Megaphyllum (Parancistrum) curvifolii (Verhoeff, 1898)

Vagalinski, Boyan, Lazányi, Eszter & Golovatch, Sergei, 2013, Redescription of the subgenus Parancistrum Verhoeff, 1943, an eastern Mediterranean lineage of the millipede genus Megaphyllum Verhoeff, 1894 (Diplopoda: Julida: Julidae: Brachyiulini), Zootaxa 3734 (5), pp. 501-520 : 503-506

Megaphyllum (Parancistrum) curvifolii (Verhoeff, 1898)

Figs 1–9

Brachyiulus curvifolii Verhoeff, 1898: 300 –301, fig. 13. Brachyiulus curvifolii: Verhoeff 1923: 131 .

Chromatoiulus curvifolii: Attems 1927: 224 .

Chromatoiulus (Phauloiulus) curvifolii: Attems 1940: 302 . Brachyiulus adanensis Verhoeff, 1943: 231 –232, figs 16–19, syn. n. Megaphyllum adanense: Enghoff 2006: 182 .

Megaphyllum curvifolii: Enghoff 2006: 183 .

Material examined. MNKB: Brachyiulus curvifolii , ZMB 4379, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ syntypes, Verh.-slide 1199: gonopods, 1st, 2nd leg-pairs type slide preparation, Turkey, “Cilicien” [south-central Turkey], M. Holtz leg. NHMW: Brachyiulus (Chromatoiulus) curvifolii, Inv. No. 3103, 1 ♂, gonopods as slide preparation, 1 ♀, probably syntypes, Turkey, Cilicien. ZSM: M. adanense , 1 ♂, questioned type, Reg. Nr. A20060652, Asia, Turkey, Adana; Reg. Nr. A 20041622 slide preparation: gonopods, gnathochilarium, antenna, 1st, 2nd, 3rd leg-pairs and some other legs; Reg. Nr. A 20041623 slide preparation: same body parts. MHNG: Chromatoiulus curvifolii , 1 ♂, 1 subad. 1 ♀, Asie Mineure [= Asia Minor] (probably ex. coll. J. Carl). ZMUC: M. adanense , 4 ♂♂, Turkey, vil. Antalya, Irmasàn Geçidi, 1430–1520 m, 28.IV.1982, A. Vigna Taglianti leg., H. Enghoff det.

Diagnosis. Differs from M. serratum and M. turcicum by the smooth, rather than serrated, anterior opisthomere process; from M. tenenbaumi and M. arcuatum sp. n. by the apically gradually convex, rather than incised, promere; and from M. genezarethanum by the posterior opisthomere process (pp) being subequal to, rather than shorter than, solenomere (s), and by the smooth anterior solenomere protrusion (asp) devoid of plumose outgrowths.

Redescription. Measurements: syntype (MNKB) ♂ in stadium XI, body ring number 58+1+T, body length 27 mm, height 2.1 mm; syntype ♀ (MNKB) in stadium XI, body ring number 57+1+T, body length 35 mm, height 2.3 mm; probable syntype ♂ (NHMW) in stadium XII, body ring number 53+1+T, length 35.1 mm, height 2.1 mm; ♀ (NHMW) in stadium XII, body ring number 51+1+T, length 35.6 mm, height 2.6 mm; non-type ♂♂ (ZMUC) in stadia X–XII, body ring number (47+3+T)–(55+1+T), length 26.7–40.8 mm, height 1.7–2.2 mm.

Coloration: Somewhat faded, overall brownish, with a narrow, blackish, mid-dorsal stripe and broad, short, dark, transverse stripes on prozona extending from ozopore level up to some distance from mid-dorsal stripe.

External structures: 20 labral setae. Gnathochilarium typically julid, promentum relatively large, nearly 2 times longer than broad. Collum smooth, with 3–4 short scratches near posterolateral corner. Prozona with numerous short, parallel scratches; metazona densely striated, with 10 striae in a square with sides equal to metazonal length just below ozopore level; posterior margin with one moderately dense row (ca 2/3 to equal to metazonal length) of setae. Ozopores placed just behind sutures between pro- and metazona, suture itself being straight in anterior body rings, slightly sinuous in posterior ones. Tarsi of midbody legs slightly shorter than tibiae. Anal valves with moderately dense, very long pilosity; no distinct rows of short setae along anal valves’ caudal margins. Pre-anal process long, straight, shorter and stouter in females; with a long, thin, somewhat down-turned, hyaline tip, slightly surpassed by the longest setae on anal valves. Subanal scale triangular, pointed, strongly protruding caudally behind anal valves’ contour by almost half of its length in males ( Fig. 1 ); much shorter and blunter in females.

Male sexual characters: Mandibular stipites enlarged, protruding mostly anteriad, forming a distinct rounded anterior corner. Leg-pair 1 typical, parallel hooks with somewhat diverging tips; tarsal remnants absent. Pleurotergum 7 ventrally with rather short, rounded lobes at border between pro- and metazona, protruding mostly mesad behind opisthomeres ( Figs 2–3 ). Walking legs with pads on femur, postfemur and tibia; postfemoral and tibial ones undulate, femoral one small, flattened.

Gonopods ( Figs 2, 4–7 ): Promere ( Fig. 5 and P in Figs 2 and 4 ) more than 3 times higher than broad, gradually narrowing distally, with a broadly rounded tip; a prominent median ridge (r) and a deep, narrow, median groove (g) on caudal face. Flagellum (fl in Fig. 5 ) slightly longer than promere, thin in distal half. Opisthomere ( Figs 4, 6–7 ) strongly elongated, basally curved posteriad, bearing two processes: a large, flat posterior process (pp) subequal in length to solenomere (s) and bearing several blunt teeth at its apical margin; and a spiniform anterior process (ap) deviating mesad. Solenomere simple, tubular, with a short anterior protrusion (asp). Several spine-like filaments (sf) present basally along flagellum channel (fc), these looking more setiform apically. Gonopods in situ ( Fig. 2 ): conspicuously protruding outside gonopod sinus, their tips reaching up to coxae 11 or 12; promere slightly outreaching solenomere; both promeres tightly connected to one another by transverse muscles and by a small chitinous knot between their bases, promere-opisthomere connection weaker.

Female sexual characters: First two leg-pairs slightly enlarged. Vulvae ( Fig. 8 ) about as high as broad, cylindrical, somewhat tapering apically; bursa almost completely symmetrical, with a distinct apical margin, a soft median groove and an ellipsoid opening (o) not exceeding the margin; operculum (op) subequal to bursa, its hyaline protrusions (opl) barely exceeding bursal ones (bl). Inner structures of vulva consisting of a large, globular, posterior ampulla (pa) joining a finger-shaped apodematic tube (at) through a thin, spirally folded, connecting tube (ct).

Distribution. Turkey: Cilicien (type locality of M. curvifolii ) (Verhoeff 1898) [between Mersin and Tarsus (cf. Hoffman & Lohmander1964)]; Adana, near the bay of Iskenderun (type locality of M. adanense ) (Verhoeff 1943); vil. Mersin, between Tarsus and Gülek, environs of Tasobagi; Mersin, Taurus, environs of Çamalan; vil. Mersin, environs of Çamliyayla; vil. Konya, environs of Mus; vil. Antalya, Irmasan Geçidi; vil. Antalya, Topraktepe; vil. Antalya, Korküteli (localities for M. adanense ) (Enghoff 2006).

Remarks. Studying the type material leaves no doubt that Verhoeff failed to recognize M. curvifolii when he, 45 years later, described M. adanense .

Penes were only investigated in the non-type males. The only successfully dissected and drawn penis ( Fig. 9 ) was very soft, transparent and apparently hollow. It was elongated, straight, with two short parallel lobes and two short triangular lamellae—one was probably broken off during dissection. This rather unusual (compared to other examined species of the tribe Brachyiulini) shape may be the result either of a malformation or a normal alteration concerning the period immediately before or after copulation. Another dissected male seemed to have a very similar penis to the one observed in M. turcicum ( Figs 35 and 36 ), but it was accidentally lost before being depicted. However, we cannot say anything definitive regarding the penis of M. curvifolii pending further investigations.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 9. Megaphyllum curvifolii males (Figs 1 – 7; 9) from Irmasàn Geçidi, Turkey and syntype female (Fig. 8) from “ Cilicien ”, south-central Turkey: (1) telson; (2) pleurotergum 7 and gonopods in situ, lateral view; (3) right pleurotergal protrusion, ventral view; (4) right gonopods, postero-mesal view; (5) connected promeres, posterior view; (6) distal half of left opisthomere, mesal view; (7) left opisthomere, antero-apical view; (8) left vulva, mesal, slightly anterior view (receptaculum seen by transparency, but drawn with solid lines for better emphasis); (9) penis, posterior view. Abbreviations: ap: anterior process, asp: anterior protrusion of the solenomere, at: apodematic tube, bl: bursal lamellar protrusions, ct: connecting tube, fc: flagellum channel, fl: flagellum, g: median groove, o: opening, op: operculum, opl: operculum’s lamellar protrusions, P: promere, pa: posterior ampulla, ph: posterior hump, pp: posterior process, r: median ridge, s: solenomere, sf: spine-like and setiform filaments. Scale bars of the drawings: 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 35 – 40. Megaphyllum turcicum male (35 – 39) and female (40) from near Aladağ, Turkey: (35) and (36) penis, caudal and lateral views, respectively; (37) right gonopods, mesal view; (38) left promere, posterior view; (39) left opisthomere, anterior, slightly mesal view; (40) right vulva, posterior, slightly mesal view (receptaculum seen by transparency, but drawn with solid lines for better emphasis). Abbreviations: ap: anterior process, asp: anterior protrusion of the solenomere, at: apodematic tube, bl: bursal lamellar protrusions, ct: connecting tube, fc: flagellum channel, fl: flagellum, g: median groove, lh: lateral hump, mh: mesal hump, opl: operculum’s lamellar protrusions, P: promere, pa: posterior ampulla, ph: posterior hump, pp: posterior process, r: median ridge, s: solenomere, sf: spine-like filaments. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.