Zoosphaerium mitoho, Wesener, 2009

Wesener, Thomas, 2009, Unexplored richness: discovery of 31 new species of Giant Pill-Millipedes endemic to Madagascar, with a special emphasis on microendemism (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida), Zootaxa 2097 (1), pp. 1-134 : 27-33

Zoosphaerium mitoho , new species

Derivatio nominis: mitoho , noun in apposition, refers to the caves of Mitoho. Studied material: 2 M, 1 F

Holotype: 1 M (27.5 mm long), CAS BLF 6163 . Locus typicus: Madagascar: Province Toliara, PN de Tsimanampetsotsa, Mitoho Cave , 6.4 km 77° ENE Efoetse, 17.4 km 170°S Beheloka , spiny forest thicket, 40 m, 24°2'50"S, 43°45'11"E, coll. Fisher, Griswold et al., 18–22.iii.2002.

Paratypes: 1 M, 1 F, CAS BLF 6163 , same data as holotype .

Distribution: Known only from the dry forest of Tsimanampetsotsa, South-West Madagascar (Fig. 5).

FIGURE 014. Zoosphaerium discolor n. sp., A, female paratype, B–F, male holotype, A: second left coxa and prefemur with vulva, posterior view; B: left side of anterior telopod, anterior view; C: anterior telopod, last two podomeres, mesal view; D: anterior telopod, last two podomeres, posterior view; E: posterior telopod, anterior view; F: chela of posterior telopod, posterior view. Abbreviations: cav = cavity; cr-t = crenulated teeth; Cx = coxa; EP = external plate of vulva; iP = anterior telopod third podomere, mesal process; IP = mesal plate of vulva; ml = membranous lobe; O = operculum of vulva; Pre = prefemur; SR = stridulation ribs. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Diagnosis: Small, up to 30 mm long. Both sexes of similar size. Coloration unique, anterior margin of tergites very dark green, posterior part of tergites brown (Fig. 17A). Collum, thoracic shield, anal shield, head, legs and apical antennomere light brown. Texture of tergites and anal shield smooth and glabrous, laterally with conspicuous minute black spots. Antennomeres 1–4 with sclerotized teeth (Fig. 19A), disc with 11–12 apical cones (Fig. 19B). All antennomeres without groove (Fig. 19A). Movable finger of posterior telopods weakly curved, with two large, non-sclerotized lobes and 4 or 5 thin spines (Fig. 18E), on posterior side with circa 23 sclerotized teeth (Fig. 18F). Fixed finger remarkable wide, twice as wide as movable finger (Fig. 18F). Two stridulation ribs on each male harp (Fig. 18C) and two on each side of female washboard (Fig. 18B). Locking carinae of anal shield absent. Operculum apical margin well-rounded (Fig. 18A).

FIGURE 015. Zoosphaerium discolor n. sp., SEM, antenna, paratype, A: lateral view; B: apical view on disc.

Similar species: Zoosphaerium mitoho , n. sp. shares numerous characters, like similarly shaped anterior telopods, with Z. libidinosum ( de Saussure & Zehntner, 1897) and Z. album n. sp.. It differs from those two species unambiguously in coloration pattern, shape of the fixed finger of posterior telopods and in the endotergum pattern.

Description: Body length: Males (2 specimens): length up to 28 mm, width of thoracic shield up to 13.1 mm, height of thoracic shield up to 7.5 mm. Female: width up to 12.1 mm.

Habitus: Anal shield well-rounded (Fig. 17A), tergites glabrous.

Coloration: Anterior margin tergites very dark green, posterior part of tergites brown (Fig. 17A). Collum, thoracic shield, anal shield, head, legs and apical antennomeres of antennae brown. Antennomeres 3–6 darkgreen.

Head: Eyes with more than 60 ocelli.

Antennae: Length of antennomeres: 1<2>3>4=5=6 (Fig. 19A), sixth antennomere bearing disc with 11–12 apical cones (Fig. 19B). First antennomere broadest, short and cylindrical, apically with neither sensilla basiconica nor groove. Sclerotized teeth at base of antennomeres 1–4 (Fig. 19A).

Mandible: Six rows of pectinate lamellae (Fig. 20B). Condylus with single, strongly developed step near apical margin (Fig. 20B).

Gnathochilarium: Lateral of palpi four sensory cones, located together (Fig. 20A). Depression on posterior side of palpi with few sensory cones (Fig. 20A).

FIGURE 016. Zoosphaerium discolor n. sp., SEM, paratype, A: gnathochilarium, left inner palpus with rudimentary lateral palpus; B: mandible pair, dorsal view. Abbreviations: 3iT = 3 inner teeth; Co = condylus; eT = external tooth; iP = inner palpus; mp = molar plate; pL = pectinate lamella; rlp = rudimentary lateral palpus.

Collum: Only margins with few isolated hairs, remaining parts of collum glabrous.

Thoracic shield: Surface similar to tergites (Fig. 17A).

Tergites: Smooth and mostly glabrous. Paratergites not projecting, covered with numerous minute, black spots.

Endotergum: Inner area with thin spines and long hair. Single row of large, elliptical cuticular impressions, irregularly distributed (Fig. 23E). Externally single row of marginal bristles located closely to each other, slightly extending beyond tergite margin (Fig. 23E).

FIGURE 017. Digital photographs, A: Zoosphaerium mitoho n. sp., holotype; B: Z. pulchellum n. sp., holotype; C: Z. aureum , image taken by D. R. Parks, all rights reserved. Abbreviations: AS = Anal shield; c = collum; h = head; th-s = thoracic shield. Photos not to scale.

FIGURE 018. Zoosphaerium mitoho n. sp., A, B, female paratype, C–F, male holotype, A: second right coxa with vulva, posterior view; B: female washboard; C: right side of anterior telopod, anterior view; D: last three podomeres of anterior telopod, posterior view; E: posterior telopod, anterior view; F: chela of posterior telopod, posterior view. Abbreviations: cav = cavity; cr-t = crenulated teeth; Cx = coxa; EP = external plate of vulva; IP = mesal plate of vulva; ml = membranous lobe; O = operculum of vulva; s-p = sclerotized spot; SR = stridulation ribs. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Anal shield: In both sexes covered with numerous minute black spots, one seta standing in each spot.

Legs: Tarsi of first pair of legs with four, second with seven or eight and third with nine to ten ventral spines. First two leg pairs with only weakly curved claws and without apical spine. Tarsi of legs 3–21 with curved claws, 10–13 ventral spines and one apical spine. Femur 1.8 and tarsi 3.5 times longer than wide.

Stigmatic plate: First lobe well-rounded, long and curved.

Female sexual characters: Washboard with two short, incontinuous stridulation ribs on each half (Fig. 18B). Vulva covering more than 2/3 of coxa surface. Operculum large, ending clearly before coxal margin. Apical margin of operculum well-rounded, reaching apical-most point medially. Mesal plate reaching up to half of operculum's height (Fig. 18A).

Male sexual characters:

Anterior telopods (Figs 18C, D): First podomere with harp and two stridulation ribs; ribs straight and short, mesal rib longer and wider than lateral rib. Second podomere process lobe-like and little curved with rounded edges, protruding up to half of third podomere height, apically with sclerotized spots. Third podomere long, cavity mesally with numerous sclerotized spots and circa three sclerotized spines. One sclerotized spot located close to tip.

Posterior telopods (Figs 18E, F): Movable finger of chela weakly curved; hollowed-out inner margin with two non-sclerotized lobes and circa four smaller, sclerotized spines, posterior aspect with row of circa 23 crenulated teeth. Fixed finger almost twice as wide as movable finger, with almost straight tip; basally with single short membranous lobe and spine, on inner margin broadly covered with numerous sclerotized spots. All telopod podomeres covered only with few, isolated hairs. Inner horns of syncoxite at apex curved posteriorly.

FIGURE 019. Zoosphaerium mitoho n. sp., SEM, antenna, paratype, A: lateral view; B: apical view on disc.