Attemsostreptus leptoptilos Enghoff, 2024

Enghoff, Henrik, Ngute, Alain S. K., Kwezaura, Revocatus L., Laizzer, Richard L., Lyatuu, Herman M., Mhagawale, Waziri, Mnendendo, Hamidu R. & Marshall, Andrew R., 2024, A mountain of millipedes XI. The trachystreptoform spirostreptids of the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Spirostreptidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 918 (1), pp. 1-50 : 19-23

Attemsostreptus leptoptilos Enghoff sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:34AAD11B-3CA4-44FA-8E21-A13047FC01BC

Figs 2 , 3D , 12–13

Diagnosis

Differs from congeners, except A. julostriatus sp. nov., by the relatively short (<half length of gonopod coxa), pronouncedly basad lateroapical metaplical process (lap). Differs from A. julostriatus , by having fewer podous rings (48 vs 58–62), by having the metazonites carinate as in other trachystreptoform spirostreptids, vs striate as in species of Julidae , and by having the mesapical coxal spines (mcs) much longer and pointing distomesad, vs very short and pointing distad.

Etymology

Leptoptilos is the name of the genus to which the African marabou stork belongs; here it refers to the somewhat marabou-like profile of the gonopod coxa of the new species. Noun in apposition.

Material studied (total 4 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀)

Holotype

TANZANIA • ♂; Iringa Region /District, Nyambanitu Mountains, Ukami Forest ; 07°42′49″ S, 36°25′15″ E; Jul.–Nov. 1984; D. Moyer leg.; NHMD 621876 .

Paratypes

TANZANIA • 3 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; NHMD 621877 .

Description (males)

SIZE. Length ca 58 mm, diameter 3.7–4.1 mm, 48 podous rings, no apodous rings in front of telson.

COLOUR. After 39 years in alcohol head, antennae and collum brown; head becoming yellowish brown towards clypeal margin; collum marbled except for solid brown band along anterior margin, band expanded in the middle. Body rings and telson (faded to?) grey, except for amber-coloured posterior ⅓ of metazonites and brown lips of anal valves. Legs yellowish brown.

HEAD ( Fig. 12A–B ). Eyes each with ca 30 ommatidia in ca 12 vertical and 5 horizontal rows, extending just mesad of antennal sockets. Antennae reaching back to ring 5 when stretched.

COLLUM ( Fig. 12B ). With two deep, complete lateral carinae and short carinae along hind margin along entire perimeter. Lateral lobes slightly expanded.

BODY RINGS ( Fig. 12D–G ). Anterior part of prozonites with dense transverse microsculpture which posteriorly gives way to an at first irregular, later regular cell structure; in dorsal part of ring surface of last cell row coarsely pitted. Cuticular scutes (“cytoscutes”) of anterior part of prozonite remarkable in being rounded rather than polygonal and being arranged in an imbricate pattern ( Fig. 12G , left inset). Metazonites vaulted, carinate throughout; anterior part of ridges with fine moniliform sculpture ( Fig. 12G , right inset); in dorsal part of ring surface between ridges coarsely pitted. Suture between proand metazonite simple, straight. Ozopores between two ridges, slightly behind middle of metazonite. No sigilla.

TELSON ( Fig. 12C, H–I ). As in A. reflexus and A. cataractae sp. nov.

LEGS. Length ca 0.9 ×body diameter. Postfemora and tibiae with ventral pads; pads decreasing in size towards posterior and absent from last pairs of legs. First pair ( Fig. 13A–B ) similar to those of A. reflexus , but tip of prefemoral lobes (pfl) more rounded.

GONOPOD COXA ( Fig. 13C ). As in A. julostriatus sp. nov., but distomesal spine (mcs) of metaplica long (as in A. reflexus ).

GONOPOD TELOPODITE ( Fig. 13D–F ). As in A. cataractae sp. nov. and A. julostriatus sp. nov.

Descriptive notes (females)

Length unmeasurable, all females broken. Diameter up to 4.8 mm. One specimen with 48 podous rings, no podous rings in front of telson. One subadult specimen (diameter 3.7 mm) with 46 podous +1 apodous ring. Remaining specimens broken. Lateral lobes of collum not expanded. Other non-sexual characters as in male.

Disribution and habitat

Known only from the type locality. Ukami Forest lies at 1000–1600 m elevation on steep and rocky terrain ( Fjeldså et al. 2010)

Figures

Fig. 2. Map of the Udzungwa Mts showing collection areas for trachystreptoform Spirostreptidae Brandt, 1833. Yellow symbols: Attemsostreptus spp.; dots: A. reflexus, diamond: A. cataractae Enghoff sp. nov., cross: A. leptoptilos Enghoff sp. nov., triangles; A. julostriatus Enghoff sp. nov. Red symbols: Lophostreptus spp.; dots:L. tersus, crosses:L. magombera Enghoff sp. nov. Blue dots:Udzungwastreptus marianae Enghoff gen. et sp. nov. Based on Marshall et al. (2010: fig. 1).

Fig. 3. Trachystreptoforms from the Udzungwa Mts.A. Attemsostreptus reflexus Akkari & Enghoff, 2019, ♂ (Mwanihana, Njokamoni, NHMD 621851). B. Same, close-up of gonopod in situ. C. Attemsotreptus julostriatus Enghoff sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (NHMD 621878). D. Attemsostreptus leptoptilos Enghoff sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (NHMD 621877). E–F. Lophostreptus tersus (Cook, 1896). E. Two living females from Magombera Nature Reserve (NHMD 1184642). F. Male from Magombera Nature Reserve (NHMD 1184640). G. Lophostreptus magombera Enghoff sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (NHMD 621886). H. Udzungwastreptus marianae gen. et sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (NHMD 621893). Scale bars: A, C–D, F–H = 2 mm; B = 0.5 mm; E not to scale. Photos: S.G. Selvantharan (A–D, F–H), A.R. Marshall (E).

Fig. 12. Attemsostreptus leptoptilos Enghoff sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (NHMD 621877). A. Head and collum, anterior view. B. Head, collum and ring 2, lateral view. C. Telson and ultimate ring, lateral view. D. Midbody rings, lateral view. E. Detail of D. F. Midbody rings, oblique dorsolateral view. G. Detail of D; left inset: close-up of scalelike microsculpture; right inset: close-up of beaded anterior part of a ridge. H. Telson, dorsal view. I. Telson and ultimate ring, posterior view. Abbreviations: av = anal valve; oz = ozopore; pr = preanal ring. Scale bars: A–D, F = 0.5 mm; E, H–I = 0.2 mm; G = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 13. Attemsostreptus leptoptilos Enghoff sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (NHMD 621877). A–B. First pair of legs. A. Posterior view. B. Ventral view. C. Right gonopod coxa, anterior view. D–E. Right gonopod telopodite (proximal part missing). D. Mesal view. E. Mesobasal view. F. Close-up of telopodite tip. Abbreviations: atp = antetorsal process (highlighted in yellow in E); cxs = coxosternal setae; lap = lateroapical metaplical process; mcs = distomesal coxal spine; mp = metaplica; mr = metaplical “roof”; pfl = prefemoral lobe; pp = proplica; px = paracoxite; sl = serrate lamella; slm = solenomere. Scale bars: A–B = 0.1 mm; C–E = 0.2 mm; F = 0.05 mm.