Aponedyopus montanus Verhoeff, 1939

Chen, Chao-Chun, Golovatch, Sergei I. & Chang, Hsueh-Wen, 2010, Revision of the endemic Taiwanese millipede genus Aponedyopus Verhoeff, 1939, with descriptions of two new species (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae). Advances in the systematica of Diplopoda III, ZooKeys 71, pp. 1-21 : 3-9

Aponedyopus montanus Verhoeff, 1939 Figs 12340 –4350– 53

Aponedyopus montanus Verhoeff 1939: 119-121, figs 5-7.

Aponedyopus montanus Miyosi 1959: 73; Jeekel 1968, 75; Wang and Mauriès 1996: 87; Korsós 2004: 21.

Aponedyopus montanusmontanus Wang 1964, 69.

Aponedyopus maculatus Takakuwa 1942: 238, figs 3 & 4, syn. n.

Aponedyopus maculatus Wang 1958: 342; 1963a: 90; 1964: 69; Jeekel 1968: 75; Wang and Mauriès 1996: 87; Korsós 2004: 20. Nedyopus reesi Wang 1957a: 104-106, fig. 2; first synonymized by Korsos 2004.

Nedyopus reesi Wang 1958: 342.

Aponedyopus reesi Miyosi 1959: 73; Wang 1964: 69; Jeekel 1968: 75; Wang and Mauriès 1996: 87.

Nedyopus jeanae Wang 1957b: 113-115, fig. 8; first synonymized by Miyosi 1959.

Nedyopus jeanae Wang 1958: 342; Miyosi 1959: 73.

Aponedyopus jeanae Wang 1963b: 288; Jeekel 1968: 75; Wang and Mauriès 1996: 87.

Aponedyopus montanus jeanae Wang 1963a: 90; 1964: 69.

Material examined:

1 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 60), Taiwan, Taipei City, BeiTou area (北投區), 101 Jiia county road (101甲縣道), ca 860 m a.s.l., 4 May 2002, leg. S. Y. Wu. 1 ♂ (NCHUL), Taipei County (台北縣), Gongliao Township (貢寮鄉), upstream of Yuanwangkeng Stream (遠望坑溪上游), 6 June, 1998, leg. S. H. Wu. 1 ♂ (NSYSUB-DI 67), Taipei County (台北縣), ULai Township (烏來鄉), TaManShan (塔曼山), in decaying wood, 2,100 m a.s.l., 23 August 2002, same collector. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 59), same township, WuLai (烏來), 1,000-1,200 m a.s.l., March 2002, leg. C. C. Chen & C. S. Iang. 1 ♂, 2 ♀ (TFRI), same township, FuShan Botanical garden (福山植物園), ca 730 m a.s.l., 18-25 May 2001, leg. W. B. Huang. 1 ♂, 3 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 61-64), Taiwan, Taoyuan County (桃園縣), FuSiing Township (復興鄉), HuaLeng Village (華稜村), Northern Cross-Island Highway (北部橫貫公路)/Provincial # 7 Highway (台七線), 53 km, ca 1,030 m a.s.l., 22 April 2003, same collector. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 73), same locality, 58 km, ca 1,110 m a.s.l., 29 May 2003, same collector. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), same locality, 56 km, ca 1,030 m a.s.l., 23 June 2006, same collector. 3 ♂ (NSYSUB-DI 444-446), same township, Baling (巴陵), ca 600 m a.s.l., 3 April 2004, leg. H. D. Zhu. 1 ♀ (NTNUL-My 15), Hsinchu County (新竹縣), Wufeng Township (五峰鄉), GuanU (觀霧), ca 2,000 m a.s.l., 28 June 1993, leg. S. H. Chen. 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), same township, ShihLu old path (石鹿古道), ca 1,600 m a.s.l., 22 September 2005, leg. H. D. Zhu. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), same township, Syueba farm (雪壩農場), DaLu forest path (大鹿林道), ca 1,890 m a.s.l., 1 October 2006, leg. S. Y. Wu. 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (ZMUM), Yilan County (宜蘭縣), Yuanshan Township (員山鄉), Shuanglian Pond (雙連埤), ca 500 m a.s.l., 11 May 2007, same collector. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), Datong Township (大同鄉), Cueifong Lake (翠峰湖), ca 1,900 m a.s.l., 29 July 2004, same collector. 1 ♂ (NSYSUB), same township, Northern Cross-Island Highway (北部橫貫公路)/Provincial # 7 Highway (台七線), MingChih (明池), ca 1,200 m a.s.l., 13 April 2006, same collector. 1 ♂ (NSYSUB), same township, Mt Taiping (太平山), ca 1,930 m a.s.l., 26 February 2007, 24°28'46"N, 119°31'03"E, leg. M. H. Hsu. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), same township, forest path # 100 (100號林道), 21 km, ca 1,600 m a.s.l., 9 September 2009, leg. C. J. Jheng. 1 ♂ (NSYSUB-DI 65.), Taichung County (台中縣), HePing Township (和平鄉), AnMaShan forest amusement zone (鞍馬山森林遊樂園), ca 2,000 m a.s.l., 7 May 2003, leg. S. Y. Wu. 1 ♂ (NCHUL), Nantou County (南投縣), LuGu (鹿谷鄉), SiTou (溪頭), ca 1,140 m a.s.l., 31 October 1997, leg. S. H. Wu. 1 ♀ (NCHUL), same locality, ca 1,160-1,400 m a.s.l., 31 October 1997, leg. S. H. Chen. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 58), same locality, ShenMu walking path (神木步道), under stones, ca 1,200 m a.s.l., 15 November 2002, leg. J. D. Lee. 1 ♀ (JDLee20021114008, deposited at NSYSUB), same locality, TuDiGongLun walking path (土地公崙步道), ca 1,160- 1,400 m a.s.l., same date and collector. 2 juveniles (JDLee20021114004, deposited at NSYSUB), same locality, SiTou walking path (溪頭步道), same date and collector. 3 ♀ (NTNUL-My 6-9), same county, ShinYi Township (信義鄉), Zjhong (自忠), ca 2,340 m a.s.l., 1 July 1989, leg. S. H. Chen. 3 ♂ (NTNUL-My 25-28), same locality, date and collector. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), same county, Zhushan Township (竹山鎮), ShanLinSi amusement park (杉林溪遊樂園), ca 1,600 m a.s.l., 7 October 2004, leg. S. Y. Wu. 1 ♂ (NSYSUB), Taiwan, Hualien County (花蓮縣), Xiulin Township (秀林鄉), Mt. JiaLiWan (加禮宛山), ca 1,290 m a.s.l., 29 July 2005, leg. F. S. Jhou. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), same township, Toroko (太魯閣), Lianhua Pond walking path (蓮花池步道), ca 1,060 m a.s.l., 24°13'10"N, 119°28'49"E, 28 February 2007, leg. M. H. Hsu. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), same county, FengBin Township (豐濱鄉), Ruigang Highway (瑞港公路), ca 130 m a.s.l., 23°28'50"N, 119°27'31"E, 7 May 2009, leg. M. H. Hsu. 2 ♂ (NSYSUB-DI 69-70), same county, JhuoSii (卓溪鄉), WaLaMi (瓦拉米), YuShan National Park (玉山國家公園), ca 1,080 m a.s.l., 24 February 2003, leg. H. D. Zhu. 1 ♂, 3 juveniles (NTNUL-My 29-32), Chia-I County (嘉義縣), ALiShan Township (阿里山鄉), ALiShan (阿里山), ca 2,260 m a.s.l., 11 March 1989, leg. S. H. Chen. 1 ♂, 2 ♀ (NTNUL-My 49-51), 2,250 m a.s.l., 3 July 1989, same locality and collector. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 74), same locality, ALiShan amusement park (阿里山遊樂園), under stones on soil, ca 2,280 m a.s.l., 24 June 2003, leg. Y. H. Lin. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 66), Kaohsiung County (高雄縣), TaoYuan (桃源鄉), TengJhih (藤枝), ShihShan forest path (石山林道), 6 km, ca 1,600 m a.s.l., 21 August 1998, collector unknown. 1 ♂ (NSYSUB-DI 66), same locality, 1 August 2001, leg. C. R. Wu. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 72), same locality, ca 1,450 m a.s.l., 14 April 2003, leg. S. Y. Wu. 1 ♂ (NSYSUB), same township, NanSi forest path (楠溪林道), ca 2,000 m a.s.l., 24 September 2002, leg. M. J. Hong & M. J. Wu. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), same township, Southern Cross-Island Highway (南部橫貫公路), DaGuanShan (大關山), YaKou forest path (啞口林道), ca 2,720 m a.s.l., 13 May 2007, leg. Y. C. Chang. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 71), at boundary between MaoLin County (茂林鄉) of Kaohsiung and UTai County (霧臺鄉) of PingTung, YuGuTing (雨谷亭), under stone, ca 2,150 m a.s.l., 28 March 2003, leg. H. W. Chang. 1 ♂ (NSYSUB), Taitung County (台東縣), JinFeng Township (金峰鄉), Yima forest path (依麻林道), ca 1,110 m a.s.l., 2 July 2009, leg. M. H. Hsu. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), PingTung County (屏東縣), ChunRih Township (春日鄉), DaHan forest path (大漢林道), 20 km, under stone, ca 250 m a.s.l., 9 July 2004, leg. W. J. Lee. 2 ♂ (NSYSUB), same county, Taiwu Township (泰武鄉), entrance to North DaWu Mountain (北大武山登山口), ca 1,400 m a.s.l., 23 January 2004, leg. H. D. Zhu.

Diagnosis:

Differs from the other Aponedyopus species in often containing specimens considerably more than 40 mm long, in the considerably longer ♂ legs (usually about twice as long as midbody height), a dentiform process b at the base of the gonopod prefemoral part and, above all, the slender terminal branches (x and y) of the solenophore (Figs 40, 42 & 43).

Description:

Length 40-55 (♂, n=11) or 47-58 mm (♀, n = 13); width of midbody metazona 10 ca 3.5-5.0 (♂) or 5.0-6.0 mm (♀).

Coloration in alcohol entirely light yellow to dark brown (Figs 1-14). Antennae light yellow to dark brown, increasingly blackish distally, but tip pallid; head to anterior half of epiproct (epi) (Fig. 19), pleurosternal region (ple) (Fig. 18) light yellow to dark brown, prozona (pro) always darker than metazona (meta) (Fig. 18), anterior and hind edges of metazona evidently to slightly lighter brown; posterior half of epiproct, sterna and legs light yellow to orange-brown in ♂.

Head densely setose in clypeolabral region, vertex nearly bare, epicranial suture distinct. Postcollum constriction faint; in width, segments 2 = 3 = 4 <head = segment 5 = 6 <collum (col) (Fig. 16) = segments 7-17 in ♂, or segments 2 = 3 = 4 <head <collum = segments 5-16 in ♀; thereafter body gradually and gently tapering both in width and height towards telson. Antennae medium-sized to long, stout, reaching behind middle of metatergite 3 to middle of metatergite 4 dorsally (♂) (Fig. 16), or midway to end of segment 3 (♀). Surface generally shining and rather smooth, only metaterga rugulose (rug) (Fig. 16) (post-sulcus halves (Fig. 17) usually slightly more so); surface below paraterga (par) (Fig. 18) visibly and densely granular on anterior segments, increasingly sparsely granular towards telson in both sexes, sometimes densely granular until segment 19 in ♀. Paraterga (par) (Fig. 18) poorly developed, especially evident as low ridges drawn considerably forward into a rounded lobe on segment 2 in both sexes, nearly to totally wanting on segments 16-19 (sometimes only a dorsal sulcus above ozopore (o) (Fig. 18) still present); calluses (cal) (Fig. 17) always delimited by a sulcus dorsally, calluses thinner on poreless segments, broader on pore-bearing ones, but a ventral sulcus mostly observed in caudal 1/3 only until segment 15; paraterga even more strongly reduced in ♀. Axial line (al) usually absent to traceable in places on collum and following metaterga, sometimes evident on metaterga in both sexes (Fig. 17). A medially sinuate transverse sulcus (sul) (Fig. 17) evident on segments 5-17, traceable on segments 4 and 18(19) in both sexes, narrow, shallow, very faintly beaded to smooth at bottom, not reaching bases of paraterga. Limbus (= region between two arrows, Fig. 16) thin, caudal margin entire. Stricture (str) (Fig. 17) between pro- and metazona shallow, narrow, faintly ribbed at bottom in both sexes. Pleurosternal carinae (arrow) (Fig. 16) nearly wanting, present as slight flaps only on segment 2, barely traceable on segment 3 (Fig. 16). Tergal setae almost fully abraded, pattern traceable mostly as 1+1 or 2+2 insertion points at anterior edge of collum in both sexes, as well as 2+2 in anterior (pre-sulcus) and 2+2 in posterior (post-sulcus) row on following metaterga. Ozopores (o) (Fig. 18) lateral, lying on callus ca 1/3 metatergal length in front of caudal edge (Figs 17 & 18). Epiproct (epi) (Figs 19 & 20) moderately long, conical, only slightly curved in lateral view, ratio of epiproct length to pre-epiproct length of telson 1.3:1 in ♂, tip emarginated in both sexes in dorsal view (Fig. 19); pre-apical papillae (pap) (Fig. 19) evident, close to apex. Hypoproct (hyp) (Fig. 21) usually subtrapeziform (♂, ♀), more rarely subtriangular to semi-circular (♀), 1+1 setae at caudal corners situated on well-separated knobs, sides straight (♂) or slightly convex (♀).

Sterna sparsely setose, each cross-impression with neither a transverse sulcus nor an axial groove; a slightly to very slightly notched, setose, ventrally bulging lamina only between ♂ coxae 4 (Figs 22 & 23). Ridges/cones (= spiracles) flanking gonopod aperture present or absent. Legs long, ca twice as long as midbody height, shorter and slenderer in ♀; legs 1 to posterior legs of segment 15 with obvious tarsal brushes (tar) (Fig. 18) only in ♂, ♀ without tarsal brushes; ♂ coxa 2 with a small apical process carrying a gonopore.

Gonopods (Figs 40-43, 50-53) simple. Coxite (cx) (Fig. 41) elongate, subcylindrical, setose distodorsally; cannula normal. Telopodites (T) (Fig. 40) curved distally, longer than coxite. Prefemoral part (pf) (Fig. 41) short and stout, almost 1/3 femur length, as usual densely setose. Femorite (fe) (Fig. 41) evidently broadened near base on dorsal side, with a clear demarcation sulcus (su) (Fig. 41) on lateral side separating a postfemoral part (pst) (Fig. 41); the latter showing an obvious, spiniform, (nearly) pointed branch (b) (Figs 42 & 43) parabasally on lateral side; solenophore (sph) (Fig. 41) with another demarcation sulcus separating it from pst on medial side, long, only slightly shorter than to as long as femorite, twisted and curved first ventrad and then dorsad on medial side in ventral view, distally holding subparallel to broadened part of femorite; base of sph with an obvious, subspiniform lobe (l) (Fig. 40), either well separated from or holding quite adjacent to sph base; terminal part of sph divided into two slender, separated branches: one wide, flattened dorsoventrally, with a rounded membranous end (y), the other spiniform (x) (Fig. 40). Seminal groove (sg) (Fig. 50) first running fully on mesal face of fe, then turning dorsad near pst to continue onto solenomere (sl) (Fig. 41) at base of sph on dorsal face; sl flagelliform, long, only slightly longer than sph and nearly completely supported/sheathed by sph, only tip of sl exposed.

Distribution:

Type material has not been revised, presumably in the collection of the Zoologische Staatssammlung in Munich, Germany.

This species is highly variable in size and coloration, and is the most widespread amongst Aponedyopus species in Taiwan. Its distribution covers much of the island and vertically ranges from 175 to over 2,720 m a.s.l. (Map).