The millipede genus Epanerchodus Attems, 1901 in continental China, with descriptions of seven new cavernicolous species (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Polydesmidae)
Liu, Weixin
Golovatch, Sergei
Zootaxa
2018
2018-08-14
4459
1
53
84
6FN58
Liu & Golovatch, 2018
Liu & Golovatch
2018
[151,415,1291,1317]
Diplopoda
Polydesmidae
Epanerchodus
GBIF
Animalia
Polydesmida
12
65
Arthropoda
species
parvus
sp. nov.
Material examined: Holotypemale ( SCAUeGZ7-1) from China, Guizhou Province, Qiandongnan Autonomous Prefecture, Cenggong County, Pingzhuang Town, Wanfuchangcheng Dong Cave, 29.VI.2014, colls: Mingyi Tian, Weixin Liu, Haomin Yin, Sunbin Huangand Xinhui Wang. Paratypes: 8 males, 20 females( SCAUeGZ7-2), same data as the holotype.
Diagnosis: Adult males of E. parvus n. sp.are distinct from other Epanerchodusspecies based on the following combination of characters: (1) body small ( ca 13–16 mm); (2) collum broader than head ( Fig. 10A); (3) gonopodal clivus broadly triangular; (4) endomere at base with a small, digitiform, lateral process ( p), while its tip beak-shaped and denticulate near apex ( Fig. 11). The former character is similar to that observed in E. gladiatus n. sp., E. chutou n. sp.(both from caves in Guizhou, China) and E. fuscus(from Yunnan, China). However, E. parvus n. sp.is distinguished not only in gonopodal structural details, but also by the narrower body: widths of pro- and metazonae 0.8–1.0 and 1.3–1.5 mm vs.clearly broader in E. gladiatus n. sp., E. chutou n. sp.and E. fuscus: widths of pro- and metazonae 1.2–1.3 and 2.5–3.0, 1–1.2 and 2.0, and 2.3 and 4.0 mm, respectively.
Description: Based on typespecimens. Lengths of body ca 13.5–15.5 mm(males) or 15–17 mm(females), widths of pro- and metazonae 0.8–1.0 and 1.3–1.5 mm(males) or 1.01–1.2 and 1.7–1.8 mm(females). Coloration: in alcohol generally pallid. Mouthparts and gonopodal telopodites light yellowish. Body: Adults with 20 rings. Width: collum <head = rings 2–3 <4 <5–15, thereafter body gradually tapering towards telson. Head: clypeus densely pilose, vertex sparsely setose, epicranial suture conspicuous ( Fig. 10B). Antennae long, reaching behind posterior margin of ring 3 when extended posteriorly, slightly clavate ( Figs. 10A, B, G). Exoskeleton: Collum fanshaped, with a lateral incision on each side ( Fig. 10A). Paraterga narrow ( Fig. 10), midbody paraterga extend metatergite to ca1.5x width of prozonite. Paraterga on collum and rings 2–4 clearly upturned dorsally above a faintly convex dorsum, other paraterga flat. From ring 10 on, caudolateral corners of paraterga increasingly acuteangled, sharper and pointed on rings 15–19 ( Fig. 10D). Integument shining, translucent, prozonae very delicately alveolate. Limbus regularly denticulate. Constriction between pro- and metazonae narrow, shallow and smooth. Metatergal sculpture faint, with three irregular transverse rows of setigerous, polygonal bosses. Sulcus between front and middle rows of setae a little deeper than that between middle and caudal rows. Tergal setae invisible. Three or four faint setigerous incisions at lateral margins of poreless and pore-bearing rings, respectively. Pore formula normal: 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15–19, ozopores evident, dorsal, clearly set off from lateral margin and located between last and penultimate marginal incisions. Epiproct short, conical, pre-apical lateral papillae small. Hypoproct subtrapeziform, with two setigerous papillae. Pleurosternal carinae small, present only on ring 2. Sterna sparsely setose, cross-shaped impressions shallow. Legs long and slender ( Fig. 10), about 2.0–2.2 times as long as body ring height in both sexes, without sphaerotrichomes or sternal cones, prefemora not bulging laterally. Gonopods: slender ( Fig. 11). Telopodite mostly suberect. Prefemur densely setose and nearly half the length of telopodite. Clivus ( cl) broadly triangular. Endomere ( en) tip beak-shaped, denticulate near apex. Endomere at base with a small, digitiform, lateral process ( p). Seminal groove starting mesally, then recurving laterad to run into an accessory seminal chamber, the latter opening on a hairy pulvillus. An exomere absent. FIGURE 10. Epanerchodus parvus n. sp., male paratype. A: anterior part of body, dorsal view. B: anterior part of body, ventral view. C: midbody rings, dorsal view. D: posterior part of body, dorsal view. E: midbody rings, ventral view. F: posterior part of body, ventral view. G: habitus, dorsal view. Scale bar: A–F, 0.1 mm; G, 0.2 mm. FIGURE 11. Epanerchodus parvus n. sp., male paratype. A: left gonopod, mesal view. B: left gonopod, lateral view. Abbreviations: cl = clivus; en = endomere; p = process. Note: Because of the long slender antennae and legs, and a depigmented cuticle, this species is most likely a troglobite.
Etymology: To emphasize the small size of this species; masculine adjective.
1917355119
2014-06-29
SCAU
China
Cenggong County
Pingzhuang Town
Qiandongnan Autonomous Prefecture
12
65
1
Guizhou Province
holotype
1917355135
2014-06-29
SCAU
China
Cenggong County
Pingzhuang Town
Qiandongnan Autonomous Prefecture
12
65
28
20
8
Guizhou Province
paratype