Pogoro alopias Rosenmejer & Enghoff, 2020

Olsen, Sissel Anna, Rosenmejer, Trine & Enghoff, Henrik, 2020, A mountain of millipedes IX: Species of the family Gomphodesmidae from the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania (Diplopoda, Polydesmida), European Journal of Taxonomy 675, pp. 1-35 : 11-13

Pogoro alopias Rosenmejer & Enghoff sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9FC7C5B7-C5E0-4D66-8E9F-F1B75EBD1AA0

Figs 2 , 5G , 8–9

Diagnosis

Differs from other species of the genus by the shape of the postnodal telopodite, which resembles a thresher shark’s tail, and by the triangular shape of the sternal process on segment 6.

Etymology

The name is a noun in apposition, referring to the thresher shark, Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre, 1788), and its tail in particular, the shape of which resembles the postnodal teleopodite in the new species.

Material examined

Holotype

TANZANIA • ♂; Iringa District, Udzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve, 11 km SE of Masisiwe Village, Kihanga Stream ; 08°22′05.7″ S, 35°58′41.6″ E, 1800 m a.s.l.; 17–27 May 1997; ZMUC and SI Exp. 1997; NHMD 621670 .

Other material

TANZANIA • 1 ♀; same collecting data as for holotype; NHMD 621671 .

Description

Male

SIZE AND SHAPE. Body length ca 53 mm. Maximum width 6.9 mm. W/L ratio 13%. Height of body ring eight 4.9 mm. H/W ratio= 72%.

COLOUR ( Fig. 8 ). Face, collum, prozona, sterna and metaterga yellow/brown, legs and antennae slightly lighter.

STERNAL PROCESS ON BODY RING 6 ( Fig. 5G ). Triangular with ‘wavy’ dark brown edge and long setae.

HYPOPROCT. Almost semicircular, with small round median projection, paramedian tubercles projecting beyond edge of sclerite.

GONOPOD ( Fig. 9 ). Gonocoxa with paracannular setae. Telopodite endonodal. Process M and L similar in shape and size, both curved laterad. Postnodal teleopodite wide at base, narrowing shortly after, relatively short, curved dorsad. With narrow triangular subapical lobe on lateral side. Solenomere of telopodite narrow and curved anteriad.

Distribution

Known only from the type locality in the Udzungwa Scarp FR ( Fig. 2 ).

Figures

Fig. 2. Map of the Udzungwa Mts showing collection sites for gomphodesmids. Based on Marshall et al. (2010: fig. 1).

Fig. 5. Sternal process on body ring 6. A. Emphysemastix spp. B. Agrophogonus spp. except A. hamulifer Olsen & Enghoff sp. nov. C. Agrophogonus hamulifer Olsen & Enghoff sp. nov. D. Pogoropsis prolixopes Rosenmejer & Enghoff gen. et sp. nov. E. Pogoro siren Rosenmejer & Enghoff sp. nov. F. Pogoro scharffi Hoffman, 2005. G. Pogoro alopias Rosenmejer & Enghoff sp. nov. Not drawn to scale.

Fig. 8. Pogoro alopias Rosenmejer & Enghoff sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (NHMD 621670). Scale bar: 5 mm.

Fig. 9. Pogoro alopias Rosenmejer & Enghoff sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (NHMD 621670), right gonopod. A–B. Mesal view. C–D. Lateral view. E–F. Dorsal view. Abbreviations: L = Process L; M = Process M; tl = triangular lobe. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.