Eutrichodesmus sketi Golovatch, Geoffroy, Mauries & VandenSpiegel

Golovatch, Sergei I., Geoffroy, Jean-Jacques, Mauries, Jean-Paul & VandenSpiegel, Didier, 2015, Review of the millipede genus Eutrichodesmus Silvestri, 1910, in China, with descriptions of new cavernicolous species (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Haplodesmidae), ZooKeys 505, pp. 1-34 : 16

Taxon classification Animalia Polydesmida Haplodesmidae

Eutrichodesmus sketi Golovatch, Geoffroy, Mauries & VandenSpiegel sp. n. Figs 16, 17

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (MNHN JC 373), China, Hunan Prov., Longshan County, Huaoyan, Cave Feihu Dong (33a), 13.IV.1997, leg. B. Sket, Cao & R. Verovnik.

Paratype: 1 subadult ♀ (SEM), same data, together with holotype.

Name.

In honour of Boris Sket, one of the main collectors.

Diagnosis.

Differs from congeners by the relatively narrow and strongly declivous paraterga which are set low on the body at about 30° to the vertical axis and nearly continue the outline of the sides above paraterga, the low, but distinct, rounded, metatergal bosses arranged in three transverse irregular rows, and the rather simple gonopod (see also Key below).

Description.

Length of holotype ca 7 mm, width 1.0 and 1.7 mm on midbody pro- and metazonae, respectively. Coloration entirely pallid.

All characters as in Eutrichodesmus triangularis sp. n., except as follows.

Body with 20 segments (♂), conglobation pattern typical of “doratodesmoids”, volvation apparently being complete because of narrow and strongly declivous paraterga. Antennae rather short and clavate (Fig. 16E). Collum not covering the head from above, fore margin clearly lobulate and slightly elevated, with abundant, flat, mostly obliterate bosses arranged in a regular row of lobulations only at anterior margin. Metaterga behind collum with three transverse, rather irregular, mixostictic rows of similarly flat, but rather distinct, rounded, setigerous bosses extending onto paraterga, usually about 9-10+9-10 per row (Fig. 16A); mid-dorsal regions of metaterga not elevated; caudomarginal lobulations numerous, usually evident across the dorsum (Fig. 16 A–D); limbus microcrenulate. Paraterga with evident shoulders anteriorly, rather narrow, strongly declivous, directed ventrolaterad at about 70° to even more strongly declined sides above paraterga (Fig. 16E, H), tips lying clearly below level of venter, usually distinctly trilobate laterally; anterolaterals evident only in segment 2 (Fig. 16A). Paraterga 2 strongly enlarged, directed ventrad (Fig. 16A, E), lateral margin broadly rounded, with few, rather distinct lobulations; a full row of caudolaterals located above schism, both schism and hyposchism being small (Fig. 16A, I). Tergal setae short, 2-segmented, apical part setoid (Fig. 16I). Pore formula normal, ozopores indistinct, open flush on surface and located at about caudal 1/3 of paratergite above caudal lobulation and well removed from lateral margin (Fig. 16A, I). Epiproct strongly flattened dorsoventrally (Fig. 16D, G). Hypoproct subtrapeziform (Fig. 16G).

Sterna usually with a rather deep, narrow depression between coxae (Fig. 16 G–I). Legs long and slender, about as long as body height (Fig. 16F, G), only coxae and most surface of prefemora finely micropapillate (Fig. 17A).

Gonopods (Fig. 17B) rather simple. Coxae subquadrate, large, micropapillate and densely setose mostly on lateral face, with only a small round lobe caudolaterally. Telopodite considerably longer than coxite, moderately curved ventrad, setose over its basal 1/3 until base of a prominent, subspiniform, stout, abundantly microtuberculate, distofemoral process (dp), the latter situated at about basal 1/3 of telopodite, acropodite twisted, distal 1/3 with a small mesal fold (fd) and a strong, recurved, ventral tooth (d); tip acuminate and axe-shaped; seminal groove terminating subapically; a hairpad wanting.