Antheromorpha pumatensis, Nguyen & Nguyen & Le, 2018

Nguyen, Anh D., Nguyen, Son G. & Le, Son X., 2018, On the millipede genus Antheromorpha Jeekel, 1968 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae) from Vietnam, with a description of a new species, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 66, pp. 96-109 : 100-104

Antheromorpha pumatensis , new species

( Figs. 6−9 , 10 )

Material examined. Holotype: 1 male (IEBR-461H) Nghe An Provinve, Pu Mat National Park, Khe Thoi (19°04′47.7″N; 104°38′13.7″E); forest, 4−10 April 2011, coll. Anh. D. Nguyen.

Paratypes: 2 males, 4 females (IEBR-461P) same data as sample IEBR-461H ; 1 male, 2 females (IEBR-462), same locality, but Thac Chem (18°58′17.4″N; 104°48′02.9″E); forest, 4−10 April 2011, coll. Anh. D. Nguyen.

Diagnosis. This species differs from its congeners by having: metaterga with a median yellowish brown stripe, paraterga pink, tip of gonopod strongly divided into two processes: one being spiniform, the other being a serrated lobe.

Etymology. Named after the locality where the type specimens were collected.

Description. Body length about 28.1−37.4 mm (male); 28−36.5 mm (female); width of midbody pro- and metazona 2.3−2.9 mm (male); 2.9−3.4 mm (female) and 3.5−4.1 mm (male); 3.7−4.5 mm (female); respectively. Holotype length ca. 28.1 mm, width of midbody pro- and metazona 2.3 mm and 3.5 mm, respectively.

Prozona and metaterga with a median broad pink stripe and two paramedian castaneous/blackish brown regions ( Figs. 6 , 7 ). Paraterga pink or red (both dorsal and ventral sides). Pleura, head, distal part of antennomere 6 and whole antennomere 7 blackish brown. Antennae, sterna, and legs light brown.

Head ( Fig. 7A− C ) slightly broader than collum; clypeolabral region sparsely setose. Frons weakly convex, divided into 2 parts by a distinct epicranial suture. Antennae ( Fig. 7B, C ) claviform, reaching metatergum 3 if stretched dorsally. Most antennomeres subequal in length except for the shortest antennomeres 1 & 7.

Collum ( Fig. 7A ) slightly narrower than body ring 2. Surface smooth and shining. Paratergum modestly developed, earshaped or subtriangular with broadly rounded anterior corner. Lateral side without setiferous incision.

Body ring ( Fig. 7A− F ) 3<4<2= 5−16 in width, thereafter gradually tapering towards telson. Prozona shining and smooth. Metaterga shining, almost smooth except lateroposterior area faintly rugose. Transverse sulcus incompletely present on metatergum 4; well present, thin, distinct on metaterga 5−19, but not reaching base of paraterga. Metaterga with traces of rows of 2+2 and 5+5 setae in front of and behind transverse sulcus, respectively. The second row located near posterior margin. Axial line thin, brown, present on all prozona and metaterga.

Pleura considerably rugose, with dense microgranules. Pleurosternal carinae present as a full crest with a small caudal tooth on body rings 2−4; reduced to a small caudal denticle on body rings 5−14 (male); on body rings 5−11 (female); and absent on subsequent body rings.

Paraterga ( Fig. 7A, B , D−G) well developed, sub-horizontal, set lower than metatergal surface; thin, like blunt blades, but thicker on pore−bearing body rings from lateral view. Paratergum 2 subsector-shaped, with anterior and posterior corners rounded. Paraterga 3−4 shorter than others; caudal corners weakly acute, but not pointed. Caudal corners of paraterga 5−15 strongly acute, pointed, but more protruding on paraterga 15−19. Paraterga 16−19 with a small hook at caudal corners. Calluses small, narrow in both poreless and pore-bearing paraterga, with two setiferous incisions at 1/3 and ½ length of paraterga laterally. Paraterga exceeding posterior contour on body rings 16−19 (female) and on body rings 13−19 (male). Ozopores located on a small depression at 2/3 of paratergal length laterally.

Legs ( Fig. 7E, G ) long and slender, about 1.1−1.3 (females) 1.3−1.6 (males) times as long as midbody height. Tarsal brushes present on legs 1−11, thinner on legs 12−15 (male); thereafter missing on subsequent legs. Prefemora not swollen. Femora without modifications.

Sterna sparsely setose, without modifications except for the fifth sternum with a median pair of separately, but contiguously elevated setiferous conical processes between coxae 4 ( Fig. 7L ). Epiproct ( Fig. 7K ) long, broadly truncated, dorsoventrally flattened, with two small lateroapical tubercles. Tip with four spinnerets. Hypoproct ( Fig. 7J ) subtriangular with two distolateral, well separated, setiferous knobs.

Gonopod ( Figs. 8 , 9 ) simple. Coxite cylindrical, shorter than femorite; distoventral part modestly setose. Prefemorite densely setose, about ½ times as long as femorite, set off from femorite by a transverse sulcus laterally. Femorite long, slender, not expanded distally, suberect, demarcated from postfemoral region by an oblique sulcus laterally, with evidence of weak torsion basally. Flagelliform solenomere almost sheathed by solenophore. Tip of gonopod strongly divided into two processes, one being lanceolate process (D); the other with serrated lobe (m) and a distal minute process (v).

Remarks. Like Anthromorpha paviei , the new species is not typical for the genus Antheromorpha . It seems to be an intermediate species between Orthomorpha and Antheromorpha . In comparison to other Antheromorpha species, A. pumatensis , new species is differentiated by the colour pattern (red or brownish red); large size, and more importantly by gonopod conformation. The gonopod of the new species is long, slender and erect; tip deeply bifid, but the process (d) shorter than in other species, and process (m) serrated apically with short tubercle (v).

The species is only known from its type locality in central Vietnam.

Figures

Fig. 6. Antheromorpha pumatensis, new species, from Pu Mat National Park, habitus. No scale.

Fig. 7. Antheromorpha pumatensis, new species from Pu Mat National Park. Anterior part of body, dorsal (A); lateral (B) and ventral view (C); Midbody part, dorsal (D) and lateral view (E); posterior part of body, dorsa (F); lateral (G) and ventral view (H); Epiproct, dorsal (I) and ventral view (K); hypoproct, ventral view (J); sternum 5th, subventral view (L).

Fig. 8. Antheromorpha pumatensis, new species, holotype. Left gonopod, mesal view; tip of gonopod, mesal view (B). Scale bar = 250 µm (A) and 40 µm (B).

Fig. 9. Antheromorpha pumatensis, new species, holotype. Left gonopod, mesal view (A); lateral view (B). Scale bar = 1 mm.

Fig. 10. Distribution map of the genus Antheromorpha in Vietnam. 1, Pu Mat NP; 2, Ba Na NP; 3, Hon Ba Mts.; 4, Yok Don NP; 5, Lo Go - Xa Mat NP; 6, U Minh Thuong NP.