Chaleponcus nikolajscharffi, Enghoff, 2014

Enghoff, Henrik, 2014, A mountain of millipedes I: An endemic species-group of the genus Chaleponcus Attems, 1914, from the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Odontopygidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 100, pp. 1-75 : 30-32

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2014.100

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B3E6C489-6D96-4AF5-A33D-EE8329A9321B

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3861171

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/FA4BA44E-0547-4E9C-A4A4-781E2298A650

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:FA4BA44E-0547-4E9C-A4A4-781E2298A650

treatment provided by

Carolina

scientific name

Chaleponcus nikolajscharffi
status

sp. nov.

Chaleponcus nikolajscharffi View in CoL sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FA4BA44E-0547-4E9C-A4A4-781E2298A650

Figs 9 View Fig , 16 View Fig , 34 View Fig

Diagnosis

Medium-sized. Differs from all other group members by the profile of the gonopod coxal tip ( Fig. 9 View Fig ). Very similar to C. scopus sp. nov., sharing, i.a., a non-transverse metaplical shelf and a groove for accommodating the solenomere formed by two telomere lobes; differing from C. scopus sp. nov. by apparently having the solenomere-conducting groove formed by the anterior and the posterior telomeral lamellae, instead of by the anterior lamella and a process from the latter, as well as by having a differently shaped lateral coxal process.

Etymology

The name honours my colleague, arachnologist Nikolaj Scharff (ZMUC), collector of this and numerous other Tanzanian millipedes.

Material studied (total: 11 ♂♂)

Holotype

TANZANIA: ♂, Iringa Region, Udzungwa Mts, Udzungwa Scarp FR, above Chita village , 1500 m, 2–13 Nov. l984, pitfall traps, montane rain forest. N. Scharff leg. ( ZMUC).

Paratypes

All from TANZANIA, Iringa Region, Udzungwa Mts, Udzungwa Scarp FR: 1 ♂, above Chita village, 1450–1650 m, 4–9 Nov. l984, pitfall traps, montane rain forest, N. Scharff leg. (ZMUC); 2 ♂♂, above Chita village, 1600–1650 m, 8–13 Nov. l984, pitfall traps, montane rain forest, N. Scharff leg. (ZMUC); 2 ♂♂, above Chita village, 1400 m, 4–5 Nov. l984, pitfall traps, montane rain forest, N. Scharff leg. (ZMUC); 1 ♂, above Chita village, 1500 m, 2–13 Nov. l984, pitfall traps, montane rain forest, N. Scharff leg. (ZMUC); 2 ♂♂, 11 km SE of Masisiwe village, Kihanga Stream, 1800 m, 08°22’ 05.7” S, 35°58’ 41.6” E, 17–27 May 1997, ZMUC & SI Exp. leg. (ZMUC); 2 ♂♂, nr. Masisiwe, 08°20’ 32” S, 35°58’03” E, 12–15 Jul. 2004, A. Sforzi & L. Bartolozzi leg. (MZF, no Mag. 2695).

Type locality

TANZANIA: Iringa Region, Udzungwa Mts, Udzungwa Scarp FR, above Chita village, 1500 m, montane rain forest.

Description (male)

DIAMETER. 2.2–2.4 mm, 48–49 podous rings.

COLOUR. After 10 years in alcohol with a broad light middorsal stripe formed by an hourglass-shaped spot on each body ring; stripe flanked by brownish paramedian bands; older specimens unicolourous light brown/pinkish.

ANAL VALVES. Each with a long, slightly curving spine and a well-developed, triangular ventral one; marginal rim raised, setiferous tubercles well developed, on ‘ravelins’.

LIMBUS. With long, slender triangular lobes; lobes ca. 2½ × as long as broad, almost meeting at base, striate on external surface.

TARSAL SETATION. Normal.

GONOPOD COXA ( Figs 9 View Fig , 16 View Fig ). About 4 × as long as wide. Lateral margin basally slightly convex, curving strongly laterad ca. at level of prl, forming semicircular incision, and meeting apical margin in irregularly knobbed laterad process (lp); apical margin sloping apico-mesad from process, irregularly undulate; cucullus (cu) transverse, mesally projecting as rounded lobe with irregularly undulate margin. Metaplical flange (mf) ending in low, rounded process; metaplical mesal margin basally straight, further distally overlaid by lamelloid process (mp) covering arculus. Metaplical shelf not transverse as in most other species: posterior surface of metaplica with large lobe (msl) roofing arculus; lobe concave on posterior face, folded anteriad and on anterior face giving rise to metaplical shelf-spine (mss). mms of medium length, curving first anteriad, then mesad, then basad, reaching level of torsus.

GONOPOD TELOPODITE ( Fig. 16 View Fig ). Solenomere with a long, straight, mesad proximal spine (ps) originating from a wrinkled area. Telomere distally with two branches, al and pl, both curving anteriad, both broad, in part with irregularly serrate edges, lying closely together and accommodating solenomere.

Distribution and habitat

Known only from Udzungwa Scarp FR. Altitudinal rang: 1400–1800 m asl. Habitat: montane rain forest.

Coexisting species

C. hamerae sp. nov. was found in the same samples as C. nikolajscharffi sp. nov. In addition, C. circumvallatus sp. nov. was found in Udzungwa Scarp FR.

Notes

Very similar and probably closely related to C. scopus sp. nov. from Kigogo FR.

Very peculiar, mushroom-like inter-cytoscutal structures were observed with the scanning electron microscope in this species; see “Two notes on general morphology” and Fig. 34 View Fig .

ZMUC

Denmark, Kobenhavn [= Copenhagen], University of Copenhagen, Zoological Museum

ZMUC

Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen

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