Herculina, Antić, Dragan Ž. & Makarov, Slobodan E., 2016

Antić, Dragan Ž. & Makarov, Slobodan E., 2016, The Caucasus as a major hotspot of biodiversity: Evidence from the millipede family Anthroleucosomatidae (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida), Zootaxa 4211 (1), pp. 1-205 : 182

Genus Herculina gen. nov.

Diagnosis. The new genus clearly differs from the other Caucasian anthroleucosomatids by the presence of a very robust and bizarre male leg-pair 6, and by the presence of numerous arrow-like filaments on the coxites of the posterior gonopods.

Etymology. The new genus is named after Greek divine hero Heracles (Roman name Hercules), famous for his strength, and refers to a particularly strongly developed male leg-pair 6. The name is a feminine noun.

Description. Body length 8–9 mm in males, 9–9.5 mm in females; number of body segments 31 in adults (including telson). Body pigmented, pale yellowish, with darker head and first few segments. Head flattened in males. Antennae normal. Lateral keels like lateral swellings. Macrochaetae long, trichoid. Leg-pairs 3–7 in males enlarged, especially so leg-pairs 5 and 6. Male leg-pairs 6 the most robust, bizarre, femora extremly enlarged, tarsi with a basal inner protrusion. Male leg-pair 5 similar to leg-pair 6, but with smaller podomeres. Male leg-pair 7 with a posterior coxal horn. Male leg-pairs 10 and 11 with coxal glands. Male leg-pair 10 with a short coxal protrusion. Male leg-pair 11 with an exterior and an interior coxal protrusion. Leg-pairs 12–15 in males each with an inner, subtriangular, coxal protrusion.

Anterior gonopods with a sternal lamella (sl) or/and a sternal sac (sc) on anterior side of sternal plate (sp). Coxal processes (cp) simplified, posteriorly with at least a mesal (ml) and a lateral (ll) lamella.

Posterior gonopods unusual. Coxites (c) divided. Telopodites (t) small, with or without very long arrow-shaped filaments (af). Coxites also with arrow-shaped filaments (af). Posteriorly, coxites with characteristic coxal processes (cp). Coxal vesicles (cv) on anteromesal side.

Distribution. Georgia ( Fig. 170 , triangle).

Type species. Herculina oligosagittae gen. et sp. nov., by present designation.

Included species

Herculina oligosagittae gen. et sp. nov.

Herculina polysagittae gen. et sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 170. Distribution of the Caucasian Anthroleucosomatidae: the Dentatosoma, the Herculina, the Ratcheuma and the Vegrandosoma complexes.