Leucogeorgia prometheus, 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 : 52-58

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2020.713

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A6CB58F5-1ECC-47F0-AA07-798844AF80A7

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4335806

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/CD700B52-FE5E-4C36-967E-8A0125AEF240

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:CD700B52-FE5E-4C36-967E-8A0125AEF240

treatment provided by

Valdenar

scientific name

Leucogeorgia prometheus
status

sp. nov.

Leucogeorgia prometheus View in CoL sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CD700B52-FE5E-4C36-967E-8A0125AEF240

Figs 1E View Fig , 2C View Fig , 32–35 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig , 56 View Fig , 58 View Fig

Diagnosis

This species belongs to the group of Leucogeorgia spp. with neither modified mouthparts nor teeth on the mesomeral claw (vs teeth present in L. abchasica , L. borealis sp. nov., L. gioi sp. nov., L. oculata sp. nov. and L. satunini ). Leucogeorgia prometheus sp. nov. differs from L. golovatchi sp. nov. by having a longer mesomeral claw and a short solenomere not exceeding the height of the mesomeral lamella (vs a shorter mesomeral claw and a longer solenomere clearly exceeding the height of the mesomeral lamella in L. golovatchi sp. nov.). Leucogeorgia prometheus sp. nov. differs from L. lobata sp. nov. by the absence of a strongly developed lobe on the mesomeral lamella, with a deep rift between the mesomeral claw and lobe (vs presence of a strongly developed lobe on the mesomeral lamella, with a deep rift between the mesomeral claw and lobe in L. lobata sp. nov.).

Etymology

This new species is named after its type locality, the Kumistavi Cave, popularly known as the Prometheus Cave. Noun in apposition.

Material examined

Holotype

CENTRAL-WEST GEORGIA – Tsqaltubo District • ♂; Sataplia-Tskaltubo karst Massif , Kumistavi village, Kumistavi (= Prometheus, = Orpiri I) Cave ; 42.37° N, 42.60° E; 11 Jun. 2019; H. Reip leg.; SMNG.

GoogleMaps

Paratypes

CENTRAL-WEST GEORGIA – Tsqaltubo District 6 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, 10 juvs; same collection data as for holotype; SMNG GoogleMaps 7 ♂♂, 1 ♀, 2 juvs; same collection data as for holotype except 16 Mar. 2018; E. Magradze leg.; IZISU GoogleMaps 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; IZB GoogleMaps 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype except 1 May 2018; J. Grego leg.; NHMW 9981 View Materials GoogleMaps .

Other material

CENTRAL-WEST GEORGIA – Tsqaltubo District 2 juvs; same collection data as for holotype; 10 Jan. 1981; V. Kiselev leg.; ZMUM GoogleMaps 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype but 7 Jan. 1987; N.T. Zalesskaja leg.; ZMUM GoogleMaps 7 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀, 1 juv.; same collection data as for holotype but 12 Dec. 2009; O. Hell leg.; IZB GoogleMaps 5 ♂♂; same collection data as for holotype but 17 Apr. 2011; R. Fohlert leg.; ZMUM GoogleMaps 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype but 10 Mar. 2012; S. Barjadze leg.; IZISU GoogleMaps 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype but 1 Aug. 2016; collector unknown; ZMUM GoogleMaps 5 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype but 4–6 Feb. 2017; D.M. Palatov leg.; ZMUM GoogleMaps 1 ♀; Sataplia-Tskaltubo karst Massif , Kumistavi village, Solkota Cave ; 42.38° N, 42.62° E; 10 Mar. 2014; S. Barjadze leg.; IZISU GoogleMaps 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding but 23 Jul. 2017; G. Nebieridze leg.; IZISU GoogleMaps 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding but 9 Mar. 2014; S. Barjadze leg.; IZISU GoogleMaps 3 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, 5 juvs; Sataplia-Ktkaltubo karst Massif , Kumistavi village, Orpiri II Cave ; 42.37° N, 42.60° E; Mar. 2014; L. Mumladze leg.; IZISU GoogleMaps 7 ♂♂, 13 ♀♀; Sataplia-Tskaltubo karst Massif , near Tskaltubo, Tetra Cave ; 42.33° N, 42.62° E; 29 Aug. 1985; S.I. Golovatch leg.; ZMUM GoogleMaps 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding but 1 May 2018; J. Grego leg.; NHMW GoogleMaps 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, 1 juv.; same collection data as for preceding but 11 Mar. 2014; S. Barjadze leg.; IZISU GoogleMaps 3 ♂♂; 1 ♀, 1 juv.; Sataplia-Tskaltubo karst Massif , Chuneshi village, Sakire Cave ; 42.34° N, 42.60° E; 14 May 2018; G. Nebieridze leg.; IZISU. – Kutaisi District, Sataplia Nature Reserve GoogleMaps 14 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀, 6 juvs; Sataplia I Cave ; 42.31° N, 42.67° E; 27 Jan. 1984; K. Makarov leg.; ZMUM GoogleMaps 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding but 16 Apr. 1988; D.V. Logunov leg.; ZMUM GoogleMaps 10 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, 7 juvs; same collection data as for preceding but 5 Jun. 1981; S.I. Golovatch and J. Martens leg.; ZMUM GoogleMaps 3 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding but 27 Jan. 1984; V. Dushenkov leg.; ZMUM GoogleMaps many broken specs; same collection data as for preceding but 8 Aug. 1984; S.I. Golovatch leg.; ZMUM GoogleMaps many specs; same collection data as for preceding but 25 Oct. 1981; S.I. Golovatch leg.; ZMUM GoogleMaps 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding but Mar. 2014; L. Mumladze; IZISU GoogleMaps 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding but 11 Mar. 2014; S. Barjadze leg.; IZISU GoogleMaps 4 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, 12 juvs; same collection data as for preceding but 11 Jun. 2019; H. Reip leg.; SMNG GoogleMaps 5 ♀♀, 1 juv.; same locality as for preceding; ZMUM GoogleMaps 7 ♂♂, 17 ♀♀, 3 juvs; Sataplia II Cave ; 42.31° N, 42.67° E; 28 Jan. 1987; V. Bogdanov leg.; ZMUM GoogleMaps 3 ♂♂, 16 ♀♀, 5 juvs; same collection data as for preceding but 27 Jan. 1987; collector unknown; ZMUM. – Tkibuli District GoogleMaps 7 ♂♂, 13 ♀♀, 5 juvs; Okriba karst Massif , Tsutskhvati village, Tsutskhvati Cave ; 42.27° N, 42.85° E; 24 Oct. 1981; S.I. Golovatch leg.; ZMUM GoogleMaps 1 ♂, Okriba karst Massif , Tsutskhvati village, Tsutskhvati VII Cave ; 42.27° N, 42.85° E; 28 Feb. 2013; S. Barjadze leg.; IZISU GoogleMaps .

Description

SIZE AND NUMBER OF BODY RINGS. Holotype male 29 mm long, vertical diameter of largest body ring 1.9 mm, body with 43 podous rings + 0 apodous rings + telson. Paratype males 16.5–27 mm long, vertical diameter of largest body ring 1.3–1.9 mm, body with 35–44 podous rings + 0–3 apodous rings + telson. Paratype females 23–29 mm long, vertical diameter of largest body rings 1.5–1.9 mm, body with 40–44 podous rings + 0–1 apodous rings + telson.

COLOUR ( Figs 1E View Fig , 32 View Fig ). Living animals yellowish white. Specimens from alcohol brownish.

HEAD ( Figs 32B View Fig , 33 View Fig D–E). Without ommatidia. Frontal setae absent. Labrum with three teeth, four supralabral setae and 14 to 16 (7+7, 7+8 or 8+8) labral setae. Gnathochilarium with rhomboid promentum; lamellae linguales with 3–5 setae each in one row; stipites with 3+3 long distolateral and 5–7 short medial setae each. Antennae 2.9 mm long in holotype male, their length ca 150% of vertical diameter of largest body ring. Lengths of antennomeres I–VIII (in mm): 0.2 (I), 0.67 (II), 0.59 (III), 0.45 (IV), 0.55 (V), 0.25 (VI), 0.14 (VII) and 0.05 (VIII). Length/width ratio of antennomeres I–VII: 1 (I), 3.7 (II), 3.3 (III), 2.5 (IV), 2.4 (V), 1.1 (VI) and 1 (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. 32D View Fig ). Entire metazonal area with longitudinal striations. Length of midbody setae ca 7% of vertical diameter of rings.

TELSON ( Fig. 32C View Fig ). Epiproct with a short and blunt preanal process, sloping slightly downwards and covered with dorsal and lateral setae. Paraprocts rounded, with numerous setae. Hypoproct without any modifications.

LEGS IN MALES. First pair of legs modified, hook-shaped ( Figs 33 View Fig A–C, 35E–F), with three podomeres; coxa with one seta; prefemur with 6–9 setae; femora, postfemora and tibiotarsi coalesced, with 5–6 setae (3–5 on remnants of femora and 1+1 on remnants of postfemora). Podomeres tuberculate. Postfemoral and tibial ventral pads well-developed on anterior legs, then gradually disappearing towards posterior legs.

VENTRAL MARGIN OF BODY RING 7 ( Fig. 32E View Fig ). Strongly developed, rounded in lateral view.

PENES ( Fig. 35D View Fig ). In form of a short trapezoid, apically with two small subtriangular lobes.

GONOPODS ( Figs 33F View Fig , 34 View Fig , 35 View Fig A–C). Promere (p) long and slender, with a flagellum (f); apical part spatulate, with denticulated margins; basal half with two developed ridges. Mesomere (m) with a slender mesomeral claw (mc) devoid of teeth, slightly curved anteriad; mesomeral lamella (ml) with or without a poorly developed lobe (l), distal margin smooth, posterior part finely fimbriate. Opisthomere (o) bipartite. Anterior branch of o with a solenomere (s) with a medium-sized 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 Tsqaltubo, Kutaisi and Tkibuli districts of Georgia ( Fig. 58 View Fig , light blue triangles).

Remarks

The occurrence of this remarkable species has been noted several times by tourists visiting the famous touristic caves Prometheus or Sataplia. Although a fairly large and easy-to-spot julid, Leucogeorgia prometheus sp. nov. has never been studied scientifically. This species is very abundant and does not seem to be endangered by the operation of these show caves, because it was collected several times in extremely large numbers. Nor have the extensive collections undermined the local populations. The animals were found especially abundant on rotting timber poles that support the electric lamps inside the caves (Golovatch pers. comm.), living there together with the glomerid millipede, Trachysphaera fragilis (Golovatch, 1976) , likewise cavernicolous, common and abundant in the same region (Golovatch & Turbanov 2017). In contrast, only very few specimens of Leucogeorgia prometheus sp. nov. were spotted grazing on the lamp flora, being more abundant also in muddy areas without any sign of introduced organic material. As a guess, the true habitats of this species might not be cave chambers proper, but the subterranean small crevices and cracks.

ZMUM

Russia, Moscow, Moscow State University

NHMW

Austria, Wien, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien

SMNG

Senckenberg Museum fuer Naturkunde Goerlitz

ZMUM

Zoological Museum, University of Amoy

NHMW

Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Diplopoda

Order

Julida

Family

Julidae

SubFamily

Oncoiulinae

Tribe

Leucogeorgiini

Genus

Leucogeorgia

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