sp. nov., males from Khosrov Nature Reserve, Ararat District, Armenia, gonopods. A. Anterior gonopods, anterior view. B. Anterior gonopods, anterolateral view. C. Anterior gonopods, lateral view. D. and E. Anterior gonopods, posterior view. F. Posterior gonopods, anterior view. G. Posterior gonopods, lateral view. H. Posterior gonopods, posterodistal view. a = apex; b = base; c = coxite; h = horn; t = telopodite; cp = coxal process; cv = coxal vesicle; ll = lateral lamella; lp = lateral part; ls = lamellar structrue; mc = membranous crest; ml = mesal lamella; mp = medial part; pf = anterior long and slender procees (pseudoflagella); rs = row of setae; sl = sternal lamella; sp = sternal plate; sac = acuminate subapical process.

FIGURE 169. Distribution of the Caucasian Anthroleucosomatidae: the Flagellophorella complex.