Rhamphidarpoides kilimanjarona ( Attems, 1909 ) Attems, 1909

Frederiksen, Sara B. & Enghoff, Henrik, 2015, East African odontopygid millipedes 4: A restricted redefinition of the genus Rhamphidarpoides Kraus, 1960, a related new genus, five new species, and notes on solenomere function (Diplopoda; Spirostreptida; Odontopygidae), Zootaxa 3926 (4), pp. 541-560 : 548-549

Rhamphidarpoides kilimanjarona ( Attems, 1909) , new combination

Fig. 4

Odontopyge kilimanjarona Attems, 1909

Odontopyge kilimanjarona: Attems (1914) , Brolemann (1920), Kraus (1960)

Material. 2 males, 4 females syntypes, TANZANIA, Kilimanjaro, Kibonoto, Pflanzenfarm (= plant farm), coll. Sjöstedt 1905–1906 ( NMW).— 1 male, 1 female syntypes, TANZANIA, Kilimanjaro, Kibonoto, Steppe- Kulturzone (steppe – cultural zone), coll. Sjöstedt 1905-1906 ( NMW).— 2 males, 2 females syntypes, TANZANIA, Kilimanjaro, Kibonoto, Regenwald (rain forest), coll. Sjöstedt 1905-1906 ( NMW).— 1 male, 1 female syntypes, TANZANIA, Kilimanjaro, Kibonoto, Steppe-Kulturzone, Regenwald coll. Sjöstedt 1905-1906 ( NMW). 2 males TANZANIA, Kilimanjaro region, Moshi Vijijini (rural) district, Mt. Kilimanjaro, homegarden, 1788m, 03°16´10,40”S, 37°25´11,28”E, 10.XII.2013, S. Frederiksen leg. ( ZMUC 00040230, ZMUC 00040233),— 1 male TANZANIA, Kilimanjaro region, Moshi Vijijini (rural) district, Mt. Kilimanjaro, homegarden, 1788m, 03°16´10,40”S, 37°25´11,28”E, 06.XI.2012, J. Röder leg. ( ZMUC 00040219),— 2 males TANZANIA: Kilimanjaro region, Hai district, Mt. Kilimanjaro, homegarden, 1647 m, 03°11'09.91"S, 37°15'18.02"E 31.X.2012, J. Röder ( ZMUC 00040217, 00040218).— 3 males TANZANIA: Kilimanjaro region, Hai district, Mt. Kilimanjaro, homegarden, 1647 m, 03°11'09.91"S, 37°15'18.02"E, 04.IX.2011, J. Röder ( ZMUC 00040220-00040222).— 1 male TANZANIA: Kilimanjaro region, Hai district, Mt. Kilimanjaro, homegarden, 1647 m, 03°11'09.91"S, 37°15'18.02"E, 31.X.2012, J. Röder ( ZMUC 00040228).— 2 males TANZANIA: Kilimanjaro region, Hai district, Mt. Kilimanjaro, homegarden, 1647 m, 03°11'09.91"S, 37°15'18.02"E, 18.XI.2013, S. Frederiksen ( ZMUC 00040229, 0004031).— 1 male Tanzania, Kilimanjaro region, Hai district, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Nkweseko research station, 1692 m, 03°11'05.80"S, 37°14'26.92"E, 27.III.2014, S. Frederiksen leg. ( ZMUC 00040209).— 2 males TANZANIA, Kilimanjaro region, Hai district, Mt. Kilimanjaro, coffee plantation, 1306 m. 03°14'34.66"S, 37°15'03.91"E, 12.XI.2011, J. Röder leg. ( ZMUC 00040210, ZMUC 00040211).— 2 males TANZANIA, Kilimanjaro region, Hai district, Mt. Kilimanjaro, coffee plantation, 1306 m. 03°14'34.66"S, 37°15'03.91"E, 24.II.2011, J. Röder leg. ( ZMUC 00040215, ZMUC 00040216).— 5 males TANZANIA, Kilimanjaro region, Hai district, Mt. Kilimanjaro, coffee plantation, 1306 m. 03°14'34.66"S, 37°15'03.91"E, 31.IIX.2011, J. Röder leg. ( ZMUC 00040223-00040227).— 2 males TANZANIA: Kilimanjaro region, Moshi Vijijini (rural) district, Mt. Kilimanjaro, lower montane forest, 1623 m. 03°15'27.79"S, 37°25'12.74"E, 06.XI.2012, J. Röder leg. ( ZMUC 00040212, ZMUC 00040213).— 1 male TANZANIA: Kilimanjaro region, Moshi Vijijini (rural) district, Mt. Kilimanjaro, lower montane forest, 1623 m. 03°15'27.79"S, 37°25'12.74"E, 14.XI.2011, J. Röder leg. ( ZMUC 00040214).— 1 male TANZANIA: Kilimanjaro region, Moshi Vijijini (rural) district, Mt. Kilimanjaro, lower montane forest, 1623 m. 03°15'27.79"S, 37°25'12.74"E, 09.IV.2014, S. Frederiksen leg. ( ZMUC 00040233)— 1 male, 2 females KENYA, Nairobi, 1800 m, in garden, 13.ii.1977, H. Enghoff leg. ( ZMUC 00040208).

Diagnosis. Easily recognizable by the very long basad telomeric spine, and the fluted but otherwise simple solenomere.

Descriptive notes on newly collected males. 52–56 podous body rings, diameter 2.8–3.4 mm, body length 4.1–4.9 cm.

Colouration: Head light brown with a darker band between the eyes. Head darker brown towards collum with a longitudinal line from collum to between eyes, where another line runs laterally from eye to eye. Body overall brown, prozonite a golden or light brown, metazonite darker brown. Preanal ring dark brown, anal valves light brown.

Head and body: 1+4+1 supralabral setae and a row of labral setae. Distal margin of mandibular stipes bilobed. Lateral end of collum square, with two distinct furrows and a third along the edge. Metazonites with longitudinal furrows ventrally. Anal valves with three setae each, positioned along the posterior edge, and with a very small dorsal spine. Male legs with postfemoral and tibial pads. Limbus: serrated, with 4–5 spines on each lobe ( Fig. 4 D,E)

Gonopod ( Fig. 4 A–C): Coxa with long distad lateral spine (ls) and a substantial metaplical flange (mf). Metaplical apex broad and round, with a process (mp) protruding mesally above arculus, and ending in a long anterior basad-posteriad-curving spine (ms) (see notes). Proplica ending apically in a distad lobe (pl) partly covered by metaplical spine. Telopodite: no spines or folds on basomere, telomere with very long basad proximal spine (ts) situated just after basomere. Telomere a fairly short elongate lamella, broader at basis, with a second much smaller lamella (tl) branching off from base of telomere. Solenomere slightly longer than telomere, first half appressed to the curving telomere, second half curving back towards base of telomere, so solenomere seems to rest loosely within telomere. Solenomere with longitudinal fluting, otherwise simple.

Notes. R. kilimanjarona was described in Odontopyge and has remained in this genus until now because the solenomere is slightly longer than the telomere and has no spines. The species does, however, agree with the definition of Rhamphidarpoides , even the restricted definition used here, and we therefore have included it in this genus. In the newly studied specimens, the apical metaplical spine is curved in a basad-posteriad direction. This is in apparent contrast to Attems’ drawing (Attems 1914: fig. 218) where the spine seems to curve only in a basad direction. The difference, however, is only an effect of the angle of view, as could be ascertained by examination of several syntypes. It also needs to be taken into consideration that in specimens prepared for SEM, the curvature of long thin spines like this one may change. R. kilimanjarona is reported from Kenya for the first time. The species seems to thrive well in human-influenced habitats.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Rhamphidarpoides kilimanjarona Attems 1909. A: left gonopod, anterior view. B: left gonopod, mesal view. C: left gonopod, posterior view. D: limbus, external view. E: limbus, internal view. ls: lateral spine, mp: metaplical process, mf: metaplical flange, ms: metaplical spine, pl: proplical lobe, tl: telomeric lamella, ts: telomeric spine. Scales: 1 µm (E), 10 µm (D), 100 µm (A – C).