Aquattuor mollilobus, Enghoff, 2020

Enghoff, Henrik, 2020, A mountain of millipedes VIII. The genus Aquattuor Frederiksen, 2013 revisited - a new species from the Udzungwa Mts, Tanzania, another from the Nguru Mts, and introduction of the first pair of male legs as a source of taxonomic characters (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Odontopygidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 626, pp. 1-32 : 16-19

Aquattuor mollilobus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A453CBE6-5FF7-4327-9B45-FA0C6A9AE84F

Figs 1 , 6 A–C, 8C, 9, 12–13

Diagnosis

Diameter 1.80–1.96 mm, 48–53 podous rings ( Fig. 9 ). Differs from congeners, except A. longipala and A. major , by having the gonopodal palette considerably longer than broad, and by having a distal prefemoral lobe on the first pair of male legs, in addition to the normal prefemoral process. Differs from A. longipala and A. major by having the lateral and mesal incisions of the gonopod coxa indistinct, and by having the tarsal setae of the first pair of male legs much shorter than tarsal setae of normal walking legs.

Etymology

The name is an adjective meaning soft (Latin: mollis) lobe and refers to the distal modification of the first male prefemora.

Material studied (total: 21 ♂♂, 11 ♀♀, 1 juv.)

Holotype

TANZANIA • ♂; Morogoro Region, Udzungwa Mts National Park, Kidatu, Plot 6; 07°40′42.1″ S, 36°55′06.8″ E; 1482 m a.s.l.; 21 Oct. 2014; J. Malumbres-Olarte leg.; pitfall trapping; NHMD 621645 . Paratypes

TANZANIA • 8 ♂♂; Morogoro Region, Udzungwa Mts National Park, Kidatu, Plot 5; 07°40′45.5″ S, 36°55′06.9″ E; 1448 m a.s.l.; 21 Oct. 2014; J. Malumbres-Olarte leg.; pitfall trapping (summed catch from three traps); NHMD 621646 • 7 ♂♂; Morogoro Region, Udzungwa Mts National Park , Kidatu, Plot 6; 07°40′42.1″ S, 36°55′06.8″ E; 1482 m a.s.l.; 21 Oct. 2014; J. Malumbres-Olarte leg.; pitfall trapping (summed catch from six traps); NHMD 621647 • 5 ♂♂; Morogoro Region, Udzungwa Mts National Park , Kidatu, Plot 9; 07°41′06.2″ S, 36°55′06.8″ E, 1527 m a.s.l.; 23 Oct. 2014; J. Malumbres- Olarte leg.; pitfall trapping (summed catch from three traps); NHMD 621648 .

Referred non-type material

TANZANIA • 11 ♀♀, 1 juv.; same collection data as for paratypes (plots 5, 6, 9); NHMD .

Description (male)

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 28–31 mm; vertical diameter 1.82–1.91 mm; 48–53 podous rings, no apodous rings in front of telson.

COLOUR. Similar to that of A. claudiahempae ( Enghoff & Frederiksen 2015: fig. 1). A light mid-dorsal stripe present.

LIMBUS ( Fig. 12E ). With rectangular, detachable flaps, as typical of the genus.

FIRST PAIR OF MALE LEGS ( Figs 6 A–C, 8C). Prefemoral processes (pfp) of first pair of legs slender, fingershaped, slightly curved laterad; in addition an irregular, rugose lobe (dpl) on oral-distal margin of prefemur; setae of all podomeres much shorter than femoral setae of normal walking legs.

GONOPOD COXA ( Fig. 12 A–D). In anterior or posterior view ca 3½ × as long as broad. Margins of proplica (pp) parallel in basal ca ¾. Mesal (mi) and lateral (li) incisions shallow and poorly developed; apical palette (pa) narrower than basal part of proplica, lateral margin regularly rounded, mesal margin straight.

GONOPOD TELOPODITE ( Fig. 13 ). Solenomere (slm) thin, whiplike. Main part of telomere (tm) a rather broad gutter describing a 270° curve in almost one plane; tip of telomere broad rounded, densely beset with minute spicules on external surface.

In all other characters conforming to the general description of Aquattuor in Enghoff & Frederiksen (2015) .

Distribution

Known only from a single site in Udzungwa Mts National Park ( Fig. 1 ). Altitudinal range: 1448–1527 m a.s.l.

Figures

Fig. 1. Collecting sites for Aquattuor spp. in the Udzungwa Mts. Based on Marshall et al. (2010: fig. 1); inset by permission of the Eastern Arc Mountains Conservation Endowment Fund.

Fig. 6. Aquattuor spp., first pair of male legs. A–C. A. mollilobus sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (NHMD 621647). D–F. A. stereosathe Enghoff, 2015, paratype, ♂ (NHMD 621650). A, D. Anterior view. B, E. (Sub)- lateral view. C, F. (Sub)-ventral view. Abbreviations: dpl = distal prefemoral lobe; pfp = prefemoral process. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 9. Aquattuor spp. Body size (number of podous rings and midbody vertical diameter) in males of Aquattuor species from the Udzungwa Mts, and of A. claudiahempae Enghoff & Frederiksen, 2015 from Mt Kilimanjaro. In case of (almost) coinciding values, symbols have been slightly displaced horizontally.

Fig. 12. Aquattuor mollilobus sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (NHMD 621648). A–D. Left gonopod coxa. A. Anterior view. B. Anterior-mesal view. C. Mesal view. D. Posterior-lateral view. E. Midbody dorsal limbus. Abbreviations: li = lateral incision; mi = mesal incision; pa = palette; pp = proplica. Scale bars: A–D = 0.1 mm; E = 0.02 mm.

Fig. 13. Aquattuor mollilobus sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (NHMD 621648). Left gonopod telopodite. A. Anterior view. B. Posterior view. C. Submesal view. D. Distal (ventral) view. E–F. Tip of telomere. Abbreviations: slm = solenomere; tm = telomere. Scale bars: A–D = 0.1 mm; E–F = 0.02 mm.