Eutrichodesmus asteroides Golovatch, Geoffroy, Mauriès & VandenSpiegel, 2009

Golovatch, Sergei, Geoffroy, Jean-Jacques, Mauriès, Jean-Paul & VandenSpiegel, Didier, 2009, Review of the millipede genus Eutrichodesmus Silvestri, 1910 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Haplodesmidae), with descriptions of new species, ZooKeys 12 (12), pp. 1-46 : 24-29

Eutrichodesmus asteroides Golovatch, Geoffroy, Mauriès & VandenSpiegel , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C1DBB0D8-E640-42A8-9307-7E0CFB894BC5

Figs 19-22

Type material: Vietnam, Quang Binh Prov., Cha Noi: Hang Cha Noi Cave , hand collected, 8.I.1995, leg. L. Deharveng and A. Bedos (VIET-064), holotype ♁ (MNHN JC 322), paratypes: 1 ♁ (MNHN JC 322), 1 ♀ (SEM) . Vietnam, Quang Binh Prov., Dong Hoi: Grotte de Troc , hand collected, 15.III.1997, leg. A. Bedos and Long (VIET- 407), paratypes: 3 ♁, 2 ♀, 2 juv. (MNHN JC 322), 1 ♁ (ZMUM) .

Name: To emphasize the nearly star-shaped but broad body of the volvated animal.

Diagnosis: Differs from congeners by the peculiar, subtriangular, rather high, mid-dorsal crests on metaterga 4-18, coupled with 19 body segments, the relatively wide paraterga and a few minor details of gonopod structure (in particular, the shape of the telopodite and a rudimentary distofemoral process).

Description: Length of adults of both sexes ca 8.0- 8.5 mm, width 2.1-2.5 mm, body broadest at segment 3 or 4. Holotype ca 8.0 mm long and 1.9 mm wide. Coloration uniformly pallid, shown pinkish because of a photographic artifact (Fig. 19).

Adults with 19 segments (Figs 19, 20A); body subasteriform but relatively broad, non-discoid; volvation complete even though paraterga relatively wide. Head (Fig. 21C) with a very distinctly separated pair of paramedian tubercles above antennal sockets; antennae relatively long and slender; tegument ( Figs 22A, C ) and many other characters (Figs 21D, E, 22A-D) much as in E. distinctus sp. n.; collum very faintly tuberculate, almost smooth ( Fig. 20E ). Metaterga behind collum with three transverse, rather regular, mixostictic rows of rounded, flat, well-differentiated tubercles, mid-dorsal ones in anterior and middle rows being especially high and fused into a high double club of subtriangular shape in lateral view ( Figs 20 A-F, 21A, B); tergal setation missing ( Figs 22 A-C). Paraterga directed ventrolaterad, rather long and broad, well reaching level of venter (Figs 21B, D-F); paraterga 2 rather poorly lobulate only anterolaterally and caudally ( Fig. 20B ). Following paraterga broadly rounded, unilobate only caudolaterally. Limbus with very broad crenulations ( Figs 22B ). Pore formula normal, ozopores poorly visible, located dorsomedially of lateral margin of paraterga ( Fig. 22A ).

Legs relatively long and slender, reaching edge of paraterga (Figs 21B, D-F).

Gonopods ( Figs 22E, F ) relatively simple. Coxae abundantly micropapillate but only with two macrosetae near base a small apicolateral lobe. Telopodite elongate, slender, evidently arcuate, with a rudimentary, prong-shaped distofemoral process (dp) at about midway, an evident, mesal, rounded lobe at about midway of acropodite (= solenomere), and a bipartite apical part starting at a hairless pad terminating seminal groove; mesal of apical branches shorter and digitiform, whereas lateral one a little longer and unciform.

Remarks: Because this species has only been taken from caves, it can possibly be considered as a troglobite.

Figures

Figure 2. Eutrichodesmus distinctus sp. n., ♁ paratype; A, habitus, lateral view; B, E, anterior part of body, lateral and dorsal views, respectively; C, F, midbody segments, lateral and dorsal views, respectively; D, G, posterior part of body, lateral and dorsal views, respectively. – Scale bars: A, 0.5 mm; B-G, 0.2 mm.

Figure 19. Eutrichodesmus asteroides sp. n., ♁ paratype from Hang Cha Noi Cave; habitus, lateral view. (Photographed by L. Deharveng).

Figure 20. Eutrichodesmus asteroides sp. n., ♀ paratype from Hang Cha Noi Cave; A, habitus, lateral view; B, E, anterior part of body, lateral and frontal views, respectively; C, F, midbody segments, lateral and dorsal views, respectively; D, posterior part of body, lateral view. – Scale bars: A-F, 0.5 mm.

Figure 21. Eutrichodesmus asteroides sp. n., ♀ paratype from Hang Cha Noi Cave; A, E, posterior part of body, caudal and ventral views, respectively; B, cross-section of a midbody segment, caudal view; C, anterior part of body, ventral view; D, midbody segments, ventral view; F, midbody paratergum and legs, caudal view. – Scale bars: A, D, E, 0.5 mm; B, C, 0.2 mm; F, 0.1 mm.

Figure 22. Eutrichodesmus asteroides sp. n., ♀ (A-D) and ♁ (E-F) paratypes from Hang Cha Noi Cave; A, midbody metaterga, sublateral view; B, C, texture of tegument, dorsal view; D, setae on antennae; E, F, left gonopod, mesal and lateral views, respectively. – Scale bars: A, 0.05 mm; B, 0.1 mm; C, 0.01; D, 0.005 mm; E, F, 0.2 mm.