Jeekelosoma viginti, Enghoff & Reboleira, 2019

Enghoff, Henrik & Reboleira, Ana Sofia P. S., 2019, The genus Jeekelosoma Mauriès, 1985 - Moroccan cave millipedes (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 523, pp. 1-16 : 12-13

Jeekelosoma viginti sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:49B57581-A5CF-41C9-A504-F05064F6287D

Fig. 9

Diagnosis

A species of Jeekelosoma with 18 podous rings, with the ozopores borne on mushroom-like outgrowths each provided with two macrosetae, and without a horizontal row of tubercles on podous rings 5–17.

Etymology

The name means ‘twenty’ in Latin and refers to the presence of 20 ‘segments’ (18 podous rings + 1 apodous ring + telson), vs 19 ‘rings’ in the two other species.

Material examined

Holotype MOROCCO • ♀; Kef Touna, Douar hayant, Ahermoumou, ca Ribat el Khayr; 21 May 2002; Fadrique-Escolà leg.; MZB 2003 -0 147.

Paratypes MOROCCO • 1 ♀, 1 subad. ♂; same collecting data as holotype; MZB 2003-0 445 , MZB 2019-0 0 25 • 1 ♀; same collecting data as holotype; NHMD 302024 .

Description

Male

Unknown.

Female SIZE. Body length 10.5–14.5 mm, max. width 0.76–0.90 mm, 20 ‘segments’ (18 podous rings + 1 apodous ring + telson).

HEAD. As in J. abadi . Length of antennae 1.9 × max. body width. Relative length of antennomeres 2-8: 17 / 20 / 17 / 15 / 18 / 9 / 3.

COLLUM. As in J. abadi .

MIDBODY RINGS ( Fig. 9 A–B). Very narrow/elongated, length of metazona equaling ca ¾ of maximum width. Body extremely narrow in anterior part, maximum width attained a little behind midbody, from there until and including ring 19 (the apodous ring in front of telson) body parallel-sided. Surface of metazona with very pronounced microcellulate structure. Metazona with diameter increasing towards rear margin and with a clear constriction slightly behind middle; posterior margin of rings finely crenulate but without a proper limbus. Each metazona with three rows of long, rather stout setae borne on distinct tubercles; each row on midbody rings with ca 10 setae; anterior row curving posteriad laterally; intermediate row situated just behind constriction. Metazonal setae of moderate length, ca as in J. abadi , much shorter than in J. heptarachne . No horizontal row of tubercles at ozopore level, but lateral parts of anterior row appearing as oblique row of tubercles in lateral view.

OZOPORES ( Fig. 9C ). On peculiar mushroom-like outgrowths (modified peritremata) as in J. abadi , but more oblong and pointed at anterior end; each ‘mushroom’ with one long seta behind pore and one in front.

LEGS ( Fig. 9 D–E). Length 1.6 × max. body width. Relative length of podomeres: prefemur: 13 / femur: 32 / postfemur: 9 / tibia: 11 / tarsus: 30 / claw: 5.

TELSON. As in J. abadi .

Distribution and habitat

Known only from the type locality which is also known as “Kef Tovna” and is located in a wide sinkhole near the village of Douar Tahyannt. It has served as a deposit of dead domestic animals. In the rainy season, which is usually very intense, the sinkhole is flooded, and the carcasses of cows, horses and other small animals are dragged into the cave, allowing the development of large quantities of allochthonous dipteran larvae (Fadrique pers. com.). No other cave-adapted species are known from this cave.

Remarks

It is usually inadvisable to describe a new species of chilognathan millipedes without having an adult male available. However, Jeekelsoma viginti sp. nov. is readily recognisable in the female sex, on the one hand sharing the peculiar non-sexual morphology of its known congeners and on the other hand being clearly different from both of them.

On the surface of one peritrema ( Fig. 9F ) rows of minute spherical structures were seen, resembling those described from various species of millipedes and regarded as being possibly of fungal nature by Enghoff & Reboleira (2017).

Figures

Fig. 9. Jeekelosoma viginti sp. nov. paratype female (NHMD 302024). A. Rings 8–10, lateral view. B. Ring 9, dorsal view. C. Right ozopore of ring 9. D. Claw of midbody leg. E. Midbody leg. F. Cuticular (fungal?) structures from surface of peritrema. Scale bars: A–B, E = 0.1 mm; C = 0.02 mm; D = 0.01 mm; F = 0.005 mm.