Nipponesmus shirinensis Chamberlin & Wang, 1953

Golovatch, Sergei I., Mikhaljova, Elena V. & Chang, Hsueh-Wen, 2011, The millipede family Polydesmidae in Taiwan, with descriptions of five new species (Polydesmida, Diplopoda), ZooKeys 93, pp. 9-42 : 10-12

Nipponesmus shirinensis Chamberlin & Wang, 1953 Figs 113

Nipponesmus shirinensis Chamberlin & Wang, 1953: 4 (D).

Nipponesmus shirinensis - Golovatch 1991: 157 (N); Korsós 2004: 26 (R)

Material examined:

2 juv. (NSYSU), Taiwan, Taipei City, Wenshan Distr., Chih-Nan Temple, 03.2002, leg. C.C. Chen et al.; 2 ♂, 2 ♀ (NMNS-6555-001), 1 ♂ (MNHN JC 331), Nantou County, Re-nai Township, Mei-Feng, 22.10.2001; 1 ♂ (ZMUC), 1 ♂ (NMNS-6555-002), same locality, 15.10.2001; 1 ♂ (TFRI), same locality, 19.02.2002; 1 ♂ (NMNS-6555-003), same locality, 15.10.2001; 1 ♂ (ZMUM), Nantou County, Huisun timber land, 20.09.1997; 1 ♂ (NMNS-6555-004), same locality, 10.1997; all leg. S.H. Wu; 3 ♂, 5 ♀ (TFRI), Nantou County, Lugu Township, Sitou, 15.11.2005, leg. J.D. Lee; 8 juv. (NSYSU), same locality, 6.07.2010, leg. H.W. Chang; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (TFRI), Taitung County, Taimali Township, I-Ma forest road, 06.12.2004, leg. S.Y. Wu; 4 ♂, 1 ♀, 5 juv. (NSYSU), Chiayi County, Alishan Township, Nansi Forest road, ca 2,000 m a.s.l., 29.10.2010, leg. H.W. Chang; 1 ♂ (ZMUM), Hsinchu County, Wufeng Township, Sakaru (Shilu) trail, 30.09.2005; 1 ♂ (NMNS-6555-005), same locality, 22.09.2005, all leg. H.D. Zhu; 1 ♂ (NSYSU), Kaohsiung County, Liouguei, Shanping Workstation, 04.2004, leg. M.J. Hung; 1 ♂ (NMNS-6555-006), Kaohsiung County, Taoyuan Township, Tengjhih, 1,550 m a.s.l., 17.11.2010, leg. S. Golovatch; 2 ♀ (NMNS-6555-007), Kaohsiung County, Taoyuan Township, Chungchihkuan, 15.03.2005, leg. Y.C. Chang; 1 juv. (NSYSU), same locality, Taiwania cryptomeroides plantation, 15.10.2005, leg. M.H. Hsu; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (IBSS), Pingtung County, Chunri Township, Mt Dahan, 1,200 m a.s.l., 15.12.2009; 2 ♀ (NMNS-6555-008), same locality, ca 1,850 m a.s.l., 15.12.2009, all leg. M.H. Hsu.

Diagnosis:

Differs from the other Polydesmidae in Taiwan by the larger body and often a dark coloration, from the only sympatric congener Nipponesmus minor sp. n. also in the collum being broader than the head and in the gonopod showing a strongly elongate, slender and falcate telopodite (see also Key below).

Redescription:

Length of both sexes ca 18-25 mm, usually about 20-23 mm; width of pro- and metazona varying between specimens from 1.5-2.2 to 2.9-4.8 mm, respectively, usually 1.8-2.0 and 3.0-4.3 mm, respectively. Usually ♂♂ somewhat smaller than ♀♀. Coloration in alcohol from uniformly pallid (faded?) to dark chocolate-brown; in the latter case, sides, venter and legs (light) grey-brown to dark brown (Figs 1-6). Body with 20 segments. Tegument mainly dull, at most slightly shining, texture very delicately alveolate. Frons and labrum densely pilose, vertex bare; epicranial suture distinct but thin; a paramedian pair of evident, oblique ridges above antennal sockets; isthmus between antennae considerably broader than diameter of antennal socket (Fig. 5). Antennae rather long and only slightly clavate (Fig. 5), either slightly overreaching segment 3 dorsally (♂) or slightly shorter (♀); antennomere 3 longest (Figs 3-5); antennomeres 5 and 6 each with a small, compact, distodorsal group of bacilliform sensilla; antennomere 7 with a minute dorsoparabasal cone and a distodorsal group of microscopic sensilla.

In width, head <collum <segment 2 <3 <4 <5=15(16), thereafter body gradually tapering towards telson. Paraterga strongly developed, starting from collum, subhorizontal, set high but always lying slightly below a faintly convex dorsum, drawn clearly forward only on metatergum 2 (Fig 3). Starting from segment 8 or 9 (♂) or 16 (♀), paraterga extending increasingly beyond rear tergal contour, caudal corners invariably evidently rounded, only on paraterga 17-19 subspiniform, usually slightly more narrowly rounded in ♂ compared to ♀ (Figs 3, 6-9). Paraterga more (♀) or less (♂) evidently rounded laterally (Figs 3, 6-9); starting from segment 2, all poreless segments with three, all pore-bearing ones with four, minute, sometimes even obliterate incisions at lateral margin. Front edges of metaterga slightly bordered and upturned, straight, usually forming a distinct shoulder. Pore formula normal, ozopores evident, dorsal, located in front of posteriormost marginal indentation. Metatergal sculpture typical, well-developed, with three transverse rows of setiferous, polygonal bosses (Figs 3, 6-9). Tergal setae very short, mostly obliterate, partly retained only on collum and/or metatergum 19. Stricture between pro- and metazona wide, shallow and smooth (Figs 3, 4, 6-9). Limbus very thin, microdenticulate. Pleurosternal carinae absent (Fig. 4). Epiproct rather short, conical, preapical papillae very evident (Figs 7, 9). Hypoproct semi-circular; caudal, paramedian, setiferous papillae small and well-separated.

Sterna without modifications, very densely (♂) (Fig. 5) or poorly (♀) setose, ♀ ones often shining. Epigynal ridge very low. Legs rather long and slender (Figs 5, 10), ca 1.5-1.6 (♂) or 1.1-1.2 (♀) times as long as midbody height; ♂ legs evidently enlarged, prefemora only slightly swollen dorsally and, like femora and, partly, postfemora, ventrally beset with shorter bifid setae turning into short sphaerotrichomes on postfemora, tibiae and tarsi (Fig. 10).

Gonopods (Figs 4, 5, 11-13) with large, subquadrate, medially fused coxae carrying a few long setae ventrally. Telopodite elongated, slender, falcate, prefemoral (densely setose) portion almost half as long as entire telopodite; seminal groove running mesally over most of its extent, only distally moving frontally to recurve first laterad and then a little basad at base of both a somewhat shorter, more complex endomere (en) and a longer, simpler exomere (ex); en beset with long, bacilliform setae distally and supplied with an evident spine (s) mesally, as well as a prominent pulvillus near base, this pulvillus being likewise beset with bacilliform setae and marking the end of seminal groove devoid of any accessory seminal chamber; ex strongly unciform apically, with an additional lateral tooth distally to subapically.

Remarks. This species is the largest, as well as one of the most conspicuous and common among the polydesmids in Taiwan. It inhabits a wide range of habitats, mainly montane woodlands above 1,200 m a.s.l. (Map 1).