Nepalella, Shear, 1979

Mikhaljova, Elena V., 2022, Contributions to the millipede fauna of China: five new species of the genus Nepalella Shear, 1979 (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Megalotylidae), Zootaxa 5196 (3), pp. 388-406 : 404-405

Key to the species of Nepalella , modified after Likhitrakarn et al. (2022)

1 Adults with 28 body rings including telson........................................................ N. phulcokia

- Adults with 30 body rings including telson................................................................. 2

2 Body large,> 36 mm long.............................................................................. 3

- Body smaller, <35 mm long............................................................................ 6

3 Posterior gonopod telopoditomere 2 vestigial............................................................... 4

- Posterior gonopod telopoditomere 2 not vestigial............................................................ 5

4 Male coxa 10 with process........................................................................ N. wangi

- Male coxa 10 without process.................................................................. N. jinfoshan

5 Posterior gonopod base caudally with a large elongate bulge on stalk beset with minute plumose setae........ N. grandoides

- Posterior gonopod base caudally with a small, roundish bulge beset with minute plumose setae and with long flagella beset with simply pilosity............................................................................... N. grandis

6 Body length 20–33 mm ................................................................................ 7

- Body length <20 mm ................................................................................. 16

7 Paraterga large, very well developed on midbody rings....................................................... 8

- Paraterga small, moderately developed or poorly developed on midbody rings.................................... 12

8 Anterior gonopod sternum with two median lobes.......................................... N. fruticulosa sp. nov.

- Anterior gonopod sternum with one median lobe............................................................ 9

9 Anterior gonopod sternum median lobe spiniform...................................................... N. helii

- Anterior gonopod sternum median lobe not spiniform....................................................... 10

10 Posterior gonopod colpocoxite with a large, strong lateral process........................................ N. lobata

- Posterior gonopod colpocoxite without a large, strong lateral process........................................... 11

11 Posterior gonopod colpocoxite posterior surface along entire length with a narrow, longitudinal, bush-like structure ( Figs 42 , 45 ), China.......................................................................... N. labolensis sp. nov.

- Posterior gonopod colpocoxite posterior surface along entire length without a narrow, longitudinal, bush-like structure but with a short feathery branch basally, Myanmar........................................................... N. pallida

12 Eye patch with 25 ommatidia, coloration dark brown, paraterga moderately developed, China, Yunnan ........... N. magna

- Eye patch with 15–17 ommatidia, coloration pale brown, paraterga poorly developed, China, Sichuan ....... N. marmorata

13 Posterior gonopod colpocoxites form a heart-shaped figure................................... N. brevichaeta sp. nov.

- Posterior gonopod colpocoxites not form a heart-shaped figure................................................ 14

14 Anterior gonopod sternum without a median lobe................................................. N. troglodytes

- Anterior gonopod sternum with a median lobe............................................................. 15

15 Posterior gonopod colpocoxite without a bush-like structure......................................... N. siamensis

- Posterior gonopod colpocoxite with a bush-like structure.............................................. N. taiensis

16 Posterior gonopod colpocoxite distal part as a longitudinal boat-shaped structure ( Fig. 52 ), China... N. shimianensis sp. nov.

- Posterior gonopod colpocoxite distal part different.......................................................... 17

17 Male prefemur 11 without a digitiform process, Myanmar............................................ N. birmanica

- Male prefemur 11 with a digitiform process, Thailand.............................................. N. inthanonae

18 Male coxa 10 with a process........................................................................... 19

- Male coxa 10 without a process......................................................................... 25

19 Posterior gonopod colpocoxite with a mesal, broad, two-tipped outgrowth.............................. N. taplejunga

- Posterior gonopod colpocoxite without a mesal broad two-tipped outgrowth but with a lateral pointed dentiformed process.............................................................................................. N. jaljalae

20 Process of male coxa 10 with a rounded, micropapillate bulge......................................... N. gairiensis

- Process of male coxa 10 without a rounded, micropapillate bulge.............................................. 21

21 Process of male coxa 10 bottle-shaped, not bifid ( Fig. 60 ), China.............................. N. zhumanica sp. nov.

- Process of male coxa 10 bifid, not bottle-shaped, Nepal............................................ N. ringmoensis

22 Posterior gonopod colpocoxite divided distally into two branches of different length, longer one with outgrowth.................................................................................................... N. tragsindola

- Posterior gonopod colpocoxite divided distally into three branches............................................. 23

23 Posterior gonopod basal part with a fimbriate branch and distinct bulge covered with cuticular fimbriae........ N. thodunga

- Posterior gonopod basal part with a fimbriate branch but without distinct bulge................................... 24

24 Anterior gonopod sternum with two median lobes................................................. N. deharvengi

- Anterior gonopod sternum without median lobes................................................... N. khumbua

25 Posterior gonopod colpocoxite broad basally, with an arcuate lateral excavations; telopodites much reduced...... N. pianma

- Posterior gonopod colpocoxite not broad basally, without an arcuate lateral excavations; telopodites not reduced......... 26

26 Posterior gonopod colpocoxite unbranched................................................................ 27

- Posterior gonopod colpocoxite branched.................................................................. 28

27 Posterior gonopod telopoditomere 1 greatly swollen distally, excavate mesally, Nepal........................ N. gunsa

- Posterior gonopod telopoditomere 1 not greatly swollen distally, erect, China................................ N. caeca

28 Male prefemur 11 without a process........................................................... N. kavanaughi

- Male prefemur 11 with a process....................................................................... 29

29 Posterior gonopod colpocoxite with a large triangular and shield-like outgrowth laterally, Vietnam.......... N. vietnamica

- Posterior gonopod colpocoxite with a lateral branch carrying a broad frontal plane parallel to body axis, China...................................................................................................... N. griswoldi

Figures

FIGURES 39–42. Nepalella labolensis sp. nov., male holotype (ZMUM). 39. Basal part of leg pair 10, caudal view. 40.Anterior gonopods, frontal view (apex of coxite on the left broken off). 41. Posterior gonopods, frontal view. 42. Posterior gonopods, caudal view. Abbreviations: a, angiocoxite; b, bush-like structure; bb, basal blade; bl, anterior colpocoxital blade; cxi, coxite; lp, flattened process; mb, mesal blade; ml, median lobe; mp, mesal process. Scales: 100 μm.

FIGURES 43–46. Nepalella labolensis sp. nov., male holotype (ZMUM). 43, 44. Anterior gonopods, caudal and frontal views, respectively. 45. Posterior gonopods, caudal view. 46. Posterior gonopods, frontal view. Abbreviations: a, angiocoxite; b, bush-like structure; bb, basal blade; bl, anterior colpocoxital blade; lp, flattened process; mb, mesal blade; mp, mesal process. Scales: 1 mm.

FIGURES 52–55. Nepalella shimianensis sp. nov., male holotype (ZMUM). 52. Posterior gonopod, caudal view. 53. Posterior gonopod, frontal view. 54. Posterior gonopod colpocoxite, caudal view. 55. Distal part of posterior gonopod colpocoxite, caudal view. Abbreviations: a, angiocoxite; bl, anterior colpocoxital blade; bs, boat-shaped structure; lp, lateral process; m, median process; op, ovale part. Scales: 10 μm (Fig. 55), 20 μm (Fig. 54), 100 μm (Figs 52, 53).

FIGURES 59–65. Nepalella zhumanica sp. nov., male holotype (ZMUM). 59. Leg pair 10, frontal view. 60. Basal part of leg pair 10, frontal view. 61. Basal part of leg pair 11, caudal view. 62. Posterior gonopods, caudal view. 63. Distal part of posterior gonopod colpocoxite, frontal view. 64. Anterior gonopods, caudal view. 65. Posterior gonopods, frontal view. Abbreviations: a, angiocoxite; b, broom-like process; bl, anterior colpocoxital blade; cxi, coxite; d, digitiform process; db, lateral blade; lb, flat plate; mb, mesal branch; ml, median lobe; s, coxal process; tb, thin blade; tp, tongue-like process;. Scales: 20 μm (Figs 60–61, 63–64), 100 μm (Figs 59, 62, 65).