Epanerchodus curtigonopus, Golovatch, Sergei I., Mikhaljova, Elena V. & Chang, Hsueh-Wen, 2011

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 : 23-25

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.93.1167

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/95DD5FFE-3343-DB61-26C9-44477AED0505

treatment provided by

ZooKeys by Pensoft

scientific name

Epanerchodus curtigonopus
status

sp. n.

Epanerchodus curtigonopus   ZBK sp. n. Figs 5460

Type material:

Holotype ♂ (NMNS-6560-001), Taiwan, Nantou County, Ren-ai Township, Mei-Feng, 15.10.2001, leg. S.H. Wu.

Name:

To emphasize the remarkably short gonopod telopodite.

Diagnosis:

Differs from other Epanerchodus species in the distal half of the gonopod telopodite being particularly stout, with the endomere represented only by a short spine supplied with a similarly short spine at its base (see also Key below). This new species seems to be particularly similar to Epanerchodus pinguis sp. n. in sharing the gonopod which shows a densely setose coxa and a very stout telopodite (apparently, both being synapomorphies), but differs in the entire leg telopodites (prefemur+femur+postfemur+tibia+tarsus) being supplied with sphaerotrichomes ventrally, and the endomere and its basal process rudimentary and spiniform.

Description:

Length ca 15 mm; width of pro- and metazona 1.3 and 2.5 mm, respectively. Coloration in alcohol pallid.

Superficially, also very similar to Epanerchodus pinguis sp. n., except as follows.

In width, collum <head <segment 2 = 3 <4 <5 <6-15 (Figs 54), thereafter body gradually tapering towards telson (Fig. 55). Paraterga strongly developed, starting from collum, set high, subhorizontal to very faintly upturned, lying slightly below dorsum only on collum and segment 2; mid-dorsum invariably extremely faintly convex, nearly flat; front shoulders mostly straight, drawn forward only on paraterga 2 and 3, thereafter directed increasingly caudolaterad and increasingly well rounded anterolaterally; caudal corner on paraterga 3-12 subrectangular and narrowly rounded, starting from 13th increasingly acutangular and evidently extending increasingly beyond rear tergal contour, but nearly pointed and beak-shaped only on segment 19 (Figs 54, 55). Paraterga 2-5 and all following pore-bearing segments with four, following poreless ones with three, small but evident incisions, each usually bearing a small seta on top at lateral margin. Metatergal sculpture typical, moderately developed, with three indistinct transverse rows of setiferous, polygonal bosses (Figs 54, 55). Tergal setae very short, mostly retained, a little longer only on collum and in rear row on metatergum 19. Stricture between pro- and metazona wide and smooth. Limbus very thin, microdenticulate. Epiproct rather short, conical (Figs 55, 56), only slightly bent ventrad, preapical papillae evident. Hypoproct semi-circular; caudal, paramedian, setiferous papillae distinct and well-separated (Fig. 56).

Sterna without modifications, densely setose. Legs long and rather slender, only slightly enlarged (Figs 56, 57), ca 1.7-1.8 times as long as midbody height, prefemora not swollen dorsally, entire telopodite (prefemur+femur+postfemur+tibia+tarsus) with sphaerotrichomes ventrally (Fig. 58).

Gonopods (Figs 57, 59, 60) with large, subquadrate, medially fused coxae carrying numerous setae ventrally. Telopodite especially stout, prefemoral portion relatively prominent, taking up about one-third of telopodite length, endomere (en) like a short spine supplied with another, somewhat shorter spine (p) near base; both accessory seminal chamber and hairy pulvillus evident.

Remarks.

This species is remarkable in showing an extremely short, simple, spiniform endomere (en), coupled with a single, even more rudimentary process (p) at en base.

In Taiwan, Epanerchodus curtigonopus sp. n. occurs very locally, having been found only at a single locality (Map 2).