Leucogeorgia turbanovi, Antić & Reip, 2020

Antić, Dragan Ž. & Reip, Hans S., 2020, The millipede genus Leucogeorgia Verhoeff, 1930 in the Caucasus, with descriptions of eleven new species, erection of a new monotypic genus and notes on the tribe Leucogeorgiini (Diplopoda: Julida: Julidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 713, pp. 1-106 : 76-80

Leucogeorgia turbanovi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:75EECC8C-DAAB-49F7-B6EF-BEAD1FCE546F

Figs 1G , 47–49 , 56–57

Diagnosis

This species belongs to the group of Leucogeorgia spp. with modified mouthparts and teeth on the mesomeral claw (vs teeth absent in L. longipes ). Leucogeorgia turbanovi sp. nov. differs from L. rediviva , L. redivivoides sp. nov. and L. caudata sp. nov. by having a mesomeral claw that continues directly with the margin of the lamella, both being fully coalesced (vs mesomeral claw and lamella being clearly connected mesally in L. rediviva , L. redivivoides sp. nov. and L. caudata sp. nov.). Leucogeorgia turbanovi sp. nov. differs from L. mystax sp. nov. by the absence of highly modified mouthparts, viz., two rounded labral lobes with a deep incision in between and a unique gnathochilarium with a distolateral bundle of long setae on the stipites and distal rows of long setae on both stipites and lamellae linguales (vs presence of such structures in L. mystax sp. nov.). Leucogeorgia turbanovi sp. nov. differs from L. profunda sp. nov. by having a stout mesomeral claw (vs slender in L. profunda sp. nov.), longer antennae with a length of 170% of the vertical diameter of the largest body ring (vs shorter antennae with a length of 160% of the vertical diameter of the largest body ring in L. profunda sp. nov.) and a subrhomboid hypoproct (vs hypoproct posterior margin with a characteristic rounded extension in L. profunda sp. nov.).

Etymology

This new species is dedicated to Ilya Turbanov, a well-known Russian biospeleologist, the collector of some specimens of this species. Noun in the genitive case.

Material examined

Holotype

RUSSIA – Krasnodar Province • ♂; Greater Sochi , Alek-Dzykhrinsky karst Massif , Dzykhra Mt , Pechalnaya Cave ; 43.57° N, 40.07° E; 825 m a.s.l.; 3 Oct. 1985; N. Mugue leg.; ZMUM.

Paratypes

RUSSIA – Krasnodar Province • 1 ♂, 4 ♀♀, 4 juvs; same collection data as for holotype; ZMUM • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; IZB • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; SMNG .

Other material

ABKHAZIA – Gagry District • 1 ♂; Arabika karst Massif , Gagra Mt Ridge , Ortobalagan Valley , Krubera (= Krubera-Voronya) Cave , -100 m deep; 43.41° N, 40.31° E; 2256 m a.s.l.; 29 Aug. 2015; I.S. Turbanov leg.; ZMUM • 1 ♀; Arabika karst Massif , Gagra Mt Ridge , Pozharnaya Cave , -120 m deep; 43.42° N, 40.33° E; 2187 m a.s.l.; 15 Aug. 2015; F.L. Tsherednitshenko leg.; ZMUM • 1 ♀; Arabika karst Massif , Orlinoye Gnezdo Cave , -30 m deep; 43.38° N, 40.38° E; 2205 m a.s.l.; 27 Aug. 2012; E. Golubnichaya leg.; ZMUM • 1 ♀; Arabika karst Massif , Lastochkino Krylo area , Nytshka Cave , -7 m deep; 43.45° N, 40.31° E; 2157 m a.s.l.; 27 Aug. 2014; I.S. Turbanov leg.; ZMUM .

Description

SIZE AND NUMBER OF BODY RINGS. Holotype male 18 mm long, vertical diameter of largest body ring 1.35 mm, body with 29 podous rings + 2 apodous rings + telson. Paratype males 19–24 mm long, vertical diameter of largest body ring 1.35–1.6 mm, body with 32–36 podous rings + 0–1 apodous ring + telson. Paratype females 21–28 mm long, vertical diameter of largest body ring 1.7–2 mm, body with 33–40 podous rings + 0–1 apodous ring + telson.

COLOUR ( Figs 1G , 47 ). Living animal with whitish head, legs and telson; due to thin and transparent cuticle, body looks blackish, with some greyish or blackish patterns. Yellowish white to yellowishbrown in alcohol.

HEAD ( Figs 47B, E , 48 C–E). Without ommatidia. Frontal setae absent. Labrum without labral teeth, with 4 supralabral setae (one paratype male with 5) and 29–35 labral setae. Gnathochilarium with a triangular promentum; lamellae linguales with 1+1 long distal and 4+4 long proximal setae; stipites with 3+3 long distolateral setae; no other setae. Antennae 2.3 mm long in holotype male, their length ca 170% of vertical diameter of largest body ring. Lengths of antennomeres I–VIII (in mm): 0.1 (I), 0.35 (II), 0.54 (III), 0.48 (IV), 0.57 (V), 0.22 (VI), 0.1 (VII) and 0.04 (VIII). Length/width ratio of antennomeres I–VII: 0.8 (I), 2 (II), 3.4 (III), 3 (IV), 2.8 (V), 1.2 (VI) and 0.8 (VII). Antennomeres V and VI each with a terminal corolla of large sensilla basiconica bacilliformia; antennomere VII with a terminal corolla of small sensilla basiconica bacilliformia.

BODY RINGS ( Fig. 47H ). Ventral and ventrolateral sides of metazonal area with longitudinal striations. Dorsal side with poorly visible striations. Length of midbody setae ca 6% of vertical diameter of rings.

TELSON ( Fig. 47 C–D). Epiproct with a short, acuminate and triangular process covered with dorsal and lateral setae. Paraprocts rounded, densely setose. Hypoproct subrhomboid, covered with ca seven long setae in paratype male.

LEGS IN MALES. First pair of legs modified, hook-shaped ( Figs 48 A–B, 49C), with three podomeres; coxa with one seta; prefemur with 4–6 setae; femora, postfemora and tibiotarsi coalesced; femur with 2–3 setae; postfemur with one seta. Tibiotarsal part with a small distal lobe. Tip slightly tuberculate. Postfemoral and tibial ventral pads poorly developed on pregonopodal legs, then gradually disappearing on postgonopodal legs.

VENTRAL MARGIN OF MALE BODY RING 7 ( Fig. 47F ). Poorly developed, low, rounded in lateral view.

PENES ( Fig. 49D ). Elongate, apically with two long subtriangular lobes.

GONOPODS ( Figs 48F , 49 A–B). Promere (p) long and slender, slightly curved anteriad, with a flagellum (f); apical part spatulate, with denticulate margins; basal half with two developed ridges. Mesomere (m) with a robust and denticulate mesomeral claw (mc); mesomeral lamella (ml) slightly convex, distal margin serrate, posterior margin finely fimbriate. Opisthomere (o) bipartite. Anterior branch of o with a solenomere (s) with a short tip, and a well-developed and fimbriate velum (v). Posterior branch of o in form of a shield-like protective lamella (pl). Mesomere and opisthomere connected basally with an accessory membrane (am).

Distribution

Known from several caves in the Alek-Dzykhrinsky and Arabika karst massifs ( Fig. 57 , black square). The occurrence of this species in some of these caves has previously been recorded by Sidorov et al. (2014), Turbanov (2015) and Turbanov et al. (2018).

Remarks

This new species occurs sympatrically or even syntopically with two other species of Leucogeorgia with modified mouthparts. In the Krubera Cave, it lives sympatrically with L. profunda sp. nov. (see above), while in the Nytshka Cave it is syntopic with L. mystax sp. nov.

Figures

Fig. 1. Leucogeorgia Verhoeff, 1930 species in situ. A. L. abchasica (Lohmander, 1936) comb. nov., ♂ from Abraskila Cave (photo: Ilya Turbanov). B. L. caudata sp. nov., type ♂ from Novoafonskaya Cave (photo: Olga Chervyatsova). C. L. gioi sp. nov., paratype ♀ (SMNG) (photo: Hans Reip). D. L. lobata sp. nov., specimens from Motena Cave (photo: Hans Reip). E. L. prometheus sp. nov., specimen from Prometheus Cave (photo: Hans Reip). F. L. profunda sp. nov., non-type ♀ from Veryovkina Cave (photo: Sergei Ivanov). G. L. turbanovi sp. nov., non-type ♂ from Krubera Cave (photo: Ilya Turbanov).

Fig. 47. Leucogeorgia turbanovi sp. nov., types from Pechalnaya Cave (ZMUM). A. Holotype ♂, habitus, lateral view. B. Holotype, anterior part of body, lateral view. C. Paratype ♀, telson, posterior view. D. Holotype, posterior part of body, lateral view. E. Paratype ♂, head, dorsal view. F. Paratype ♂, body ring 7, lateral view. G. Paratype ♂, body ring 7, ventral view. Arrow indicates metazonal seta. Scale bars: A–B, H = 1 mm; C–G = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 48. Leucogeorgia turbanovi sp. nov., paratype ♂ from Pechalnaya Cave (SMNG). A. Leg-pair 1, anterior view. B. Left leg 1, lateral view. C. Head, ventral view. D. Head, anterolateral view. E. Head, lateral view. F. Left gonopods, mesal view. Scale bars: A, F = 0.1 mm; B = 0.05 mm; C–E = 0.2 mm.

Fig. 49. Leucogeorgia turbanovi sp. nov., paratype ♂ from Pechalnaya Cave (ZMUM). A. Right gonopods, lateral view. B. Right gonopods, lateral view. C. Leg-pair 1, anterior view. D. Penes, posterior view. Abbreviations: am = accessory membrane; f = flagellum; m = mesomere; mc = mesomeral claw; ml = mesomeral lamella; o = opisthomere; p = promere; pl = protective lamella; s = solenomere; v = velum. Scale bar: 0.3 mm.

Fig. 56. General distribution of the Caucasian leucogeorgiinines. The white dashed line hypothetically indicates the boundary between the northwestern and southeastern groups of species of the genus Leucogeorgia Verhoeff, 1930.

Fig. 57. Distribution of the northwestern group of the genus Leucogeorgia Verhoeff, 1930.