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

Chaleponcus nikolajscharffi sp. nov.

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

Figs 9 , 16 , 34

Diagnosis

Medium-sized. Differs from all other group members by the profile of the gonopod coxal tip ( Fig. 9 ). 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 , 16 ). 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 ). 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 .

Figures

Fig. 9. Chaleponcus spp., outline of coxite of left gonopod, posterior view. (The ’transverse’ plane of the gonopod is usually slightly at angles with the exact transverse plane of the millipede, so it may be necessary to tilt the gonopod slightly in order to obtain the view shown on the drawings.) The stippled lines indicate the place where the telopodital basomere emerges from the coxal cavity. Not to scale.

Fig. 16. Chaleponcus nikolajscharffi sp. nov., right gonopod. A. Mesal view. B. Anterior view. C. Ventral view. D. Posterior view. al = anterior lamella of telomere, cu = cucullus, lp = lateral coxal process, mf = metaplical flange, mp = mesal metaplical process, msl = metaplical shelf-forming lobe, mss = metaplical shelf-spine, pl = posterior lamella of telomere, ps = proximal spine of solenomere. Scales 0.1 mm.

Fig. 34. Intercalary cuticular microscutes in Chaleponcus spp. A. C. netus sp. nov. B. C. tintin sp. nov. C–D. C. nikolajscharffi sp. nov. Fig. D shows fungus-like outgrowths from scutes. Scales 0.001 mm.