Aptyctosmilax helenae, Enghoff, 2022

Enghoff, Henrik, 2022, Mountains of millipedes. The family Odontopygidae in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida), European Journal of Taxonomy 803, pp. 1-136 : 18-20

Aptyctosmilax helenae gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D9DD4643-1C0C-4109-A762-C7C299C811E8

Figs 9–11

Diagnosis

Redundant, genus monotypic.

Etymology

After Helen Read, British myriapodologist, the first resident of ‘Hotel Dolichoiulus’.

Material examined (total 8 ♂♂)

Holotype TANZANIA • ♂; East Usambara Mts , Amani, Monga; 1000 m a.s.l.; 4 Feb. 1977; H. Enghoff, O. Lomholdt and O. Martin leg.; under fallen leaves; NHMD 621701 .

Paratypes TANZANIA • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; NHMD 621702 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 26 Jan. 1977; no habitat data; NHMD 621703 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 29 Jan. 1977; no habitat data; NHMD 621704 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 7 Feb. 1977; no habitat data; NHMD 621705 • 1 ♂; Tanga Region, East Usambara Mts, Amani ; 5°5.7′ S, 38°38′ E; 930 m a.s.l.; 27 Oct.–9 Nov. 1995; C.E. Griswold, N. Scharff and D. Ubick leg.; forest; NHMD 621706 • 1 ♂; East Usambara Mts, Tanga Region, Muheza District, Amani Nature Reserve ; 38°36′ E, 05°06′ S; 29 Feb. 2000; Frontier Tanzania leg.; plot 150, sample 3; NHMD 621707 • 1 ♂; East Usambara Mts, Amani ; 11 Apr. 1985; T. Gissel Nielsen leg.; on road; NHMD 621708 .

Description (male)

SIZE. Length 80–85 mm, diameter 3.8–4.8 mm, 69–72 podous rings, no apodous rings in front of telson.

COLOUR. After 18–41 years in alcohol uniform greyish or greyish yellow, sometimes with a narrow paler dorsal stripe. Legs yellowish.

SUPRALABRAL SETAE. (5)–6.

MANDIBULAR STIPES. With disto-ventral lobe, distal margin hence bilobed.

ANAL VALVES. With well-developed dorsal spine, no ventral spine, unraised margins and three sessile setae.

LIMBUS ( Fig. 10E ). Strongly striate, margin with shallow lobes.

LEGS. With large ventral pads on postfemur and tibia of anterior post-gonopodal legs, pads quickly diminishing in size and eventually disappearing towards posterior.

FIRST PAIR OF LEGS ( Fig. 9 ). Prefemoral lobes relatively slender, triangular in ventral view. Eight short coxosternal setae (CXS) close to lateral margin of coxosternum, well separated from prefemoral lobes. Prefemora with two short mesapical setae (APS) and one to three peglike lateral sensilla (LPS).

STERNUM 9 ( Fig. 10D ). Triangular with rounded corners and a concave basal margin.

GONOPOD COXA ( Fig. 10A–C ). Parallel-sided, becoming abruptly broader ca at mid-length and thus consisting of a relatively narrow shaft and a broader, subrectangular head, lateral margin rectilinear, mesodistal corner of head slightly produced. Proplica (PP) simple, mesal margin slightly concave, ending in rounded proplical lobe (PPL). Metaplica (MP) with poorly delimited basal flange, straight mesal margin, apical margin with broad, pointed, basad spinelike process (msp) projecting into space between pro- and metaplica.

GONOPOD TELOPODITE ( Fig. 11 ). Arculus 90º. Torsotope (TT) extended, with a blunt lobe (TL) fitting into torsion on posterior side. A long post-torsal spine (PTS) at end of not very procounced post-torsal narrowing (PN). Solenomere (SLM) whiplike, largely concealed within telomere, with a very long, slender spine (BSS) at base, spine BSS forming an almost complete circle paralleling the solenomere + telomere coil; projecting tip of solenomere with deep, fishbone-like striation. Telomere (TM) taeniate, forming sheath for solenomere; telomere and solenomere forming a tight,> 180º coil.

Distribution and habitat

Known only from the forest around Amani in the East Usambara Mts, 930–1000 m a.s.l. See Doody et al. (2001) for information on this area.

Figures

Fig. 9. Aptyctosmilax helenae gen. et sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (NHMD 621708), first pair of legs. A. Anterior view.B. Sublateral view. C. Ventral view. Abbreviations: APS =mesapical prefemoral setae; CXS = coxosternal setae; LPS = lateral prefemoral setae. Scale bars: A, C=0.2 mm; B=0.1 mm.

Fig. 10. Aptyctosmilax helenae gen. et sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (NHMD 621701). A–C. Left gonopod coxa. A. Anterior view. B. Posterior view. C. Anterio-lateral view. D. Sternum 9. E. Midbody dorsal limbus. Abbreviations: MP= metaplica;msp =metaplical spinelike process;PP =proplica;PPL =proplical lobe. Scale bars: A–B, D =0.2 mm; C=0.1 mm; E =0.005 mm.

Fig. 11. Aptyctosmilax helenae gen. et sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (NHMD 621701), left gonopod telopodite. A. Posterior view.B. Posterio-mesal view.C. Ventral view.D. Anterior view, without basomere.E. Tip of solenomere. Abbreviations: BA =basomere; BSS =basal solenomeral spine; PN =post-torsal narrowing; PTS =post-torsal spine; SLM =solenomere; TL =torsotope lobe; TM =telomere; TT = torsotope. Scale bars: A–D=0.2 mm; E= 0.05 mm.