Nannaria tennesseensis (Bollman, 1888)

Means, Jackson C., Hennen, Derek A. & Marek, Paul E., 2021, A revision of the minor species group in the millipede genus Nannaria Chamberlin, 1918 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Xystodesmidae), ZooKeys 1030, pp. 1-180 : 1

Nannaria tennesseensis (Bollman, 1888) Figs 59 , 60 Vernacular name: "The Tennessee Twisted-Claw Millipede"

Fontaria tennesseensis Bollman, 1888: 340. Bollman 1893: 91. Attems 1898: 263. Attems 1938: 199.

Nannaria tennesseensis : Chamberlin and Hoffman 1958: 42. Hoffman 1999: 368. Marek et al. 2014: 38. Means et al. 2021: S73.

Material examined.

Syntype: United States - Tennessee • ♀; Jefferson County, Mossy Creek ; C. Branner leg.; NMNH No. 203 .

Other material.

United States - Tennessee • 1 ♂; Blount County, on dirt rd. off 2422 on Blount-Sevier co. line, 14 E Maryville; 35.7450°N, - 83.7188°W; 11 Oct. 1978; R. Shelley, W. Jones leg.; NCSM NAN0484 • 6 ♂♂; Blount County , GSMNP, Hwy 129/ Lake Chilhowee Site 2; 35.5472°N, - 84.01277°W; 14 Oct. 2006; hand collected; B. Snyder leg.; Bruce Snyder Pers. Coll., B +3, B+9, B+15 • 2 ♂♂ and 1 ♀; same collection data as preceding; 27 October 2006; Bruce Snyder Pers. Coll. • 1 ♂; Jefferson County , Cherokee Dam Campground , roped off road (gravel) next to parking lot by tent camping; 36.1515°N, - 83.5170°W; elev. 345 m; 24 May 2016; hand collected; J. Means, D. Hennen leg.; VTEC MPE01237 • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as preceding; VTEC MPE01315 , 131 • 1 ♂; Jefferson County , Mossy Creek Wildlife Viewing Area , south end of Cherokee Reservoir, followed road past parking area, turned into a dirt road; 36.1301°N, - 83.5056°W; elev. 336 m; 25 May 2016; hand collected; J. Means, D. Hennen leg.; VTEC MPE01245 • 3 ♀♀; same collection data as preceding; VTEC MPE01290 -92 • 1 ♂; Jefferson County , on unnumb. rd. off US 411, 16 air mi SE Jefferson City; 35.9543°N, - 83.2928°W; 10 Oct. 1978; R. Shelley, W. Jones leg.; NCSM NAN0471 • 1 ♀; Sevier County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Ramsey Cascades Trail ; 35.7032°N, - 83.3536°W; elev. 691 m; 24 Apr. 2019; hand collected; D. Hennen leg.; VTEC MPE04825 • 2 ♂♂; Sevier County , Great Smoky Mountains National Park , forest beside Greenbrier Rd. ; 35.7257°N, - 83.4020°W; elev. 471 m; 26 Apr. 2019; hand collected; D. Hennen leg.; VTEC MPE04812 , 4828 • 3 ♀♀; same collection data as preceding; VTEC MPE04813 -15. For detailed collection data see Suppl. material 7 .

Diagnosis.

Adult males of Nannaria tennesseensis are distinct from other Nannaria and the nearby species N. scutellaria , based on the following combination of characters: Gonopods. Gonopodal acropodite sinuous, curving slightly medially, not curving medially as in N. breweri sp. nov. and not straight with 90° medial bend at apex as in N. scutellaria . Distal zone heavily reduced, with small triangular lateral flange (Fig. 59B , red arrow)-without large lobed lateral flange as in N. breweri sp. nov., or medial flange as in N. scutellaria . Acropodite tip directed cephalically, not medially as in N. breweri sp. nov. or N. scutellaria . Telopodite basal zone long,> 1/2 length of acropodite, not <1/2 as in N. breweri sp. nov. or ca. 1/4 length as in N. scutellaria . Prefemur with straight prefemoral process, not medially curving as in N. breweri sp. nov. Prefemoral spine fused to prefemoral process throughout length (Fig. 59A , red triangle). Color. Tergites with sherbet orange paranotal spots (Fig. 60 ). Brown background. Dorsum of collum smooth with orange and white caudal margin.

Measurements.

♂ (VTEC, MPE01245): BL = 29.2, CW = 3.2, IW = 1.8, ISW = 0.7, B11W = 4.2, B11H = 2.5; ♀ (VTEC, MPE01291): BL = 34.8, CW = 3.9. IW = 2.5, ISW = 1.2, B11W = 4.7. B11H = 3.5.

Variation.

No known variation.

Distribution.

Known from eastern Tennessee in the vicinities of Jefferson City and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Tennessee: Blount, Jefferson, and Sevier counties; Suppl. material 7; Fig. 126 ). Distribution area: 1,440 km2; status: SRE.

Ecology.

Individuals of N. tennesseensis have been collected from a variety of habitats, including mesic mixed hemlock and hardwood forests primarily composed of oak, maple, tuliptree, hemlock, and rhododendron, and semi-xeric hardwood forests composed of oak and maple. In the former habitats, specimens were often found under leaf litter and/or under 1-2 cm of dark, loose soil; in the latter habitats, specimens were found walking on top of hard packed soil, under thin oak leaf litter.

Etymology.

Bollman (1888) gave no etymology for the name tennesseensis, but it is reasonable to assume that the specific name refers to the state in which it is found.

Type locality.

United States, Tennessee, Jefferson County, Mossy Creek.

Notes.

In the original publication Bollman (1888: 340) inspected two lots of specimens, Nos. 203 & 388. No. 203 contained just one specimen, a female syntype, while No. 388 consisted of five specimens, two males and three females. Bollman (1888: 340) notes that he deposited two of the lot No. 388 specimens at the USNM (now NMNH) though he does not mention the sex of these specimens. Bollman (1888: 340) mentioned two “types”, one from each of the lots. The type from lot No. 388 was deposited in Bollman’s private collection, and its current whereabouts are unknown. Both lots were collected by C. Branner on unspecified dates.

Figures

Figure 59. Nannaria tennesseensis ♂ (VTEC, MPE 01245) left gonopod A anterior view; red triangle indicates prefemoral spine fused to the prefemoral process B medial view; red arrow indicates lateral flange C posterior view Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Figure 60. Nannaria tennesseensis ♂ (VTEC, MPE 01245) coloration. Scale bar: 4.0 mm.

Figure 126. Distribution map of Nannaria minor species group collection localities in the central Appalachians.