Polydrepanum asperrimum ( Carl, 1932 )

Golovatch, Sergei I., Aswathy, Mathilakath Dasan, Bhagirathan, Usha & Sudhikumar, Ambalaparambil Vasu, 2021, Review of the millipede tribe Polydrepanini, with the description of a new species from Kerala state, southern India (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae, Alogolykinae), Zootaxa 5068 (4), pp. 485-516 : 488

Polydrepanum asperrimum ( Carl, 1932)

(= Grammorhabdus asperrimus Carl, 1932 )

Figs 1–5

Grammorhabdus asperrimus Carl, 1932: 441 , figs 27–30 (D). India, Palni Hills.

Grammorhabdus asperrimus — Attems, 1936: 233 (R); 1937: 152, fig. 190 (D).

Grammorhabdus asperrimum (sic!)—Bano, 1997: 12 (M).

Polydrepanum asperrimum — Jeekel, 1968: 84 (M); 1980b: 176, fig. 20 (D); Golovatch, 1984: 333, 335 (M); Bano & Murthy, 1997: 160, 161, fig. 9 (D); Bano, 1998: 89 (M); Nguyen & Sierwald, 2013: 1182 (M); Golovatch & Wesener, 2016: 48 (M); Sankaran & Sebastian, 2018: 170, fig. 6A (D).

Remarks. Among the most important characters of this species are the presence of adenostyles only on male femora 1 ( Figs 1 and 2 ), coupled with the gonofemorite (fe) being slender and long, devoid of any traces of torsion, while the solenophore (sph) is peculiar in shape: a single, very large, unequally bifid, pincer-shaped, lateral lobe (a), and one apicomesal spine (b) lying distal to the basal loop (k) of a free solenomere (sl). Base of sph on ventral side forming a protecting lobe (lo) to shield the basal loop (k) of sl. Distal half of both sph and sl suberect and directed ventrad ( Figs 3–5 ).

Because the gonopodal femorite in P. asperrimum is untwisted ( Figs 3–5 ), unlike that of the type species P. tamilum (see below and Figs 17–19 ), contrary to Jeekel (1968), we are inclined to revive Grammorhabdus Carl, 1932 , stat. revalid., to accommodate both G. asperrimus as its type species and a recently described species treated immediately below.

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. Grammorhabdus asperrimus Carl, 1932. 1. Male leg 1, lateral view. 2. Male leg 2, lateral view. 3. Entire left gonopod, mesal view. 4, 5. Distal half of left gonopod, lateral view. 1–4: after Carl (1932), 5: after Jeekel (1980B). Abbreviations: a and b, apicomesal spines; ad, adenostyle; ca, cannula; cx, coxite; fe, femorite; k, basal loop of solenomere; lo, lateral lobe; pfe, prefemoral portion; sl, solenomere; sph, solenophore. Drawn not to scale.

FIGURES 16–20. Polydrepanum tamilum Carl, 1932. 16. Male leg 2, lateral view. 17. Entire left gonopod, mesal view. 18. Distal half of left gonopod, lateral view. 19. Entire right gonopod, mesal view. 20. Distal half of right gonopod, sublateral view. 16–18: after Carl (1932); 19, 20: after Jeekel (1980b). Abbreviations: a and b, dorsal distofemoral processes; ad, adenostyle; lo, lateral protecting lobe/shield; k, basal loop of solenomere; sl, solenomere; sph, solenophore. Drawn not to scale.