Nannaria sheari, Means & Hennen & Marek, 2021

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

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1030.62544
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/7ABBB4AF-FE4D-5FD6-8BFD-5E2F456842C3
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Nannaria sheari
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Nannaria sheari View in CoL sp. nov. Figs 67 View Figure 67 , 68 Vernacular name: "William Shear’s Twisted-Claw Millipede" View Figure 68

Material examined.

Holotype: United States - West Virginia • ♂; Mercer County, Brush Creek Preserve, along trail to waterfall; 37.4647°N, - 81.0623°W; elev. 628 m; 14 June 2016; hand collected; J. Means, D. Hennen leg.; VTEC MPE01684 View Materials . GoogleMaps

Paratypes: United States - West Virginia • 1 ♀; same collection data as holotype; VMNH MPE01685 View Materials GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; Mercer County, Brush Creek Falls, Tullgren , sort of Rhododendron litter; 37.4671°N, - 81.0597°W; 5 Oct.1967; W. Shear leg.; VMNH NAN0012 GoogleMaps .

Other material.

United States - West Virginia • 1 ♀; Mercer County, Speedway Hemlock Grove , oak-pine litter; 37.4564°N, - 81.0105°W; 4 Apr. 1967; W. Shear leg.; VMNH NAN0002 GoogleMaps • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as preceding; VMNH NAN0048 GoogleMaps • 13 ♂ ♀; Mercer County, Speedway Roadside Park, route 20, 3 mi. north of Athens , hibernating aggregation of dead animals under log; 37.4646°N, - 81.0112°W; 9 Mar. 1968; W. Shear leg.; VMNH NAN0020 GoogleMaps • 3 ♂♂; Mercer County, Brush Creek Preserve, along trail to waterfall; 37.4647°N, - 81.0623°W; elev. 628 m; 14 June 2016; hand collected; J. Means, D. Hennen leg.; VTEC MPE01665 View Materials GoogleMaps -7 • 1 ♂ and 1 ♀; Mercer County, Athens, Jackson's Park ; 37.4222°N, - 81.0163°W; 30 Mar. 1968; W. Shear leg.; VMNH NAN0013 GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; Mercer County, Athens , 218 W. Broadway ; 37.4254°N, - 81.0211°W; 29 Mar. 1973; W. Shear leg.; VMNH NAN0046. For detailed collection data see Suppl. material 7 GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis.

Adult males of Nannaria sheari sp. nov. are distinct from other Nannaria and the nearby N. aenigma , based on the following combination of characters: Gonopods. Gonopodal acropodite continually curving medially, not relatively straight before curving medially at half-way point as in N. castra sp. nov. Distal zone curving medially, not dorsally as in N. castra sp. nov. Acropodite tip directed caudally (Fig. 67B View Figure 67 ), not medially as in N. aenigma . Acropodite tip with lateral flange (Fig. 67 View Figure 67 , red arrow). Acropodite simple in N. sheari sp. nov., lacking slight twist and swelling at midpoint as found in N. castra sp. nov., and lateral flange as found in N. aenigma . Telopodite basal zone with slight lateral bulge and wider than space between prefemoral process and acropodite, not thinner as in N. castra sp. nov. Prefemur with dorsomedially curving prefemoral process (Fig. 67B View Figure 67 ), not straight as in N. aenigma . Prefemoral spine fused with prefemoral process, reduced to shelf-like ridge at base of prefemoral process (Fig. 67C View Figure 67 , red triangle). Color. Tergites with orange paranotal spots (Fig. 68 View Figure 68 ). Dark brown background. Dorsum of collum smooth with orange and white margin.

Measurements.

♂ holotype (VTEC, MPE01684): BL = 30.7, CW = 3.5, IW = 1.9, ISW = 0.7, B11W = 4.1, B11H = 2.4. ♀ paratype (VMNH, MPE01685): BL = 30.2, CW = 3.2, IW = 1.9, ISW = 0.8, B11W = 4.5, B11H = 3.3.

Variation.

No known variation.

Distribution.

Known from a small area in and around Athens, West Virginia (West Virginia: Mercer County, Suppl. material 7; Fig. 126 View Figure 126 ). Distribution area: 12 km2; status: MRE.

Ecology.

Individuals of N. sheari sp. nov. have been collected from mesic hardwood forests composed of oak, tuliptree, birch, maple, buckeye, rhododendron, and some pine and hemlock. Individuals were found under deciduous leaf litter by the side of hiking trails.

Etymology.

This species is named after its original collector, and a longtime mentor to the authors, Dr. William Shear. The specific name is a genitive noun derived as a patronym.

Type locality.

United States, West Virginia, Mercer County, Brush Creek Preserve, along trail to waterfall, 37.4647°N, - 81.0623°W.