Nepalella fruticulosa, Mikhaljova, 2022

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 : 392-394

Nepalella fruticulosa sp. nov.

Figs 16–32

Material examined. Holotype: male ( ZMUM), China, Sichuan [Province], [ Tibetan Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Ngawa ], E Maoxian-Songpan road, 1.4 km SW Ma′anyao, 31˚59′28′′ N, 103˚44′9′′ E, H= 3580 m, 30.06.2015, leg. I. Belousov, I. Kabak, G. Davidian. Paratypes: 1 male, 1 female ( ZMUM) , 1 male ( FSCB), same data as for holotype .

Diagnosis. Differs from congeners mainly by the posterior gonopod colpocoxite characterized by a large, cupshaped posterolateral process (lp), a stump-shaped emarginated outgrowth (w) near mesal edge at midway and a large bush-like structure (b) occupying proximal half ( Figs 24 , 31 ).

Description. Male. Length in alcohol 25–27 mm, width 2.5–2.7 mm with paraterga. Coloration in alcohol light brown with light spot on each paratergite. Venter and basal parts of legs pallid. Distal parts of legs marbled brownish. Head and collum marbled light brown. Antennae light brown. Eye patches black.

Body with 30 rings (including telson). Head sparsely setose. Antennae very long and slender. Eye patches triangular, with about 20 ommatidia. Collum semicircular. Both collum and ring 2 narrower than head with genae. Ring 2 somewhat wider than collum. Body width gradually increasing until ring 7, body parallel-sided on rings 8– 21(22), thereafter gradually tapering. Paraterga beginning on ring 2, well developed on rings 5–24, poorly developed on rings 25 and 26, reduced on ring 27, onward missing. Metazonital macrochaetae in a transverse row on rings 28 and 29, like an extended (to different degrees) triangle on preceding rings. Caudolateral (exterior after Spelda 2001) macrochaetae longest, anterolateral (median after Spelda 2001) macrochaetae somewhat longer than medial ones. All macrochaetae pointed. Axial suture well-developed.

Legs long and slender. Leg pairs 1 and 2 typically reduced in size, with usual tarsal brushes. Other pregonopodal legs somewhat enlarged. Starting from legs 3, walking legs (including legs 10 and 11) with small, abundant tarsal papillae as funnels with operculum ( Figs 16, 21 ); both their size and quantity gradually decrease toward end of body. Leg of the ring 21 with tarsal papillae occupying about 2/3 of the tarsus length. Hindmost legs without tarsal papillae.

Claws invariably long, sabre-shaped. Claw of leg pairs 3–7 and 10 and 11 at base with two small additional claws dorsally and one small additional claw ventrally ( Figs 20, 21 ). Claw of midbody and hindmost legs at base with two small additional claws dorsally only. Some setae of the pregonopodal legs with tiny spines (sp) ( Fig. 21 ). Femora 3 and 4 without mushroom-shaped protuberance.

Legs 10 and 11 with coxal glands. Prefemur 11 with a basal digitiform, partly papillate process (d) ( Figs 17, 18 ). Sternum 11 with a longitudinal roof-shaped ridge on front face.

Anterior gonopods reduced, sternum with two lobes (ml); coxites (cxi) of medium length, slightly curved, hornlike ( Figs 22, 23 , 32 ). Posterior gonopod colpocoxite in caudal view bearing lateral, cup-shaped process (lp) with outer edge elongated into a finger-shaped outgrowth covered with papillae from behind ( Figs 24 , 31 ). Near mesal edge at midway the colpocoxite with somewhat emarginated outgrowth (w) and with a large bush-like structure (b) occupying proximal half of the colpocoxite. Orifice of seminal groove (sg) opening on the outgrowth w distally ( Figs 28, 29 ). The colpocoxite apex broad, obtuse, plicate ( Fig. 27 ). Angiocoxite (a) with a rounded mesal blade (mb) on posterior face ( Figs 24 , 31 ). The colpocoxite in frontal view with long longitudinal ridge (lr) near mesal edge and tongue-like wrinkled blade (bl); angiocoxite (a) convex, near pear-shaped ( Figs 26 , 32 ). Posterior gonopod telopodites large; telopoditomere 2 with a claw vestige apically.

Female. Length in alcohol about 28 mm, width about 3.0 mm with paraterga. Legs without tarsal papillae. Other nonsexual characters as in male. Vulva as in Fig. 30 .

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the bush-like structure occupying proximal half of the posterior gonopod colpocoxite, adjective.

Figures

FIGURES 16–21. Nepalella fruticulosa sp. nov., male paratype (ZMUM). 16. Tarsal papillae of leg 10. 17. Leg pair 11, caudal view. 18. Basal part of leg 11, caudal view. 19. Basal part of leg pair 10, frontal view. 20. Claw of leg 7 (claw apex broken off), caudal view. 21. Claw of leg 11 (claw apex broken off), caudal view. Abbreviations: d, digitiform process; sp, spine. Scales: 10 μm (Figs 16–17), 20 μm (Figs 20–21), 100 μm (Figs 18–19).

FIGURES 22–27. Nepalella fruticulosa sp. nov., male paratype (ZMUM). 22. Anterior gonopods, frontal view. 23. Anterior gonopods, caudal view (right coxite broken off). 24. Posterior gonopods, caudal view. 25. Distal part of posterior gonopod colpocoxite, caudal view. 26, Anterior and posterior gonopods, frontal view. 27. Apex of posterior gonopod colpocoxite, caudal view. Abbreviations: a, angiocoxite; b, bush-like structure; bl, anterior colpocoxital blade; cxi, coxite; lp, lateral cup-shaped process; lr, longitudinal ridge; mb, mesal blade; ml, median lobe; w, emarginated outgrowth. Scales: 10 μm (Fig. 24), 20 μm (Fig. 27), 100 μm (Figs 22–23, 25–26).

FIGURES 28–30. Nepalella fruticulosa sp. nov., male and female paratypes (ZMUM). 28. Middle part of posterior gonopod colpocoxite, caudal view. 29. Orifice of seminal groove, caudal view. 30. Left vulva, ventral view. Abbreviations: sg, seminal groove orifice. Scales: 10 μm (Fig. 29), 20 μm (Fig. 28), 100 μm (Fig. 30).

FIGURES 31–32. Nepalella fruticulosa sp. nov., male paratype (ZMUM). 31. Posterior gonopods, caudal view. 32. Anterior and posterior gonopods, frontal view. Abbreviations: a, angiocoxite; ag, anterior gonopods; b, bush-like structure; bl, anterior colpocoxital blade; cxi, coxite; lp, lateral cup-shaped process; mb, mesal blade; w, emarginated outgrowth. Scales: 1.0 mm.