Granitobolus endemicus Wesener, 2009

Wesener, Thomas, Enghoff, Henrik & Sierwald, Petra, 2009, Review of the Spirobolida on Madagascar, with descriptions of twelve new genera, including three genera of ' fire millipedes' (Diplopoda), ZooKeys 19 (19), pp. 1-128 : 70-71

Granitobolus endemicus Wesener , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7EFB7119-B5B1-4D30-BE97-F9F709EDD92B

Material examined: 1 ♂, 6 ♀, 14 imm. Holotype: 1 ♂ (35 mm long), FMMC W010 A, Madagascar, Province Toliara, Ambatotsirongorongo Mountain, Forêt Petit Lavasoa , rainforest, 25°05.021’ S, 46°46.110’ E, leg. Wesener et al., 21.V.2007 . Paratypes: 3 ♀, 6 imm., FMMC W010 A, same data as holotype ; 1 ♀, ZMH W010 A, same data as holotype .

Other material examined: 2 ♀, 7 imm., W010A, same data as type material, but stored as vouchers at University Antananarivo ; 1 imm., FMMC W099 , Ambatotsirongorongo Mountain , Forêt Grand Lavasoa, 25°5’10.23” S, 46°44’55.93” E, rainforest, leg. Wesener et Schütte, 14.VI.2007 .

Differential diagnosis: see key for a separation between G. endemicus and G. andohahelensis sp. n.

Description. Measurements: male with 37 rings, circa 35 mm long (broken), 3.5 mm wide. Females with 37 or 38 rings, 42–48 mm long, 3.8–4.9 mm wide.

Coloration affected by alcohol. Anterior part of head and appendages red ( Figs 37D, G ). Mesozona and anterior part of metazona dark grey, posterior part of metazona light brown to dark orange ( Figs 37 A–C). Antennae very short, in males protruding back to body ring 3 ( Fig. 37D ), in females to ring 2. Preanal process well-rounded, longer than anal valves ( Fig. 37F ).

Anterior gonopod sternite elongated into a short, wide and well-rounded lobe ( Fig. 37L ). Mesal margin of coxite at midpoint with a projection towards sternite ( Fig. 37N ). Telopodite on posterior side apically with a short, rounded process ( Fig. 37N ). Telopodite process not reaching mesal margin, laterally curved, slightly longer than coxite ( Fig. 37N ).

Posterior gonopods: telopodite apex erect, covered by a sclerite ( Fig. 37M ). A small membranous area present between apex and beak ( Fig. 37O ).

Intraspecific variation: too few specimens, especially mature males, are known to evaluate the intraspecific variation. However, obviously mature females collected at the same spot range from 35 to 48 mm of length, most likely representing different stadia, or even generations.

Distribution and ecology: this species is currently known only from, and probably microendemic to, the isolated rainforests of the Ambatotsirongorongo Mountain in Southeast Madagascar ( Fig. 30 ), covering altogether less than 10 km ². The Mountain is now isolated from all other natural forests. The forest cover of the Ambatotsirongorongo Mountains decreased considerably in the last 50 years ( Ramanamanjato et al. 2002) and covers now only a few hundred hectares ( Moat and Smith 2007). The nearest remaining forest is the worldwide unique, and also endangered, transitional littoral forest of Petriky, 5 kilometers north of Ambatotsirongorongo.

Etymology: endemicus , adjective, refers to the small area of distribution ( Fig. 30 ).

Figures

Figure 30. Distribution of the genera Pseudocentrobolus gen. n., Granitobolus gen. n. and Caprobolus gen.n.

Figure 37. Granitobolus endemicus sp. n., A–C, G–J male paratype, K female paratype, D–F, L–O male holotype. A living specimen, uncurling B living specimen, curled C dead male, curled D head, lateral view E legs 1–7, ventral view F telson G head, frontal view H gnathochilarium, ventral view; I midbody ring with legs Į, K left midbody legs L anterior gonopod, anterior view M left posterior gonopod, anterior view N anterior gonopod, posterior view O left posterior gonopod, posterior view. av = anal valves; Co = collum; Cx = coxite; fs-p = finger-shaped process; Gn = gnathochilarium; L = ledge; Md = mandible; Me = mentum; ms = marginal setae; Pre = preanal ring; re = rectangular extension; sf = setiferous foveolae; St = sternite; ST = stipites; T = telopodite. Scale bars = 1 mm.