Typhloiulus insularis Strasser, 1938

Antić, Dragan Ž., Dražina, Tvrtko, Rađa, Tonći, Lučić, Luka R. & Makarov, Slobodan E., 2018, Review of the genus Typhloiulus Latzel, 1884 in the Dinaric region, with a description of four new species and the first description of the male of Typhloiulus insularis Strasser, 1938 (Diplopoda: Julida: Julidae), Zootaxa 4455 (2), pp. 258-294 : 263-264

Typhloiulus insularis Strasser, 1938

Figs 5 , 6 , 18C

Material studied (total: 2 males, 1 female).

Topotypes : 1 male, CROATIA, Island of Cres , Beli , Petričevići, Čampari Pit (45.123881°N, 14.333628°E), 8 April 2001, R. Ozimec & B. Jalžić leg. (IZB) ; 1 male, same data except: 7 April 2012, T. Čuković leg. ( CBSS) ; 1 female, same data except: 20 October, 2000, R. Ozimec & B. Jalžić leg. ( CSBB) .

Type locality. CROATIA: Island of Cres, Čampari Pit.

Diagnosis. This species is most similar to some members of the subgenus Stygiiulus , such as T. illyricus , T. maximus Verhoeff, 1929 , and T. montellensis Verhoeff, 1930 (see Discussion). All these species are characterized by the presence of a stongly developed, fimbriated velum with an acuminate, posterior thickening. Typhloiulus insularis differs clearly from these three species in the presence of a much smaller body and in certain details of gonopod structure, such as the presence of a more robust opisthomere without a posterior node and the presence of a well-developed, spoon-shaped mesomere.

Redescription. Based on topotypes (males) 10.5–12 mm long, vertical diameter of the largest body ring 0.55–0.65 mm, body with 36 or 43 podous rings + 1 or 2 apodous rings + telson. Topotype female 15.5 mm long, vertical diameter of the largest body ring 0.75 mm, body with 45 podous rings + 1 apodous ring + telson. Colouration: ( Figs 5A , 18C ). Depigmented, yellowish white. Head: ( Fig. 5B ). Labrum with three labral teeth, with 4 supralabral and 5+5 labral setae in smaller topotype male. Gnathochilarium with promentum kite-shaped, elongated; lamellae linguales with 2+2 setae in one row, stipites each with 3 setae. Antennae 1 mm long in smaller topotype male, its length 180% of vertical diameter of the largest body ring. Length of antennomeres I–VIII (in mm): 0.06 (I), 0.2 (II), 0.15 (III), 0.15 (IV), 0.2 (V), 0.13 (VI), 0.08 (VII), and 0.03 (VIII). Length/width ratio of antennomeres I–VII: 0.9 (I), 2.5 (II), 2 (III), 1.6 (IV), 1.8 (V), 1.3 (VI), and 1.3 (VII). Antennomeres V and VI each with a terminal corolla of large bacilliform sensilla; antennomere VII with a terminal corolla of microsetae. Body rings: ( Fig. 5C ). Barely visible metazonal longitudinal striations. Midbody rings with ca. 10 short metazonal setae. Length of midbody setae ca. 7% of vertical diameter of rings. Telson: ( Fig. 5E, F ). Epiproct with 2+2 dorsal and 6+6 ventro-lateral, long setae. Preanal process short, acuminate, with a small ventral protuberance and with two lateral setae. Paraprocts rounded, with numerous long setae. Hypoproct subrounded, with 1+1 long apical setae. Male legs: First pair of legs modified, hook-shaped ( Fig. 6A ); only three podomeres visible. Coxa without setae; prefemur each with two setae; femur, postfemur, and tibiotarsus coalesced, with two setae. Tips globular and tuberculate. Second pair of legs without ventral pads. Penis: ( Fig. 6B ). Bilobed. Lobes short, separated by a Vshaped sinus. Ventral margin of body ring 7: ( Fig. 5D ). Poorly-developed, subtrapezoid. Gonopods: ( Fig. 6C–E ). Promere (p) and mesomere (m) shorter than opisthomere (o). Promere (p) spatulate, shorter than m, mesal lobe (ml) high and wide, without setae; telopodite (t) small, globular. Mesomere (m) robust, spoon-shaped, with anterior corolla of denticles. Apical part of m covering apex of p in situ. Opisthomere (o) robust, characterized by the presence of a stongly developed, fimbriated velum (v) with an acuminate, posterior thickening. Mesally with one elongated spine. Solenomere (s) rather wide.

Distribution. Croatia: Island of Cres, Petričevići, Beli, Čampari Pit (type locality) ( Strasser 1938; present study). Up to now, this species was known only from its type locality ( Fig. 21 , red circle). This is the first record of the species after its original description, which was based on a female, and the first record of males.

Notes. Typhloiulus insularis is known only from a pit.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Typhloiulus insularis Strasser, 1938, topotypes. A. Female, habitus, lateral view. B. Male, anterior part of the body, lateral view. C. Male, midbody rings, lateral view. D. Body rings 4–7, lateral view. E. Male, telson, lateral view. F. Male, telson, dorsal view. Arrow indicates ventral margin of body ring 7. Scale lines: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 6. Typhloiulus insularis Strasser, 1938, topotype male. A. First pair of legs, anterior view. B. Penis, posterior view. C. Promere, posterior view. D. Gonopods, mesal view. E. Gonopods, lateral view. Abbreviations: m: mesomere; o: opisthomere; p: promere; s: solenomere; t: telopodite; v: velum; ml: mesal lobe. Scale line: 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 18. Some representatives of the genus Typhloiulus Latzel, 1884 inhabiting the Dinaric region. A. Typhloiulus albanicus Attems, 1929, female from Vištičina Jama Pit, Croatia (photo: R. Ozimec). B. Typhloiulus gellianae Makarov & Rađa, 2006, topotype juvenile (photo: H. Bilandžija). C. Typhloiulus insularis Strasser, 1938, topotype male (photo: T. Čuković). D. Typhloiulus lobifer Attems, 1951, topotype male (photo: M. Lukić). E. Typhloiulus parvulus sp. nov., future specimen from the type series (photo: R. Ozimec). F. Typhloiulus psilonotus (Latzel, 1884), female from Galičnjak Cave, Croatia (photo: J. Bedek). Size of specimens and ratios between sizes of specimens are not real.

FIGURE 21. Distribution of representatives of Stygiiulus Verhoeff, 1929 in the Dinaric region.