Egonpretneria vudutschajldi Antić and Dražina, 2015

Antić, Dragan, Dražina, Tvrtko, Raða, Tonći, Tomić, Vladimir T. & Makarov, Slobodan E., 2015, Review of the family Anthogonidae (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida), with descriptions of three new species from the Balkan Peninsula, Zootaxa 3948 (2), pp. 151-181 : 154-157

Egonpretneria vudutschajldi Antić and Dražina , sp. n.

Figs 1–18 , 89

Material examined. Holotype male: Vudu Čajld Pit, Vršeljci, Middle Velebit, Velebit Mountains, Croatia, 44°40'36.28"N, 15°6'22.52"E, 1060 m, 29.VII.2012, leg. A. Kirin ( CBSS, DIP 338b). Paratype male I: same data as for holotype (IZB ANG EV 100–1). Paratype male II: Rođakuša Pit, Lomska Duliba, North Velebit, Velebit Mountains, Croatia, 44°46'18.62"N, 15°2'12.98"E, 1322 m, 16.VIII.2014, leg. T. Rađa (IZB ANG EV 100–2).

Etymology. After the type locality, Vudu Čajld (transcribed from English: Voodoo Child) Pit. The type locality and new species are named in honor of Jimi Hendrix, famous rock guitarist, and his song “Voodoo Child” ( Basara & Cvitanović 2013).

Diagnosis. The new species differs clearly from E. brachychaeta in numerous aspects of the anterior and posterior gonopods, including a high syncoxal medial rounded lobe coalesced basally with the rest of the gonopods, without a basal opening; robust lateral processes; and the presence of a medial sternal process much lower than the lateral coxal processes on the posterior gonopods.

Description. Body with 30 segments (including telson).

Measurements: Holotype male 11.8 mm long, vertical diameter of its largest pleurotergite 1 mm; paratype male I 12.5 mm long, vertical diameter of its largest pleurotergite 1.05 mm; paratype male II 11.25 mm long, vertical diameter of its largest pleurotergite 0.9 mm.

Coloration: Pigmentless, yellowish white.

Head (paratype ♂ II): Densely setose, frontal side slightly convex. Labrum ( Fig. 89 ) with three medial labral teeth, both sides of labrum with six less distinct teeth, the outer 2+2 being the smallest. With 4+4 labral and 2+2 supralabral setae. Promentum triangular, without setae; lingual plates with 6+5 setae in one row; stipites with 27+21 setae. Antennae elongated, 2.3 mm long. Length of antennomeres: I (0.1), II (0.25), III (0.6), IV (0.33), V (0.6), VI (0.2), VII (0.2), and VIII (0.02). Length/breadth ratios of antennomeres I-VII: I (1), II (1.8), III (5), IV (2.8), V (4), VI (1.5), and VII (1.8). Antennomeres II, IV and V slightly clavate. Antennomeres II, IV, V, VI, and VII with one, three, one, four and one sensillum (sensilla), respectively. Blind.

Collum: Narrower than head, with six macrochaetae. Anterior side semicircular, posterior side slightly concave.

Body segments: Prozonites with hexagonal tiles ( Figs 1, 2 , and 8), which are better developed on the anterior part (the last row on the anterior part, along the border with the posterior part of prozonites, is the most pronounced). Dorso-medial area of posterior part of prozonite with scale-like structure. Metazonites with scale-like structures and with numerous warts ( Figs 2, 3 , and 8). Warts present on dorsal and lateral sides of metazonites. Without lateral keels, metazonites with only small lateral swellings ( Figs 1 and 5 ). Edge of metazonites with longitudinal outgrowths which communicate with some denticles of the limbus ( Figs 3 and 4 ). Macrochaetae very short, bacilliform, on small knobs ( Fig. 6 ). Macrochaetal index CIX (pleurotergite 15) ~ 0.8; median index MIX (pleurotergite 15) ~ 0.75; paratergal index PIX (pleurotergite 15) ~ 0.5; macrochaetal angle MA (pleurotergite 15) ~170° ( Figs 1 and 8 ).

Telson: Epiproct with a pair of spinnerets and six setae arranged in two rows (2+2 marginal trichoid setae and 1+1 paramedial bacilliform setae). Hypoproct with two apical trichoid setae. Paraprocts with 3+3 marginal trichoid setae and protruding base.

Walking legs: Elongated, with tuberculated coxae, trochanters, and basal parts of prefemora. Leg pairs 1 and 2 with tarsal combs; prefemora with several long and robust setae, femora and postfemora with groups of several long and robust setae.

Male sexual characters: Leg pairs 3–7 are the same size as the rest of the legs; without any peculiarities. Leg pairs 10 and 11 with coxal glands; no other peculiarities.

Anterior gonopods ( Figs 9–17 ): Oral side with well-developed shield-like anterior coxal processes (a) [= telopodites sensu Strasser (1966b) or anterior coxal stem sensu Mršić (1992)] with subapical, latero-caudal denticles (d). From the broad base of these shields arise bristle apparatuses (b), one from each base. These bristles surround each side of the impressive syncoxal rounded lobe (sco) covered by small triangular flakes. This lobe is almost the same height as the shield-like anterior processes. Both sides of the anterior gonopods, apart from a, consist of well-developed lateral processes (lp) and posterior processes (pp) with laterally curved tips. Denticles of shields are connected with lp by a lamella (l).

Posterior gonopods ( Fig. 18 ): With a short uniramous medial sternal process (m) [= Mittelfortsatz sensu Strasser (1966b) or medial sternite process sensu Mršić (1992)] and posterior medial vesicle (v). Lateral coxal processes (lcp) [= gonopodialen Seitenteile sensu Strasser (1966b) or lateral sternite processes sensu Mršić (1992)] are much higher than m; apical halves with wide projections orientated antero-mesally.

Habitat. Vudu Čajld Pit is 86 m deep and has a simple morphology. The following troglobitic forms are recorded from the type locality: Brachydesmus sp. (Diplopoda); Typhlotrechus bilimekii (Sturm, 1847) (Coleoptera) , and Spelaeodromus pluto (Reitter, 1881) (also Coleoptera ).

Rođakuša Pit is a pit 35 m deep with a temperature of about 10°C. The specimen was found under a stone at the bottom of the pit. Other inhabitans of the pit: Neobisium sp. ( Pseudoscorpiones ); Brachydesmus sp. (Diplopoda); and Redensekia likana kosiniensis Pretner, 1963 , Typhlotrechus bilimekii kiesenwetteri (Schaum, 1862) , and Catops sp. (all Coleoptera ).

Figures

FIGURE 89. Egonpretneria vudutschajldi sp. n., paratype male from the Rođakuša Pit, Velebit Mt., labral teeth. Scale line: 0.3 mm.

FIGURES 1 – 8. Egonpretneria vudutschajldi sp. n., paratype male from the Rođakuša Pit, Velebit Mt. 1: body segments XV and XVI, dorsal view; 2: body segment XV, dorsal view; 3: body segment XVI, dorsal view; 4: limbus of body segment XVI; 5: cross-section of body segment XVI, posterior view; 6: external macrochaetae of body segment XVI; 7: metazonal warts of body segment XVI; 8: body segments XV and XVI, lateral view.

FIGURES 9 – 14. Egonpretneria vudutschajldi sp. n., paratype male from the Rođakuša Pit, Velebit Mt., anterior gonopods. 9: anterior view; 10: antero-lateral view; 11: lateral view; 12: posterior view; 13: postero-lateral view; 14: distal view. Designations: a: anterior shield-like coxal process, b: bristles apparatus, d: subapical latero-caudal denticle, l: lamella, lp: lateral process, pp: posterior process, sco: syncoxal rounded lobe.

FIGURES 15 – 18. Egonpretneria vudutschajldi sp. n., paratype male from the Rođakuša Pit, Velebit Mt., gonopods. 15: anterior gonopods, anterior view; 16: anterior gonopods, posterior view; 17: anterior gonopods, lateral view; 18: posterior gonopods, anterior view. Designations: a: anterior shield-like coxal process, b: bristles apparatus, d: subapical latero-caudal denticle, l: lamella, m: uniramous medial sternal process, v: posterior medial vesicle, lp: lateral process, pp: posterior process, lcp: lateral coxal process, sco: syncoxal rounded lobe. Scale line: 0.3 mm.