Nannaria paupertas, Means & Hennen & Marek, 2021

Means, Jackson C., Hennen, Derek A. & Marek, Paul E., 2021, A revision of the minor species group in the millipede genus Nannaria Chamberlin, 1918 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Xystodesmidae), ZooKeys 1030, pp. 1-180 : 1

Nannaria paupertas sp. nov. Figs 22 , 23 Vernacular name: "The Poverty Creek Twisted-Claw Millipede"

Material examined.

Holotype: United States - Virginia • ♂; Montgomery County, Blacksburg, Pandapas Pond , Poverty Creek Trail near forest access rd. 708; 37.2678°N, - 80.4852°W; elev. 648 m; 7 July 2014; hand collected; J. Means leg.; VTEC MPE00108 .

Paratype: United States - Virginia • 1 ♀; same collection data as holotype; VMNH MPE00109 .

Other material.

United States - Virginia • 1 ♂; Montgomery County, Pandapas Pond, NW of Blacksburg , Poverty Creek Trail ; 37.2805°N, - 80.4720°W; elev. 651 m; hand collected; D. Hennen leg.; VTEC MPE02084 • 1 ♂; Montgomery County, gully on north slope of Brush Mtn. off forest service road 208; 37.2764°N, - 80.4837°W; elev. 693 m; 9 May 2015; J. Means leg.; VTEC MPE00359 • 1 ♂; Montgomery County, Pandapas Pond , in bottomland below horse trail parking lot; 37.2824°N, - 80.4485°W; elev. 738 m; hand collected; J. Means leg.; VTEC MPE00834 • 1 ♀; same collection data as preceding; VTEC MPE00836 . For detailed collection data see Suppl. material 7 .

Diagnosis.

Adult males of Nannaria paupertas sp. nov. are distinct from other Nannaria and the sympatric N. ericacea , based on the following combination of characters: Gonopods. Gonopodal acropodite gently curving medially before bending ventromedially at a nearly 90° angle (Fig. 22B , red triangle), not straight as in N. ericacea or curving dorsomedially as in N. cingulata sp. nov. Distal zone short, bent dorsomedially at 90° angle, not laminate, curving medially with flanges as in N. ericacea or bent dorsomedially at 45° as in N. cingulata sp. nov. Acropodite tip directed dorsomedially, without flanges, not laminate and serpentine, directed medially as in N. ericacea . Telopodite basal zone height> 1/3 length of acropodite, not greatly reduced as in N. ericacea or with lateral bulge as in N. cingulata sp. nov. Acropodite shaft swollen before apex, with medial flange, and sinuous region, not with lateral flange as in N. ericacea or cingulum as in N. cingulata sp. nov. Prefemur with prefemoral process curving ventromedially, not ventrally as in N. cingulata sp. nov. and N. ericacea . Prefemoral process (when viewed medially) coplanar with acropodite, not crossing acropodite as in N. ericacea . Prefemoral process 2/3 length of acropodite, not subequal as in N. ericacea or 1/2 length as in N. cingulata sp. nov. Prefemoral spine prominent, acicular, not reduced as in N. cingulata sp. nov. or absent as in N. ericacea . Color. Tergites with orange paranotal spots (Fig. 23 ). Dark brown background. Dorsum of collum smooth with orange margin.

Measurements.

♂ holotype (VTEC, MPE00108): BL = 30.3, CW = 4.1, IW = 2.1, ISW = 0.9, B11W = 4.8, B11H = 3.1; ♀ paratype (VMNH, MPE00109): BL = 31.7, CW = 4.0, IW = 2.2, ISW = 1.0, B11W = 5.1, B11H = 3.6.

Variation.

A dead male collected from Craig County is morphologically similar to N. paupertas sp. nov., with the exception of a prefemoral process which is straight for most of its length before bending nearly 90° ventrally, and a highly reduced prefemoral spine. Genetic sequences of a sympatric female did not support conspecificity with N. paupertas sp. nov. (Suppl. material 7), and therefore the Craig County population may represent a separate species and is not included in N. paupertas sp. nov.

Distribution.

Known only from a small area around Pandapas Pond (an impoundment of Poverty Creek) in Montgomery County, Virginia (Virginia: Montgomery County, Suppl. material 7; Fig. 126 ). Distribution area: 2 km2; status: MRE.

Ecology.

Individuals of N. paupertas sp. nov. have been collected from the side of walking trails in mesic, broadleaved forests, composed of oak, maple, ferns, and scattered pine, under deciduous leaf litter adjacent to rhododendron groves.

Etymology.

This species is named for the Poverty Creek Trail by which it was first collected. The specific name is derived from the Latin paupertas, meaning poverty, and is a noun in apposition.

Type locality.

United States, Virginia, Montgomery County, Blacksburg, Pandapas Pond, Poverty Creek Trail near forest access rd. 708, 37.2678°N, - 80.4852°W.

Figures

Figure 22. Nannaria paupertas sp. nov. holotype ♂ (VTEC, MPE 00108) left gonopod A anterior view B medial view; red triangle indicates acropodite ventromedial bend C posterior view. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Figure 23. Nannaria paupertas sp. nov. holotype ♂ (VTEC, MPE 00108) coloration. Scale bar: 4.0 mm.

Figure 126. Distribution map of Nannaria minor species group collection localities in the central Appalachians.