Spiromimus endemicus sp. nov.

Fig. 11A–E

Material examined. Holotype M, CASENT 9032793, BLF 3123, Province d’Antsiranana, Montagne des Français, 7.2 km 142° SE Antsiranana (=Diego Suarez), tropical dry forest, 180 m, 12°19’22” S, 49°20’17” E, coll. Fisher, Griswold et al., pitfall trap, 22–28.ii.2001.

Paratype: 1 F and several posterior fragments of additional specimens CASENT 9032793, BLF 3123, same data as holotype .

Derivatio nominis. endemicus, adjective, after the isolated position of the type locality.

Diagnosis. Spiromimus endemicus sp. nov. shares the particular-shaped posterior gonopods with a basally wide mesal branch with no other of the 13 previously described species of the genus, except maybe for Spiromimus dorsovittatus (de Saussure & Zehntner, 1901), which differs virtually in all other characters.

Description.

Measurements: Male circa 33 mm long, only 2.4 wide, 44+0 body rings. Immature female 28 mm long, 2.9 mm wide, with 34+3 body rings.

Colour: Laterally and ventrally dark, dorsally with slender yellow stripe.

Head: Male antenna reaching back to seventh body ring. Eyes with 30/28 black ommatidia. Antenna and gnathochilarium typical for the genus. Mandible not examined.

Legs: In males 1.1 times as long as body ring width. Male coxa three elongated into slender process projecting to sixth coxa. Coxa four elongated into rod-shaped process projecting towards sixth coxa. Coxae five and six flattened, mesally with short and slender projection. Coxa seven with a large cone.

Ozopore starting at ring 6, located on suture between meso- and metazonite.Telson typical for the genus, without a preanal process, subanal scale inconspicuous and anal valves with weak lips (Fig. 11A).

Anterior gonopod: sternal lobe broken (Fig. 11B). Telopodite without excavation (Fig. 11B, C). Tip of telopodite slender, with weakly developed retrorse process (Fig. 11B, C).

Posterior gonopod sternite sclerotized, triangular (Fig. 11E). Telopodite, tip of main branch bent backwards, forming well-rounded ‘hook’ (Fig. 11D). Mesal branch slightly slenderer but as long as main branch (Fig. 11E). Mesal branch not tapering, at tip slightly bent towards main branch (Fig. 11E). Mesal and main branch only basally connected by membranous folds (Fig. 11E). Main branch basally of well-rounded apex with short membranous lobe which slightly projects towards the mesal branch (Fig. 11E).