Campodesmoides corniger, Vandenspiegel & Golovatch & Fiemapong, 2015

Vandenspiegel, D., Golovatch, S. I. & Fiemapong, A. R. Nzoko, 2015, Two new species, including one representing a new genus, of the West African millipede family Campodesmidae (Diplopoda: Polydesmida), European Journal of Taxonomy 139, pp. 1-11 : 2-6

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2015.139
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F7065B0E-FCCC-45EC-9C4F-19F6C9B972B3
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3794591
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/E20A8CC8-F56C-4499-B1F0-F3D541275368
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:E20A8CC8-F56C-4499-B1F0-F3D541275368
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Campodesmoides corniger
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Campodesmoides corniger sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E20A8CC8-F56C-4499-B1F0-F3D541275368

Figs 1–3 View Fig View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

A species of Campodesmidae which differs from other species of the genus Campodesmus , the only hitherto recognized genus of Campodesmidae , by the long and only slightly clavate antennae, which reach behind segment 3 when stretched dorsally; the considerably longer legs which in the male are

about 1.5 times as long as midbody height; the normal pore formula: 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15–19, the ozopores being borne on conspicuous porosteles (versus reduced to 5, 7 without porosteles); the more dorsally situated paranota which are set at the upper ¼ of midbody height (versus about half of midbody height); the nearly flat sterna and the gonopod telopodites being suberect, in situ directed forward, not crossing mesally, each with a clearly twisted solenophore devoid of a distinct solenomere.

Etymology

To emphasize the high, vertical, paramedian horns present on metatergum 2, these growing increasingly small on metatergum 3 and, especially, 4; noun in apposition.

Material examined

Holotype

CAMEROON: ♂, Ongot , N 03°52’, E 011°21’, c. 830 m a.s.l., open terrain, 26 Apr. 2014, leg. A. Nzoko, MRAC 22679 View Materials .

GoogleMaps

Paratypes

CAMEROON: 1 ♀, same locality, together with holotype, MRAC 22.681; 1 ♀, same locality, 29 Nov. 2014, MRAC 22.678; 1 ♀, Egoutadjap, N 02°43’, E 11°04’, forest, 06 Dec. 2014, MRAC 22.680 ( SEM). All leg. A. Nzoko.

Description

Length of holotype c. 26 mm, width on midbody pro- and metazonae 2.5 and 5.0 mm, respectively. female paratypes 25–30 mm long, 2.5–3.6 and 3.6–5.0 mm wide on pro- and metazonae, respectively. Coloration from light grey-brown (female) to blackish brown (male, female) ( Fig. 1 View Fig ), darker specimens with brown to chocolate brown antennae and legs; tips of antennae, distal parts of paranota 5, 7, 9 and 13

together with their porosteles, as well as the remaining porosteles (male, female) or only all porosteles (female) yellowish to nearly pallid.

HEAD. Except for a bare and rather densely setose clypeolabral region, very densely microdenticulatemicrotuberculate-microgranulate, interantennal isthmus almost as broad as diameter of antennal socket ( Fig. 2 View Fig ). Antennae long and only slightly clavate due to a somewhat higher antennomere 6, in situ reaching behind segment 3 when stretched dorsally; only antennomere 6 with a dorso-apical group of tiny bacilliform sensilla; in length, antennomere 6> 2> 3 = 5> 1> 7; apical segment with the usual four sensory cones.

BODY. With 20 segments (male, female). In width, segment 3 = 4 <head = collum = 5–17 <2 (male), or collum <head = 3 = 4 <2 <5–17 (female); body rapidly tapering from segment 18 towards telson. Collum transversely ellipsoid, far from covering entire head from above, dorsal surface rather regularly and densely tuberculate, with two transverse rows of higher 2 + 2 and 4 + 4 tubercles in caudal half, paranota bearing 2–3 lateral teeth ( Figs 1 View Fig , 2A, D View Fig ). Prozonae smooth and weakly shining; metazonae dull, densely microtuberculate or microgranulate all over, cerotegument well-developed, sometimes in places clothed with a crust of soil; dorsal surface usually with three regular, transverse rows of normally small tubercles or short spines; stricture very delicately striolate. Metatergum 2 with two transverse rows of spines, 2 + 2 per row, mid-dorsal pair in rear row being only slightly separated, unusually high, vertical and horn-shaped compared to very small remaining spines; paranota 2 strongly elevated, directed dorsolaterad at about 45°, each with 3–4 apical teeth ( Figs 1 View Fig , 2A, D View Fig ). Tuberculation pattern persisting on metaterga 3 and 4 as well, but mid-dorsal pair of horns first considerably and then much shorter, respectively, each horn thereby carrying a subapical denticle on caudal face ( Fig. 2A, D View Fig ); paranota 3–8(9) increasingly less strongly elevated to become subhorizontal ( Figs 1 View Fig , 2 View Fig B–C, E–F, J). Metaterga 5–19 with a faint, but visible, transverse, midtergal impression separating first transverse row of 1 + 1 (segment 5), 2 + 2 (segments 6–14) or 3 + 3 (segments 15–19) small tubercles from two further transverse rows, middle row usually consisting of slightly higher tubercles: 3 + 3 (segments 5–14) or 4(5) + 4(5) (segments 15–19); caudal row located near caudal margin, usually consisting of particularly small tubercles, yet clear enough against a microgranulate/microtuberculate background: 2 + 2 (segments 5–14) or 3(4) + 3(4) (segments 15–19). Poreless paranota usually with 4–5 distinct teeth at lateral margin, pore-bearing ones normally subtruncate, with 1–2 teeth at both fore and rear corners, and a prominent, midlength porostele ( Figs 1 View Fig , 2 View Fig B–C, E–F, J). Pore formula normal, ozopores always borne on somewhat mushroom-shaped porosteles. Paranota set high (mostly at about upper ¼ of body height, dorsum thus being only moderately convex), inclined caudad and increasingly clearly protruding behind rear tergal margin from segment 17 towards telson ( Figs 1 View Fig , 2C, F View Fig ), considerably broader, and porosteles longer in male than in female. A thin dark axial line sometimes traceable through a transparent tegument. Pleurosternal carinae absent, a few small tuberculations in their place ( Fig. 2A View Fig ). Limbus entire ( Fig. 2K View Fig ). Epiproct short, small, subtruncate, coniform, with a pair of prominent subapical papillae ( Fig. 2C, F, I View Fig ). Hypoproct nearly semi-circular with 1 + 1 caudal setae very distinctly separated and borne on minute knobs ( Fig. 2I View Fig ).

STERNA. Broad, about twice as broad as coxa length, almost flat, axial impression absent ( Fig. 2H View Fig ). Gonapophyses on male coxae 2 vestigial ( Fig. 2G View Fig ). Legs long to very long, about 0.9–1.0 or 1.5– 1.6 times as long as midbody height (female and male, respectively), very slender; in length, femur> tarsus> prefemur = postfemur = tibia = coxa; claw very small, very slightly curved; ventral surface of tarsi densely setose, but forming no brushes.

GONOPOD. Aperture transversely ovoid, large, its lateral and posterior edges slightly elevated, fully concealing gonocoxae and bases of telopodites. Gonopod coxites medium-sized, subcylindrical, fused at base to a small membranous sternal remnant, poorly setose distodorsally, including a pair of very closely placed, distalmost, particularly long setae. Cannulae slender, without peculiarities ( Fig. 3 View Fig A–B). Telopodites in situ directed forward, held subparallel to each other, suberect, not crossing each other mesally. Prefemoral (= densely setose) portion (pf) subcylindrical, very long and slender, untwisted, almost not enlarged towards an oblique apical cingulum (c) delimiting it from femorite, with a long, slightly curved, distodorsal process (pfp). Femorite clearly twisted, lamellar, about half as long as pf, forming a large, rounded, apical lobe = solenophore (sph) to protect a smaller, parabasal lobe (lo) carrying terminal part of seminal groove on its distal rib. Seminal groove first running fully on mesal side of pf, then moving laterad above c onto distal rib of lo to end at tip of lo ( Fig. 3 View Fig C–E).

Remark

This new genus and species extends the range of Campodesmidae to Cameroon in the east, the family also being recorded in that country for the first time.