Ommatoiulus diplurus ( Attems, 1903 )

Akkari, Nesrine & Enghoff, Henrik, 2012, Review of the genus Ommatoiulus in Andalusia, Spain (Diplopoda: Julida) with description of ten new species and notes on a remarkable gonopod structure, the fovea, Zootaxa 3538, pp. 1-53 : 10-12

Ommatoiulus diplurus ( Attems, 1903)

Figs 10–13, 14–26

Schizophyllum (Bothroiulus) diplurum Attems, 1903: 144–145 , Taf. 11, figs 71–72

Schizophyllum hoplites Verhoeff, 1910: 197–198 , figs VIII, XVII, XVII n.syn.

Schizophyllum diplurus hoplites Hoffman 1975: 460

? Schizophyllum diplurum appendiculatum Brolemann, 1925: 147 n.syn.

Ommatoiulus diplurus mauriesi Hoffman, 1975: 460 , fig. 5, n.syn.

Material. Type material: Schizophyllum (Bothroiulus) diplurum Attems, 1903 , holotype ♂, slide preparation of the gonopods (NMHW/3157). Non type material: 1 ♂, Cádiz , Algeciras, 20.ii.1912 ( MNCN) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, ca. 25 Km North of Ronda , under low bush on rocky grassland, in litter, 17.x.1986, P.T. Bailey leg. ( ZMUC) ; 1 ♂, 2 immatures, 8 Km south Grazalema on Ubrique Road, near Ronda in Serranía de Ronda, alt. 1000 m, in oak litter, beneath tree, 16.x.1986, P.T Bailey. Leg. ( ZMUC) ; 2 ♂, 3 immatures, Estepa , East of Sevilla, under small rocks on clay-loan soil, 14.x.1986, P.T. Bailey leg. ( ZMUC) ; 10 ♂, 36 ♀♀, 6 immatures, 9 anterior halves ♀♀, 8 anterior halves immatures, several mid-body and posterior body portions, Carratraca, Lund leg. ( ZMUC) ; 6 ♂, 10 ♀♀, Granada, xi.1908, F. Aranda leg. ( MNCN) ; 1 ♀, Northern part of Los Alcornocales , south road from Cortes de la Frontera to Alcalá de los Gazules forest road south of Peñon del Berrueco, 36º36'21''N, 5º25'8''W, alt. 780m, Oak forest, 8.ii.2008, H. Reip & K. Voigtländer leg. ( ZMUC) ; 2 ♀♀, Eastern Edge of Grazalema Montejaque between Mures and Cerro de Tavizna, 36º45'14''N, 5º14'16''W, open area, under stones, 7.ii.2008, H. Reip & K. Voigtländer leg. ( ZMUC) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, northern part of Los Alcornocales , southern road from Cortes de la Frontera to Alcalá de Los Gazules , Forest road south of Peñón del Berrueco, 36º35'34''N, 5º25'24''W, Oak forest, 8.ii.2008, H. Reip & K. Voigtländer leg. ( ZMUC) , 1 ♂, Tahivilla , Cádiz, 36º11'N, 5º45'W, 31.iii.2012, Coll. E. Recuero ; 1 ♂, Embalse de Almodovar , Facinas, Cádiz, 36º09'N, 5º38'W, 31.iii.2012, Coll. E. Recuero ; 1 ♂, Hacia La Fernandina , Jaén, 38º07'25''N, 3º35'52''W, 15.12.2005, Coll. E. Recuero.

Diagnosis. Differing from all the other Andalusian species by a sinuous promerite, narrowing distally and ending in an acuminate tip pointing posteriorly; a long curved mesomerite bearing subapical processes, and a broad distolateral lamella on the solenomerite with 3 processes connected by a thin jagged lamella to a long, slender lateroposteriad curved accessory branch.

Description. Males: L: ca. 45 mm, H: 4.1–4.5 mm, 49–50 PR+1 AR+T. Females: L: ca. 4 mm, H: 5.3 mm, 50 PR+2 AR+T. Large species, with variable, alternating pale yellowish and dark tawny-brownish to blackish colour. Prozonites blackish-tawny, metazonites anteriorly dark brown-black and posteriorly yellow-whitish, dorsum with black midorsal line, legs reddish-brown, head and telson dark brown. Telson: anal valves with 2 parallel rows of dense short setae on the margin and 4–5 on the disc; subanal scale triangular, protruding and setose; preanal ring with a short caudal projection with 2–2 setae and bearing a small hyaline process.

Gonopods. Promerite (P) ( Figs 10, 11, 14–19) broadest at the basis, bisinuate, distally tapering and apically with an acuminate tip directed posteriorly (A), mesal ridge (Mr) broad at the base, disappearing at midlenght, rudimentary telopodite (T) basal. Posterior gonopod ( Figs 11–13, 20–33): Mesomerite (Ms) slightly shorter than promerite, elongate, curved anteromesad, uniformly broad, slightly narrowing apically, lateral margin with a lateral process at midlength and sometimes two smaller ones apically on the mesal margin (b); solenomerite (S) complex with accessory branches; main process broad with a distolateral lamella, basally lodging the fovea (F) and apically protruding into a main branch lodging the opening of the seminal groove (g), and 2 other processes (a1, a2) of varied shapes and arrangements, parasolenomerite (main accessory branch: Ps) of the same length or much longer than the mesomerite (Ms), slender, distally curved and connected to the main process by a basal jagged median lamella with a variable degree of serration bearing a third process (a3) ( Fig. 11) close to the base of the parasolenomerite (Ps); paracoxite (Px) slender and strongly curved, pointing mesad, emerging from a large, broad coxite (Co), abruptly narrowed at midlength ( Figs 13, 27–33).

Distribution. Granada, ( Attems 1903), Cádiz, Algeciras ( Verhoeff 1910 as Schizophyllum hoplites ); Málaga, Ronda ( Attems 1952); Algeciras, Tarifa ( Brolemann 1928); Sevilla ( Bailey and De Mendonça 1990). Additionally recorded specimens come from Granada and Jaén provinces.

Habitat. Common in grasslands ( Bailey and De Mendonça 1990). Also found in oak litter and under small rocks on clay-loam soil.