Hyleoglomeris baxian, Liu, Weixin & Tian, Mingyi, 2015

Liu, Weixin & Tian, Mingyi, 2015, A checklist of millipede genus Hyleoglomeris Verhoeff, 1910 in mainland China, with descriptions of seven new species (Diplopoda, Glomerida, Glomeridae), Zootaxa 4032 (1), pp. 103-116 : 106-107

Hyleoglomeris baxian sp. n.

Fig. 2 .

Material examined. Holotype male ( SCAU), China, Guangxi, Hechi City, Du’an County, Chengjiang Town, Cave Baxian Park Dong, 23°55’0.03’’N, 108°8’4.26’’E, 147 m, 27.XII.2013, leg. Tian Mingyi, Lin Wei, Liu Weixin, Yin Haomin, Huang Sunbin. Paratypes. 2 males, 8 females ( SCAU), same locality, together with holotype.

Etymology. To emphasize the name of the cave, “ Baxian ” in Chinese meaning “eight immortals” from a fairy story, noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. Keys out as H. eusulcata Golovatch, Geoffroy & Mauriès, 2006 (see Golovatch et al. 2006, 2012), but differs in two transverse striae on collum, a well concave central lobe of telopod syncoxite, and a small lobule of each telopod syncoxital horn, and a curved tip of caudomedial process of the tibia.

Description. Length of both sexes ca 5.0–7.0 mm, width 3.5–4.5 mm. Coloration entirely pallid. Ocelli at least 2+1, translucent, barely visible. Tömösváry’s organ transverse-oval, only slightly wider than long. Antennomere 6 ca 2.5–3.0 times as long as wide.

Collum with two transverse striae. Thoracic shield with a narrow hyposchism, the latter not reaching behind caudal tergal margin; 8 transverse striae, 3–5 starting below, one level to, 2–3 above schism; usually 6 striae (never the first from below) crossing the dorsum. A conspicuous, slightly curved, lateral sulcus (s) on thoracic shield above the striae ( Fig. 2 E). Pygidium of both sexes regularly rounded at caudal margin.

Male leg 17 ( Fig. 2 A) with a rather high, subquadrate, outer coxal lobe; telopodite 4-segmented.

Male leg 18 ( Fig. 2 B) with a narrowly rounded syncoxital notch; telopodite 4-segmented.

Telopods ( Fig. 2 C) with a rather high, apically quite concave, central syncoxital lobe flanked by two setose horns, each latter crowned by a small lobule ( Fig. 2 D). Prefemur and femur finely micropapillate laterally. Prefemur with a well-developed frontomedial trichostele. Femur with a smaller frontomedial trichostele. Caudomedial femoral process rather prominent, recurved, tip supporting a large membranous sac, and a smaller lobe in the middle on the caudal face. Tibia with a strong distomedial seta, caudomedial process evident, tip curved; a distinct, papillate tubercle at base on caudal face. Tarsus rather strongly sigmoid, narrowly subacuminate apically.

Remark. Since this species shows such troglomorphic traits as an entirely unpigmented tegument and reduced ocelli, it is likely to be a troglobite.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Hyleoglomeris baxian sp. n., male paratype. A. leg 17, front view. B. leg 18, front view. C. right half of telopods, front view. D. tip of syncoxital horn, front view. E. lateral side of thoracic shield. Desingations: s sulcus. Scale bar: A – D, 0.5 mm; E, drawn not to scale.