Genus Theratta n. gen. Anilkumar, Wesener & Moritz

Type species: Theratta mannavan n. sp. Anilkumar, Wesener & Moritz

Other species included: Theratta eravikulam n. sp. and Theratta shola n. sp.

Diagnosis. Habitus, size and coloration of Theratta species resemble those of the widespread introduced tramp species Rhinotus purpureus . Distinguished from the three other genera of the tribe Rhinotini by the bifurcation of the podomere II of anterior gonopod into a mesal process on the posterior side, with a furrow between the mesal process and the main part of the podomere II (Figs 5D–F); modification of the anterior side of anterior gonopod into a lamellar process (Fig. 6C); absence of conical elevations on the sternite of the posterior gonopod (Figs 6I, J), as found in the genera Rhinotus (see Wesener 2014) and Siphonoconus (see Attems 1931). Eyes consisting of a single pair of ommatidia (Fig. 3A); head with a pair of macrosetae anterior to the ommatidia (Figs 2B, 3A); tarsal claw with a thin paronychium extending beyond the claw, curved and bulged distally (Fig. 4F); tergites with groove-like striae; anterior margin of metazonites with a distinct row of striae (Fig. 4A); lateral margin of the pleurite covered with setae (Fig. 3H).

Etymology. Genus epithet, Theratta, noun, feminine. Millipedes are called ‘ Theratta ’ in Malayalam, the language spoken in the Indian province (Kerala) of the type species.