Kophosphaera martensi, Wesener, Thomas, 2015

Wesener, Thomas, 2015, The Giant Pill-Millipedes of Nepal (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Zephroniidae) *, Zootaxa 3964 (3), pp. 301-320 : 316-318

Kophosphaera martensi new species

Figures 2 E, 3D, 9A–E

Etymology. martensi , noun in apposition, to honour Prof. Martens, the collector of this and numerous other Nepalese millipedes.

Material examined. 1 M holotype. SMF 'N3 field label 179', Nepal, Kaski District, above Dhumpus [Dhampus, 28°19'4.31"N, 83°49'47.16"E], deciduous forest, 2100 m, leg. J. Martens & A. Ausobsky, 10.V.1980.

Diagnosis. See diagnosis of K. shivapuri for a distinction between both species.

Description. Measurements: 24.6 mm long, 12.1 mm (2nd) wide, 7.2 mm (2nd) to 7.4 mm (8th, highest) high.

Colouration faded. Tergites brown, with a slightly darker posterior margin. Head, collum and thoracic shield dark chestnut. Legs brown, antennae light brownish.

Head: Eyes with ca. 60 ocelli. Antennae short, protruding back to coxae 4. Antennomeres 1–5 with few longer setae, 6 more densely pubescent. Antennomere 6 as long as 4&5 combined, axe-shaped. Size relations of antennomeres 1=2=3=4=5<<6. Disc with 55/54 apical cones. Mouthparts not dissected. Palpi of gnathochilarium with sensory cones arranged in single field.

Collum glabrous except for few marginal setae.

Thoracic shield surface glabrous except for longer setae in grooves. Grooves shallow, without any ledges. Tergites 3–12 smooth, at higher magnification chagrinated, leather-like, paratergite tips only weakly projecting posteriorly.

Anal shield massive, strongly bell-shaped ( Fig. 3 D), covered with numerous small sensory hair. Underside carrying single locking carina of medium length. Carina located close to margin.

Endotergum inner section covered with medium-length setae, each inserting in an elevated area ( Fig. 2 E). Between ridge and inner section, single dense row of circular cuticular impressions. Externally, two rows of marginal bristles ( Fig. 2 E). Bristles short, ending just before tergite margin ( Fig. 2 E).

First stigma-carrying plate with a well-rounded projecting apex.

Pleurite 1 laterally elongated into a slender, sharp-edged process. Pleurite 2 also weakly elongated into a broader and well-rounded process.

Leg 1 with 2 or 3, 2 with 4 or 5, 3 with 5 ventral spines. Leg pairs 4–21 with 7 or 8 ventral spines. Legs 3–21 with single apical spine, which is absent in leg pairs 1 and 2. Coxa process strongly developed and well-rounded ( Fig. 9 A), absent from leg pairs 1 and 2. Femur 1.5, tarsus 3.6 times longer than wide. Femur with short toothed ridge.

Male gonopore large, simple pit covered by partly membranous plate, located centrally at the mesal margin of coxa 2, size ca. 1/3 of coxal height.

Anterior telopod ( Figs 9 B, C): syncoxite wider than podomere 1, densely covered with short spines. Podomere 1 larger than podomere 2 or 3, rectangular, only slightly wider than following podomeres. Podomere 2 large, posterior process not visible in anterior view, process wide only weakly curved, short, protruding as far as basal part of podomere 4. Podomere 3 shorter and slenderer than podomere 2. Podomere 4 long, reaching almost half the size of podomere 3. Podomeres 1 and 2 in anterior view sparsely covered with long setae, podomeres 3 and 4 glabrous except for some marginal hair.

Posterior telopod ( Figs 9 D, E): typical for Kophosphaera , with 4 podomeres, 2 membranous ledges and lacking any lobes, or sclerotized teeth. Podomere 3 straight, 1.9 times longer than wide. Hollowed-out inner margin with membranous ledge. Podomere 4 well-developed, 0.5 times as long as podomere 3, no spines next to membranous ledge. Podomeres 3 and 4 curved towards immovable finger. Immovable finger wide, apically only weakly tapering, shorter than podomeres 3 and 4. Podomeres 1 and 2 in anterior and posterior view covered with setae. Podomere 3 in posterior aspect glabrous, anteriorly with setae in its basal half, podomere 4 glabrous.

Distribution. In the southern Annapurna area, western-most known locality of any giant pill-millipede in Nepal.

Figures

FIGURE 2. SEM of tergites or endoterga of different Zephronia and Kophosphaera species. A: Zephronia montana (Karsch, 1881), ZMB 55, tergite surface; B: Zephronia nepalensis n. sp., holotype, SMF, endotergum; C: Kophosphaera politissima Attems, 1935, ZFMK MYR 4176, endotergum; D: K. shivapuri n. sp., holotype, SMF, endotergum; E: K. martensi n. sp., holotype, SMF, endotergum.

FIGURE 3. Multi-layer photographs, anal shield and posterior tergites, lateral view. All specimens were males. A: Zephronia nepalensis n. sp., holotype, SMF; B: Kophosphaera politissima Attems, 1935, ZFMK MYR 4176; C: K. shivapuri n. sp., holotype, SMF; D: K. martensi n. sp., holotype, SMF. Abbreviations: 12 T = tergite 12; AS = anal shield. Not to scale.

FIGURE 9. Kophosphaera martensi n. sp., male holotype, SMF. A: left leg 9, posterior view; B: left half of anterior telopod, anterior view; C: left anterior telopod, podomeres 2 – 4, lateral view; D: left posterior telopod, podomeres 2 – 4, posterior view; E: left posterior telopod, anterior view. Abbreviations: Syn = syncoxite; numbers refer to podomere. Scale bars = 1 mm.