Schizoturanius sinensis Nefediev, 2023

Nefediev, P. S., 2023, First record of the millipede genus Schizoturanius Verhoeff, 1931 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Polydesmidae) from China, with description of a new species, Far Eastern Entomologist 491, pp. 1-11 : 3-6

Schizoturanius sinensis Nefediev , sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/ 9963546F-EA35-4337-BF1E-D1ADEC6FBD86

Figs 1–30

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype – ♂, China, Xinjiang [= Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region], Narat Mt. Range, Bodon Valley , 43°01ʹ47ʺN, 83°10ʹ25ʺE [= 43.029722°N, 83.173611°E], 3000 m, alpine meadow, 25.VII 2014, leg. I.I. Kabak ( ZMUM Rd 5300) . Paratype: ♀, China, Xinjiang [= Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region], Narat Mt. Range , ENE of Tshon-Kushtai, 42°56ʹ36ʺN, 82°17ʹ10ʺE [= 42.943333°N, 82.286111°E], 2965 m, 14.VII 2014, leg. I.I. Kabak ( ZMUM Rd 5301) .

DIAGNOSIS. Differs from all congeners mainly by the presence of transverse folds on the anterior surface of the gonopod telopodite (vs smooth surface in all other species), and the postfemoral region of the endomere carrying a long and flat external process curved at an almost right angle, also covered with folds and devoid of serrations (vs curved, hook-shaped, serrate or straight, non-serrate or long, flat, not hook-shaped, serrate or even without an external process in other species).

DESCRIPTION. Length 12.5 mm (holotype male), 16.6 mm (paratype female), width of midbody pro- and metazonae 0.9 and 1.2 mm (holotype male), 1.1 and 1.5 mm (paratype female), respectively .

Body moniliform, with 20 segments (C+17p+1a+ T) in both sexes ( Figs 1, 2 ). Coloration in alcohol pale pinkish beige with a darker anterior body part and convex metatergal surface along rear margin; legs lighter, especially prefemora. Tegument moderately shining throughout; texture very delicately shagreened, alveolate, except for convex metatergal surfaces. Cuticular ornamentation of prozonites (pz) with serration along rear margin of alveolae ( Figs 7, 8 ).

Head densely pubescent, mostly forehead, frons and convex genae, but epicranium bare. Antennae moderately long, clavate, reaching past segment 3 dorsally. Length ratios of antennomeres 1–7 as 1.7:3.3:4.5:3.3:3.3:4.0:1, width ratios as 1.1:1.1:1.1:1.1:1.3:1.8:1, respectively ( Fig. 3 ); antennomeres 5 and 6 (a5 & a6) each with a small, compact, distodorsal group of sensilla basiconica (sb); antennomere 7 (a7) with a terminal disc (td) bearing four sensory cones (c) ( Fig. 4 ), and a distodorsal group of sensilla basiconica spiniformia (ss) ( Figs 3 , 16 ). Labrum with three medial teeth at fore margin in male, but two ones in female ( Figs 5 , 16, 17 ).

In holotype male, width of head (1.1 mm broad)> collum <ring 2 = 3 <4 <5 <6 <7> 8 <9 = 13> 14 = 16; thereafter body gradually, but significantly tapering towards telson (0.6 mm broad). In paratype female, width of head (1.3 mm broad)> collum <ring 2 <3 <4 <5 <6 = 12> 13> 14 = 17; thereafter body rather rapidly tapering towards telson (0.8 mm broad). Collum transversely oval, ellipsoid ( Fig. 6 ). Convex metatergal surfaces of rings 2–4 somewhat shorter than following ones. Metatergal sculpture very poorly developed, with three transverse rows of slightly swollen polygonal bosses; each boss with a simple, very short tergal seta at its rear margin, more distinct on body rings 2–4 and 19, almost obliterate on midbody ones ( Figs 10–18 ). Collum with 14 setae only in first row, and ten setae in each of two following rows, while following metaterga with three rows of eight setae each. Lateral edges of paratergites 2–4 with three rounded teeth; frontolateral corners of paratergites 2 and 3 slightly elongated anteriorly and pointed; lateral edges of following swollen paraterga weakly rounded, smooth, with three setae on each side. Limbus serrated, excluding telson; microtrichs thinner and slightly longer on anteriormost rings, and thicker and shorter on caudalmost ones (marked with arrows in Figs 7, 8 ). Metazona 16–18 with slightly pointed tips of bosses in row 3, more distinct on lateral sides of trunk, with an apical seta each (marked with arrows in Figs 12, 15 ). Epiproct process rather long, rounded at tip, carrying a couple of dorsal and lateral setae, and a group of four setiform spinnerets (sp) (some spinnerets may be broken off) ( Fig. 9 ). Paraprocts with a couple of setae each, and hypoproct with a pair of setae ( Fig. 18 ).

Legs generally rather long and slender, incrassate and slightly longer in males compared to females, podomeres setose; femora (fe) and postfemora (pf) with prominent distodorsal protrusions (marked with arrows in Fig. 19 ). Male podomeres especially densely setose ventrally, with sphaerotrichomes (st) on femora, postfemora, tibiae (ti) and tarsi (ta); prefemora (pr) papillate dorsally as well; in female, all podomeres with simple setae, these located mostly ventrally; prefemora clearly bulged dorsad only in males ( Fig. 19 ). Male leg-pair 1 somewhat reduced compared to following walking legs, coxae elongate ventrally. Female leg-pair 1 subequal in size compared to following ones, all other characters as in male leg 1. Leg-pair 2 in male without accessory claw ( Fig. 19 ). Gonapophysis (gp) on male coxa 2 (cx2) relatively short, with a twisted sperm band ( Fig. 20 ). Female coxae 2 (cx2) flattened, with a lateral prominence (marked with arrow in Fig. 28 ). Other walking legs in both sexes with normal claws and devoid of accessory claws.

Gonopod aperture of segment 7 enlarged, bean-shaped, with a transverse internal shelf anteriorly ( Fig. 21 ). Pre- and postgonopodal sterna unmodified, densely setose. Gonopods falcate, telopodites amber-light yellowish, in situ crossing each other, directed caudodorsally ( Fig. 21 ). Gonopod coxite strongly enlarged, alveolate, with a rounded external outgrowth (ro), bearing a single seta at base, and a small crest (cr) located a little more caudally ( Figs 21, 22 ). Basal (= prefemoral) part of telopodite densely setose, as usual. Gonotelopodite with six transverse folds (f) anteriorly, and distally branched into an endomere (en) and an exomere (ex) ( Figs 22–27 ). Endomere clearly longer than exomere, swollen at base, with distal part very slim and curved ventrad, covered with tiny spikes ( Fig. 27 ). Postfemoral region of endomere with a long and flat external process (ep), curved at an almost right angle and directed caudad, covered with folds and devoid of serrations ( Figs 21–23 ). Pulvillus (pu) densely micropilose, supplied with a distad oriented spine (s) (apparently, homologue to a thin process, or p, in Nefediev, 2019, as well as a minute spinous process, or msp, in Nefediev, 2022, and a distad oriented spine, or sp, in VandenSpiegel & Golovatch, 2023) ( Fig. 22 ). Exomere thin, flattened on sides, with a blunt apex, and

Figures

Figs 1–2. Schizoturanius sinensis sp. n. (1 – holotype, male; 2 – paratype, female): 1 – habitus, dorsolateral view; 2 – habitus, lateral view. Scale bars: 10 mm.

Figs 3–9. Schizoturanius sinensis sp. n. (3–5 – paratype, female; 6–9 – holotype, male): 3 – antenna (antennomere 1 is broken off); 4 – terminal disc of antenna; 5 – anteromedian margin of the labrum; 6 – head and anteriormost rings, dorsal view; 7 – margin of prozonite and metazonite between rings 3 and 4, lateral view; 8 – margin of prozonite and metazonite between ring 19 and telson, lateral view; 9 – distal part of epiproct, ventral view. Abbreviations: a2–a7 – antennomeres 2–7; c – sensory cone; mz – metazonite; pz – prozonite; sb – sensilla basiconica; sp – spinnerets; ss – sensilla basiconica spiniformia; td – terminal disc; arrows show microtrichs on the limbus. Scale bars: 3, 5 – 100 μm, 4, 7–9 – 50 μm, 6 – 150 μm.

Figs 10–18. Schizoturanius sinensis sp. n. (10–16, 18 – holotype, male; 17 – paratype, female): 10, 13, 16, 17 – front body part, dorsal, lateral and ventral views, respectively; 11, 14 – mid-body part, dorsal and lateral views, respectively; 12, 15, 18 – rear body part, dorsal, lateral and ventral views, respectively. Abbreviation: ss – sensilla basiconica spiniformia; arrows show pointed tips of bosses. Scale bars: 500 μm.

Figs 19–27. Schizoturanius sinensis sp. n. (holotype, male): 19 – leg 2, caudal view; 20 – coxae of leg-pair 2, ventral view; 21 – segment 7 with gonopods, ventral view; 22–24 – left gonopod, lateral, mesal and front views, respectively; 25, 26 – transverse folds on the anterior surface of the gonopod telopodite, mesal and front views, respectively; 27 – tip of left gonopod, front view. Abbreviation: cr – small crest; cx2 – coxa 2; en – gonopod endomere; ep – external endomere process; ex – gonopod exomere; f – transverse folds; fe – femur; gp – gonapophysis; pf – postfemur; pr – prefemur; pu – pulvillus; ro – rounded external coxal outgrowth; ip – subtriangular inner plate; s –spine near pulvillus; st – sphaerotrichomes; ta – tarsus; ti – tibia; arrows show distodorsal protrusions on the femur and postfemur. Scale bars: 19 – 200 μm, 20, 25–27 – 50 μm, 21 – 300 μm, 22–24 – 100 μm.

Figs 28–30. Schizoturanius sinensis sp. n. (paratype, female): 28 – segment 3, ventral view (left leg 2 is broken off); 29, 30 – vulva, front and lateral views, respectively. Abbreviation: bu – bursa of vulva; cx2 – coxa 2; er – epigynal ridge; op – operculum of vulva; vu – vulva; arrow shows the lateral prominence on coxa 2. Scale bars: 28 – 200 μm, 29, 30 – 100 μm.