Geotypodon cristinae, Enghoff, 2022

Enghoff, Henrik, 2022, Mountains of millipedes. The family Odontopygidae in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida), European Journal of Taxonomy 803, pp. 1-136 : 57-59

Geotypodon cristinae sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2D928EA2-BB90-406C-81EA-EA9AC0483BC3

Figs 37–39

Diagnosis

Very much resembling and probably closely related to G. papei Enghoff, 2018 and G. carli ( Kraus, 1960) with which species it shares a particularly long, slender, simple telomere. With G. papei it further shares the peculiar, wavy surface of part of the solenomere. It differs from all other species of Geotypodon in the lack of post-torsal, basal solenomeral or basal telomeral spines.

Etymology

After Maria Cristina Vicente (1948–2000), Spanish myriapodologist, former resident of ‘Hotel Dolichoiulus’.

Material examined (total 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀)

Holotype TANZANIA • ♂; Nguru Mts , Mhonda Mission at Turiani; 2 Oct. 1992; M.Andersen leg.; NHMD 621736 .

Paratype TANZANIA • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; NHMD 621737 .

Referred non-type specimen

TANZANIA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; NHMD 621738 .

Description (male)

SIZE. Length 61–64 mm, diameter 4.7–4.9 mm, 53 podous rings, no apodous rings in front of telson.

COLOUR. After 26 years in alcohol head and legs brownish yellow; antennae, collum and telson greyish brown. Rings: anterior ⅓ of prozonites and posterior ¼ or metazonite amber, posterior ⅔ of prozonites whitish, a narrow zone just behind suture dark brown, rest of metazonite grey; no indications of a dorsal band.

SUPRALABRAL SETAE. 7–8.

MANDIBULAR STIPES. Distal margin bilobed.

ANAL VALVES. With a small dorsal spine, a ventral ‘corner’; margin clearly raised, setae not on tubercles.

LIMBUS ( Fig. 38E ). With clearly separated, ridged, subrectangular lobes; distal margin of each lobe with 5–7 tiny denticles. Surface in front of limbus micro-spiculate.

LEGS. Postfemoral pads from leg-pair 5 almost to end of body. No tibial pads.

FIRST PAIR OF LEGS ( Fig. 37A–B, D ). Prefemoral lobes rounded-triangular in ventral view. Three long coxosternal setae (CXS) close to lateral margin of coxosternum, well separated from prefemoral lobes. Prefemora with two to three, partly long mesapical setae (APS) and six to eight lateral setae (LPS).

STERNUM 9 ( Fig. 37C ). Subrectangular.

GONOPOD COXA ( Fig. 38A–D ). Slender, almost parallel-sided, apically attenuate and inclined mesad. Proplica (PP) simple, proplical lobe (PPL) almost hidden from view by anterior metaplical process. Metaplica (MP) with a distinct metaplical flange (MF), apically on anterior side with broad process (msp) ending in small spine, at ca same level with a broad, rounded, mesad process (mrp).

GONOPOD TELOPODITE ( Fig. 39 ). Arculus 90°. Torsotope (TT) moderately compact, with a blunt lobe (TL) fitting into torsion on posterior side, no post-torsal spine. Post-torsal narrowing (PN) very long and pronounced. Solenomere (SLM) very long and slender, but not much longer than telomere, describing an almost complete loop and ending in a relatively tight spiral before the spinelike tip; external surface of slm along part of its course with coarse, wavy sculpture ( Fig. 39E , arrow), no basal solenomeral spine. Telomere (TM) very long and slender, describing an almost complete loop more or less in parallel with solenomere; basally with a broad lamella (btl) on inner side of curvature, distad to that a narrow gutter, tip slightly expanded, bifid.

Descriptive notes (female)

SIZE. Length 68 mm, diameter 5.9 mm, 53 podous rings, no apodous rings in front of telson. Conspecificity with males indicated by general appearance and the characteristic limbus.

Distribution and habitat

Known only from the type locality. Mhonda mission is situated at 06°13′ S, 37°48′ E, altitude 488 m a.s.l. ( Doggart & Loserian 2007).

Figures

Fig. 37. Geotypodon cristinae sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (NHMD 621736). A–B, D. First pair of legs. C. Sternum 9. Abbreviations: APS= mesapical prefemoral setae; CXS =coxosternal setae; LPS =lateral prefemoral setae. Scale bars =0.2 mm.

Fig. 38. Geotypodon cristinae sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (NHMD 621736). A–D. Left gonopod coxa. A. Anterior view. B. Mesal view. C. Lateral view. D. Posterior view. E. Midbody dorsal limbus. Abbreviations: MF=metaplical flange; MP= metaplica;mrp =mesad rounded process;msp =metaplical spinelike process; PP= proplica; PPL =proplical lobe. Scale bars: A–D= 0.2 mm; E=0.01 mm.

Fig. 39. Geotypodon cristinae sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (NHMD 621736). Left gonopod telopodite. A. Posterior view.B. Ventralview.C.Meso-ventral view.D. Lateralview.E. Distal partsof solenomere and telomere, arrow points to ‘wavy’ surface. F. Tip of telomere (crossed by solenomere). G. Latero-anterior view. Abbreviations: btl =basal telomeral lamella; PN =post-torsal narrowing; SLM =solenomere; TL = torsotope lobe; TM =telomere; TT =torsotope. Scale bars: A–D, G= 0.2 mm; E–F=0.1 mm.