Mesoiulus taurus Antić, 2016

Antić, Dragan Ž., Çetin, Cemal Çağri, Turantepe, Ergin & Gürbüz, Mehmet Faruk, 2016, A new cave-dwelling species of the genus Mesoiulus Berlese, 1886 (Diplopoda, Julida, Julidae) from Turkey, Zootaxa 4196 (2), pp. 296-300 : 297

Mesoiulus taurus Antić , new species

Figs. 1–2

Material studied. Holotype male (IZB): Zindan Cave, 37° 48′ 42.6528" N, 31° 05′ 6.1692" E, 200–400 m, Aksu District , Isparta Province, Turkey, 17 May 2016, Cemal Çağrı Çetin leg . Paratypes: 1 male, 2 females (IZB), 1 male, 2 females ( SDU), same data as holotype .

Etymology. The new species is named after the Western Taurus Mountains, its terra typica. A noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. The new species is most similar to M. ciliciensis , but clearly differs from the latter in some details of gonopod structure, as well as in shape of the ventral margin of body ring 7 and shape of the first pair of legs in males (see Discussion).

Description. Holotype male 27 mm long, vertical diameter of the largest body ring 1.5 mm, body with 40 podous + 2 apodous rings + telson. Paratype males 23–25 mm long, vertical diameter of the largest body rings 1.3– 1.4 mm, body with 39–41 podous + 2 apodous rings + telson. Paratype females 24–27 mm long, vertical diameter of the largest body rings 1.3–1.6 mm, body with 38–42 podous + 2–3 apodous rings + telson.

Colour. Whitish to pale yellow or pale brown ( Fig. 1 A).

Head ( Fig. 1 B). Without ocelli. Antennae elongated, 3.07 mm long, ca. twice as long as the vertical diameter of the largest body ring in holotype male. Length of antennomeres I–VIII (in mm): 0.14 (I), 0.64 (II), 0.61 (III), 0.52 (IV), 0.62 (V), 0.35 (VI), 0.14 (VII) and 0.05 (VIII). Length/breadth ratio of antennomeres I–VII: 1 (I), 3.7 (II), 3.2 (III), 3.2 (IV), 2.7 (V), 1.7 (VI) and 1 (VII). Antennomeres V and VI each with a terminal corolla of large bacilliform sensillae; antennomere VII with terminal microsetae arranged circularly. Labrum (in holotype male) with three medial labral teeth; and with 8+7 labral, and 2+2 supralabral setae. Gnathochilarium (in holotype male) without peculiarities; promentum kite-shaped, without setae; lamellae linguales with 3+3 setae; stipites with 3+3 setae. Mandibular stipites in males without lobes.

Body rings. Metazonites with latero-ventral striations. Midbody rings (in holotype male) with ca. 12 short metazonal setae. Setae ca. 11% of vertical diameter of the ring ( Fig. 1 C).

Telson ( Fig. 1 E). Epiproct with a short projection bearing two long setae. Paraprocts each with 10+12 irregularly arranged long setae and 12+9 shorter marginal setae (in holotype male). Hypoproct with 1+1 long apical setae.

Legs in males. First pair of legs hook-shaped; without a complete division between femur, postfemur and tibiotarsus; coxae and postfemora each with one seta, prefemora with 5–6 setae, femora with 2–3 setae in holotype male; femora with nippled ventral margin. Second pair of legs with ventral pads on postfemur and tibia. Pads on postfemur and tibia of the rest of anterior and midbody legs smaller, absent from posterior legs.

Penis. Chitinized, bilobed ( Fig. 2 B).

Ventral margin of body ring 7 ( Fig. 1 B, D). With a well-developed, subtriangular tooth.

Gonopods. Promerite spatulate, straight, apically rounded, with a small, posteriorly curved serrated lamella (l); anteriorly, apical half with a bulge (b); posteriorly, longitudinal projection (p) present, up to ¾ of the promerite high, in addition to a mesal ridge (r). Promerite almost as high as the posterior gonopods. Mesomerital process (m) somewhat robust, apically acuminate, slightly curved posteriad, with a wide lateral lamella (ll). Mesomerital process higher than opisthomerite (o), which is characterized by presence of a fovea (f). Anterior process (a) of opisthomerite expands apically in anterior and posterior views.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Mesoiulus taurus sp. nov. A. Paratype female, habitus, lateral view. B. Holotype male, head and first seven body segments, lateral view. C. Holotype male, midbody rings, lateral view, arrows indicating metazonal setae. D. Holotype male, ring seven with ventral tooth, lateral view. E. Holotype male, telson, lateral view. Scale lines: 5 mm for A.; 1 mm for B., C. and E.; 0.5 mm for D.

FIGURE 2. Mesoiulus taurus sp. nov., holotype male. A. First pair of legs, anterior view. B. Penis, posterior view. C. Right promerite, posterior view. D. Right posterior gonopod, lateral view. E. Left anterior and posterior gonopods, antero-lateral view. F. Right posterior gonopod, posterior view. Designations: a: anterior process of opisthomerite, b: bulge of promerite; f: fovea; l: curved apex of promerite; m: mesomerital process; o: opisthomerite; p: longitudinal projection on promerite; r: mesal ridge of promerite; ll: lateral lamella of mesomerital process. Scale line 0.4 mm.