Pseudotibiozus cerasopus ( Attems, 1914 )

Enghoff, Henrik & Larsson, Tobias Berglund, 2018, Pseudotibiozus Demange, 1970 - millipedes of the Eastern Arc Mountains, Tanzania (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Spirostreptidae), Zootaxa 4425 (3), pp. 541-554 : 543-545

Pseudotibiozus cerasopus ( Attems, 1914)

Figs 1 , 2 A, C , 3 A–D , 4 A , 5 A, C , 6 , 7

Mardonius cerasopus Attems, 1914: 139

Epistreptus cerasopus: Attems (1950)

Pseudotibiozus cerasopus: Demange (1970)

Diagnosis. Differs from the only known congener, P. zophoribates sp. nov., by being smaller (diameter of males 4.4–4.8 mm, vs. 6.0– 6.6 mm), by having the apical proplical lobe almost semi-circular with a short, pointedtriangular or rounded-triangular mesapical process, and by having the apical lobe of the metaplica irregularly triangular.

Material studied (total: 17 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, 5 juv.)

Holotype: ♂ ZMB 1368 Ost-Afrika, Conradt leg. ( MfN).

Paratype?: ♂ ZMB 2050 Buola bei Tanga, Ost-Afrika, Lücker leg 20.vii.1895 ( MfN)

None-type material (All from TANZANIA, all in ZMUC):

East Usambara Mts: 3 ♂♂, 3 juv. Amani, ca. 1000 m asl, 25.vii.–5.viii.1974. I.B. & H. Enghoff leg. (specimens reported by Enghoff & Enghoff 1976; additional data on individual specimens: “forest clearing at the Kwankoro Road”, ”on the loft of a house”, “on road by night”, “Amani W Forest Reserve, at Dodwe River”, “Amani Pond, under dry bark”); 1 ♂ Amani, ca. 1000 m asl, 1.ix.1981, N. Scharff & M. Stoltze leg.

Kanga Mts : 1 ♂ 400 m asl, 23.xi.1984, M. Stoltze leg. ; 1 ♀ Morogoro Region, Kanga Forest Reserve, 400-500 m asl, 22-25.xi.1984, lowland rain forest, N. Scharff leg.

Udzungwa Mts: 1 ♂, 1 juv. Mwanihana Forest above Sanje , 1000m asl, 1.viii.1982, M. Stoltze & N. Scharff leg. ; 1 juv. Mwanihana Forest, Sanje River , 1400 m asl, litter, 15.xii.1982, M. Stoltze & N. Scharff leg. ; 2 ♂♂ Morogoro Region, Udzungwa Mts National Park, Mizimu Camp , 1.ix.2013, 07°48’23.40”S, 36°51’7.29”E, 769 m. Hand collected. T. Pape & N. Scharff leg. ; 4 ♂♂ Morogoro Region, Kilombero District, Udzungwa Mts National Park, Mizimu Camp , 19-21.viii. 2017, 780 m asl, 07°48.390’S, 36°51.123E. Hand collected in forest, night collecting, J. Pedersen leg. ; 3 ♂♂ Morogoro Region, Udzungwa Mts National Park, Sanje Chini camp, 598m, 07°46’24.6”S, 36°54’.47.7”E, 17-19.i.2014, hand collected. T. Pape & N. Scharff leg. ; 1 ♀ Morogoro Region, Udzungwa Mts National Park, Mizimu Camp , 3.ix.2012, 07°48’23.40”S, 36°51’7.29”E, 769 m, hand collected. T. Pape & N. Scharff leg. ; 1 ♀ Morogoro Region, Udzungwa Mts National Park, trail to Mizimu Camp , 250 m asl., hand collected 3.ix.2012. T. Pape & N. Scharff leg.

Description. Males.

SIZE. Body length 52–60 mm. Diameter 4.4–4.8 mm. 41–43 body rings.

COLOUR. Live colour ( Fig. 1 ) black, prozonites dull with a greyish tinge, metazonites shining deep black; antennae red-brown; legs contrastingly bright red; superficially resembling a miniature version of the common East African Epibolus pulchripes ( Gerstäcker, 1873) (fam. Pachybolidae , order Spirobolida ). Colour of preserved specimens faded, legs reddish orange.

MANDIBLES ( Fig. 6 ). Stipes with apicoventral lobe, a soft pad apically on the lobe. Odontomere (od) fused with psectromere (ps); sectile edge (se) of psectromere with four lobes; a meso-dorsal lobe (mdl) present between od and se. 11 pectinate lamellae (pl). Molar plate with a distal transverse groove (mg) occupying ca. 1/6 of the mesal surface. Dorsal surface of mandible with a group of small pointed pegs (pp) between pectinate lamellae and molar plate ( Fig. 6 D ).

GNATHOCHILARIUM ( Figs 3 A–D ). Basal edge of median depression of mentum (mda) sharp, overlying main part of mentum and thus delimiting an arched, transverse cavity. Stipites (st) with a longitudinal patch of setae (sbs) in basal half.

BODY RINGS ( Fig. 2 A ). A single row of large sigilla; sometimes additional, incomplete rows of smaller sigilla.

LEGS. As long as body diameter. First pair with a patch of setae on coxosternum ( Fig. 5 A ).

GONOPODS ( Figs 5 C , 7 ). Proplica parallel-sided, apically with an almost semi-circular lateral lobe (apl), mesapically with a short, triangular process (map). Metaplica with mesal margin turning laterad at ca. 45° just before end of proplica, apical lobe (aml) subtriangular, projecting laterad and apicad, more or less resembling the head of a seal. A sub-circular sport of dark colour subbasally on posterior surface of metaplica, position of dark spot variying between individuals, but always symmetrical. Antetorsal process (atp) of telopodite ( Fig. 5 C ) projecting distad, completely hidden between pro- and metaplica.

Females. SIZE. Body length 57–61 mm. Diameter 5.4–5.7 mm. 40–44 body rings.

LEGS. Length 0.75 × body diameter.

Distribution. Known from three massifs of the Eastern Arc Mountains: East Usambara, Kanga and Udzungwa Mts ( Fig. 9 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Pseudotibiozus cerasopus (Attems, 1914), specimen from the Udzungwa Mts. Photo by N. Scharff.

FIGURE 2. Pseudotibiozus spp. A–B: midbody rings seen from the inside, showing sigilla (light spots) and dark ‘spikes’ projecting into light posterior part of metazona. A: P. cerasopus, specimen from East Usambara Mts, Amani, B: P. zophoribates sp. nov., paratype. C: P. cerasopus, specimen from East Usambara Mts, Amani, parts of three consecutive body rings, seen from the outside, showing dark ‘spikes’. Scales 1 mm. Abbreviations: ds = dark ‘spike’, oz = ozopore.

FIGURE 3. Pseudotibiozus spp., gnathochilarium. A–D: P. cerasopus, specimen from Udzungwa Mts. B: close-up of circled area (ss) in A. C: close-up of circled area in B. D: close-up of squared area in B. E: P. zophoribates sp. nov., paratype. Scales 1 mm (E), 0.2 mm (A), 0.05 mm (B), 0.005 mm (C, D). Abbreviations: ll = lamella lingualis, mda = median depressed area of mentum, sbs = basal field of stipital setae, ss = soft area with stout seta, st = stipes.

FIGURE 4. Pseudotibiozus spp. A: P. cerasopus (Attems, 1914), specimen from Udzungwa Mts, anterior end. B, C: P. zophoribates sp. nov., holotype. B: anterior end, C: telson. Scales 1 mm.

FIGURE 5. Pseudotibiozus spp., A, B: first pair of male legs. C, D: left gonopod telopodite. A, C: P. cerasopus (Attems, 1914) specimen from Udzungwa Mts. B, D: P. zophoribates sp. nov., paratype. Scales 0.2 mm (A), 0.5 mm (B—D). Abbreviations: atp = antetorsal process, cxs = field of coxosternal setae, pfl = prefemoral lobe.

FIGURE 6. Pseudotibiozus cerasopus (Attems, 1914), specimen from Udzungwa Mts, gnathal lobe of right mandible. A: apico-dorsal view. B: ventral view. C: mesal view. D: close-up of pointed pegs (pp, circled area in C). Scales 0.1 mm (A–C), 0.005 mm (D). Abbreviations: mdl = meso-dorsal lobe, mg = molar groove, od = odontomere, pl = pectinate lamellae, pp = pointed pegs, ps = psectromere, se = sectile edge of psectromere.

FIGURE 7. Pseudotibiozus cerasopus (Attems, 1914), specimen from Udzungwa Mts, gonopods. A: anterior view. B: posterior view. C: left telopodite. D: proplical setae (circled area in A). E: tip of solenomere. Scales 0.2 mm (A, B), 0.1 mm (C), 0.02 mm (D), 0.01 mm (E). Abbreviations: aml = apical metaplical lobe, apl = apical proplical lobe, map = mesapical process of proplica, mp = metaplica, pp= proplica, px = paracoxite, sb = spinelike branch, slm = solenomere, st = sternum, tlp = telopodite.

FIGURE 9. Pseudotibiozus spp., known distribution. Base map by permission of the Eastern Arc Mountains Conservation Endowment Fund.