Caucaseuma kelasuri, 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 : 39-47

Caucaseuma kelasuri sp. nov.

Figs 29–31

Diagnosis. Differs from the other Caucaseuma species by the general shape of the anterior shields of the anterior gonopods, which are characterized by the presence of a thorn-like, long, posteriorly curved, mesal process distally.

Etymology. The new species is named after its type locality; a noun in apposition.

Material studied (total: 1 male). Holotype. ABKHAZIA: male, Sukhumi District, village Verkhnyaya Kelasuri , near Cave Kelasuri , deciduous bush on rock, slope, litter, 27 Oct. 1981, S. Golovatch leg. ( ZMUM ρ3254).

Type locality. ABKHAZIA: Sukhumi District, village Verkhnyaya Kelasuri , near Cave Kelasuri , deciduous bush on rock, slope, litter.

Description. Body with 30 segments (including telson).

MEASUREMENTS. Holotype male 11 mm long, vertical diameter of the largest pleurotergite 0.85 mm.

COLORATION ( Fig. 29 ). Dorsal and lateral sides of prozonites dark greyish, remaining parts yellowish. Lateral keels of metazonites with pale greyish spots with yellowish tint. Ventrolateral sides of body yellowish.

HEAD. Without frontal depression in male. Labrum with three medial teeth and 5+4 labral and 2+2 supralabral setae. Promentum triangular, without setae. Lingual plates with 6+6 setae, on each plate arranged in one row. Stipites with ca 25+25 setae. Antennae 1.85 mm long in holotype. Length of antennomeres (in mm): I (0.07), II (0.21), III (0.53), IV (0.24), V (0.49), VI (0.18), VII (0.12) and VIII (0.01). Length/breadth ratios of antennomeres I–VII: I (0.8), II (1.75), III (5.3), IV (2.4), V (3.8), VI (1.4) and VII (1.1). Antennomeres II, IV, V, VI and VII with one, three, one, four and one sensillum, respectively. Number of ocelli 20, arranged in 3–4 rows in holotype.

COLLUM. Narrower than head, with six macrochaetae. Anterior edge semi-circular, posterior margin gently concave.

BODY SEGMENTS ( Fig. 29 ). Lateral keels well-developed. Macrochaetae relatively long and trichoid. CIX (pleurotergite 15) = 0.7; MIX (pleurotergite 15) = 1.8; PIX (pleurotergite 15) = 0.6; MA (pleurotergite 15) ~ 105˚.

TELSON. Epiproct with a pair of spinnerets and 3+3 setae (1+1 paramedian, 2+2 marginal). Hypoproct with 1+1 apical setae. Paraprocts with 3+3 marginal setae.

WALKING LEGS. Leg-pairs 1 and 2 with tarsal combs; prefemora with several long and robust setae; femora and postfemora with a group of several long and robust setae.

MALE SEXUAL CHARACTERS ( Fig. 30 ). Leg-pairs 3–7 enlarged. Leg-pairs 3 and 4 each with a basal external protrusion on prefemur. Leg-pair 5 with a basal anterior protrusion on prefemur. Leg-pair 6 without any peculiarities. Leg-pair 7 with denticles on posterior side of coxae, prefemur with basal anterior denticles. Leg-pairs 10 and 11 with coxal glands and with denticles on coxae, trochanters and prefemora.

ANTERIOR GONOPODS ( Fig. 31 ). Sternal plate (sp) [= v sensu Strasser (1970): 201, figs 1 and 2] with a medial, anterior, triangular, acuminate, hairy, sternal sac (ss) [= s sensu Strasser (1970): 201, figs 1 and 2]. Anterior coxal processes (cp) [=sc sensu Strasser (1970): 201, figs 1 and 2] wide, shield-like, cordiform, divided only distally. Shields with a notch (n) dividing each shield distally into a lateral (lap) and a medial part (map). Both medial parts carrying one thorn-like, long and posteriorly curved horn (mh). Lateral parts of shields distally curved posteriorly and denticulate, laterally covering most of posterior coxal processes (pp) [= te sensu Strasser (1970): 201, 202, figs 2 and 3]. Posterior coxal processes (pp) starting with an anterior horn (ah) [= z sensu Strasser (1970): 201, 202, figs 1–3], connected with a finger-like part (fp) covered by minute denticles. This part connected to a lever (lv). Levers divided into an anterior (alv) [= y sensu Strasser (1970): 201, 202, figs 1–4] and a posterior part (plv) [= f sensu Strasser (1970): 201, 202, figs 1–4]. Anterior parts finger-like, bare apically, growing wider basally and covered by setae mesally. Posterior parts well-developed, covered by minute setae anteriorly, mesally and apically, also divided into two small branches apically.

POSTERIOR GONOPODS. Similar to other Caucaseuma , but unfortunately lost during examination.

Distribution. Abkhazia (known only from near Cave Kelasuri ) ( Fig. 168 , black circle).

Caucaseuma lohmanderi Strasser, 1970 Figs 32–34

Diagnosis. Differs from the other Caucaseuma species by the general structure of the anterior shields of the anterior gonopods, as well as by the presence of a mesal dentate bulge in the basal half of the prefemora of male leg-pair 7, remaining mesal side of prefemora also dentate.

Material studied (total: 40 males, 36 females, 30 juveniles, and several fragmented). All in RUSSIA, Krasnodar Province, Sochi District : 1 male, 1 juvenile, Cave Dolgaya , 17 Sep. 1959, S.I. Ljovuschkin leg. ( ZMUM ρ3262), 1 male, same data except : 19 Aug. 1960 ( ZMUM ρ3263); 2 males, 1 female, same data, except : 16 Jun. ( ZMUM ρ3264); 1 male, 1 female, same data, except : 18 Nov. 1961 (ZMUM ρ3265); 1 male, 1 female, Cave Partizanskaya , 18 Sep. ( ZMUM ρ3266) ; 2 males, 1 female, 2 juveniles, Cave Labirintovaya , 14 May 1963 ( ZMUM ρ3267); 3 males, 3 females, same data, except : 30 Jul. ( ZMUM ρ3268); several completely fragmented specimens (including 1 male), Cave Muzeynaya 1, near Illarionovka , 22 Aug. 1974, S. Golovatch leg. (ZMUM ρ3269); 1 male, 1 female, Cave Vorontsovskaya , 15 May 1963, S.I. Ljovuschkin leg. ( ZMUM ρ3270) ; 2 males, 2 juveniles, Cave Khod Kuzmenko , above pipe, 11 Oct., S.I. Ljovuschkin leg. ( ZMUM ρ3271) ; 3 males, 8 females, 1 juvenile, same data, except: 12 Sep. ( ZMUM ρ3272) ; 1 male, 3 females, Cave Ametist , Western Akhtsu Mts, 22 Sep. 2014, I.S. Turbanov leg. ( ZMUM ρ3273) ; 6 males (2 dissected, with neither gonopods nor anterior parts of the body), 1 female, 1 juvenile, Cave Bolshaya Vorontsovskaya , 10 Sep. ( ZMUM ρ3274); 3 males, 2 females, Cave Bozhyey Materi (= “Our Lady“), ca 8 km E of Khosta , 16 May 1985, S. Golovatch leg. (ZMUM ρ3275); 4 males, same data, except: 13 Oct. ( ZMUM ρ3276) ; 1 male, 3 females, 2 juveniles, Mt Bolshoy Akhun, Cave Akhunskaya near Khosta , 26 Sep. 1985, N. Myuge leg. ( IZB); 2 females, 2 juveniles, Cave Tisovaya 1, Caucasian Nature Reserve, Taxus & Buxus grove near Khosta , 27 Sep. 1985, N. Myuge leg. (ZMUM ρ3277); 2 males, 1 female, 17 juveniles ( ZMUM ρ3278), 1 male ( ZMUC) same data, except: 12 Jul. 2015, I. Turbanov leg. ; 1 male, cave, Black Sea coast, no date, Y.A. Birstein leg. ( ZMUM ρ3279) ; 2 males, 7 females, 1 juvenile, cave near Khosta , 3 Nov. 1940, Y.A. Birstein leg. ( IZB) ; 1 male, 1 female, 1 juvenile, Cave Shirokopokosskaya, near Khosta , Dec. 1943, Y.A. Birstein leg. ( ZMUM ρ3280).

Type locality. Strasser (1970) quoted Cave “Baribana”, near Illarionovka, Sochi District, Russia, as the type locality, but Golovatch (1985) mistakenly mentioned that no cave with such a name existed near the village of Illarionovka and noted that type locality probably was Cave Podparapetnaya. As Cave Baribana does exist, this is the type locality.

Distribution. Russia (known only from several caves in the Sochi region) ( Fig. 168 , red circle). Notes. This species is only known from several caves and shows some troglomorphic features such as reduced body pigmentation and elongated antennae and walking legs.

Figures

FIGURE 29. Caucaseuma kelasuri sp. nov., holotype male habitus. Scale line = 1 mm.

FIGURE 30. Caucaseuma kelasuri sp. nov., holotype male. A. Leg 3. B. Leg 4. Scale lines = 0.4 mm.

FIGURE 31. Caucaseuma kelasuri sp. nov., holotype male anterior gonopods. A. Anterior view. B. Posterior view. C. Lateral view. n = distal notch; ah = anterior horn; cp = anterior coxal process; fp = finger-like part of lever; lv = lever; mh = thorn-like horn; pp = posterior coxal porcess; sp = sternal plate; ss = sternal sac; alv = anterior part of lever; lap = lateral part of the shield; map = medial part of the shield; plv = posterior part of lever. Scale line = 0.3 mm.

FIGURE 32. Caucaseuma lohmanderi Strasser, 1970, male from Khod Kuzmenko, near Sochi, Russia, habitus. Scale line = 1 mm.

FIGURE 33. Caucaseuma lohmanderi Strasser, 1970, male from Cave Akhunskaya, near Khosta, Krasnodar Province, Russia. A. Head and first few body segments, lateral view. B. Pleurotergites 14 and 15, posterior view. C. Pleurotergites 14 and 15, lateral view. D. Pleurotergites 14 and 15, dorsal view. E. Prozonite of pleurotergite 14, dorsal view. F. Lateral keel of pleurotergite 14, dorsal view.

FIGURE 34. Caucaseuma lohmanderi Strasser, 1970, male from Cave Akhunskaya, near Khosta, Krasnodar Province, Russia, anterior gonopods. A. Anterior view. B. Anterolateral view. C. Lateral view. D. Posterolateral view. E. Posterior view. F. Distal view.

FIGURE 168. Distribution of the Caucasian Anthroleucosomatidae: the Caucaseuma complex.