Desmoxytes breviverpa Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha

Srisonchai, Ruttapon, Enghoff, Henrik, Likhitrakarn, Natdanai & Panha, Somsak, 2016, Four colorful new species of dragon millipedes, genus Desmoxytes Chamberlin, 1923, from northern Thailand (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae), Zootaxa 4170 (1), pp. 93-113 : 99-103

Desmoxytes breviverpa Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha sp. n.

( Figs. 1 C, 1D, 5–7)

Holotype. male ( CUMZ) THAILAND, Phrae Province, Long District, before Sareethai Cave , 18º16'43"N, 100°03'29"E, ca 264 m a.s.l., 21 October 2014, leg. C. Sutcharit, W. Siriwut, K. Inkhavilay and R. Srisonchai.

Paratypes. 27 males, 7 females ( CUMZ), 3 males, 2 females ( ZMUC) same data with holotype ; 5 males, 3 females ( CUMZ) same locality together with holotype, 21 July 2008, leg. N. Likhitrakarn ; 1 male, 3 females ( CUMZ) THAILAND, Lampang Province, Mae Tha District, Nakraua Subdistrict, Wat Tham Phra Sabai , 18º05'32"N, 99°32'03"E, ca 328 m a.s.l., 21 July 2008, leg. S. Panha, P. Tongkerd and N. Likhitrakarn ; 1 male, 5 females ( CUMZ) THAILAND, Lampang Province, Mae Tha District, Tham Chakkrabhat monastery (Wat Tham Chakkrabhat), 18º06'02"N, 99°56'48"E, ca 237 m a.s.l., 8 October 2007, leg. U. Bantaowong, R. Chanabun, P. Pimvichai and T. Krutchuen .

Etymology. The name is a Latin noun in apposition, meaning “short intromittent organ”, and referring to the short, flagelliform solenomere.

Diagnosis. Body color shocking pink, paraterga wing-shaped, metaterga 2–8 with 2+2 spines in anterior row and 2+2 spines in posterior one, metaterga 9–19 with 2+2 spines in anterior row and 3+3 spines in posterior one. Similar in these respects to D. taurina ( Pocock, 1895) , D. purpurosea and D. takensis sp. n. Differs from D. purpurosea and D. takensis sp. n. by having 3+3 setiferous tubercles in anterior row of collum, by having the sternal process between male coxae 4 subquadrate with an emarginate tip, by having an emarginate process on lamina medialis (lm), and by having a very short solenomere. Differs from D. taurina by having strongly humped male femora 5 and 6, by having paraterga well developed, extremely elevated, and by having longer spines on metaterga.

Description. Length 28–30 mm (male), 33–35 mm (female), width of midbody prozona and metazona ca 1.7 and 2.0 mm (male), 2.5 and 3.0 mm (female).

Live coloration of body shocking pink to purple ( Figs. 1 C, 1D, 5); paraterga vivid pink; surface below paraterga and metaterga brown pink to brown purple; head brown; antenna dark brown; legs, sterna and epiproct pink. Coloration in alcohol after two years faded to pale brown; paraterga, surface below paraterga, metaterga, head, antenna, legs, sterna and epiproct brown to whitish.

Width of head <collum = segment 2 = 3 <4 <5 <6–17 thereafter body gradually tapering towards telson. Head width ca 2.5 mm (male), 2.8 mm (female). Clypeolabral region sparsely setose, epicranial suture distinct ( Figs. 7 A, 7D). Antennae long and slender, reaching the end of segment 6 (male) or 5 (female) when stretched backward dorsally ( Fig. 7 D).

Collum width ca 3.0 mm (male) and 3.5–4.0 mm (female); surface coarsely microgranulate; with three transverse rows of setiferous tubercles, 3+3 anterior, 1+1 intermediate and 2+2 posterior tubercles; posterior margin concave; paraterga well-developed, wing-liked, elevated at ca 30º and directed dorsolaterad, tip pointed, anterior margin with two setiferous notches ( Fig. 7 A).

Post-collum segments with prozonae finely shagreened; surface below paraterga and metazonae coarsely microgranulate; paraterga and sterna quite smooth ( Figs. 5 A–H, 7G). Suture between prozona and metazona conspicuous, shallow, narrow on segments 5 and 6, thereafter much wider ( Figs. 5 A–F, 7B, 7E, 7G). Metaterga with two distinct transverse rows of rose-thornlike setiferous spines; metaterga 2–8 with 2+2 spines in anterior and 2+2 spines in posterior row, lateral spines of posterior rows larger than inner spines; metaterga 9–18 with 2+2 anterior and 3(4)+3(4) posterior spines, lateral spines of posterior row longest, intermediate ones shorter and mesal ones shortest, distance between the two mesal spines of posterior rows smaller than distance between the mesal and the lateral spines on each side; metatergum 19 with 2+2 anterior and 3+3 posterior spines, all spines equal in size. Transverse sulcus on metaterga conspicuous and quite deep on segments 5–17, poorly developed on segments 4 and 18 ( Figs. 5 A, 5C, 5F, 7A–C). Mid-dorsal line missing.

Paraterga strongly developed, especially in male, winglike, directed dorsolaterad at about 45–50º ( Fig. 7 F); shoulder present, obviously rounded, fused to calluses; calluses on anterior margin of pore-bearing segments conspicuous; anterior margin with two conspicuous denticles; metaterga 9, 10, 12, 13, 15–17 with a very small additional denticle near tip ( Fig. 7 H); tip pointed, long ( Figs. 5 C, 5E, 7H). Ozopore (op) conspicuous, visible from above ( Fig. 7 H). Pleurosternal carinae forming a tooth-like crest on segment 2, a small tooth on segment 3, absent on remaining segments (both sexes) ( Fig. 5 B).

Epiproct conical, flattened ventrally; tip subtruncate; apical papillae without tubercles; paramedian setae with supporting by tiny tubercles; lateral papillae inconspicuous, small tubercles ( Figs. 7 J–L). Hypoproct subsemicircular; caudal margin quite convex, with a pair of small setigerous tubercles ( Fig. 7 I).

Sterna sparsely setose, cross-impression shallow; sternal process between male coxae 4 modified, subquadrate, tip emarginate, two sternal pores on sternal process visible from posterior view ( Figs. 5 G, 5H, 7M, 7N). Legs very long and slender, ca 3.2–3.5 (male) and 2.2–2.5 times (female) as long as mid body height ( Fig. 7 Q). Male femora 5 and 6 modified; distinctly humped at middle part, ( Figs. 5 I, 4O, 4P).

Gonopods ( Figs. 6 , 7 R–U) long, distal parts strongly condensed. Coxa (cx) about half as long as telopodite; cannula (ca) long, broadened basally. Prefemorite (pfe) about 2/3 as long as telopodite. Femorite (fe) very long and slender, slightly separated from postfemoral part by distinct lateral and mesal sulcus ( Figs. 7 R, black arrow; 7S, arrow), with seminal groove running entirely on mesal surface. Solenophore (sph) condensed: lamina lateralis (ll) with a digitiform, vertical ventral lobe on ventral surface ( Figs. 7 R & 7T: white arrow); lamina medialis (lm) consisting of one process and two lobes; process prominent, directed mesad, spine-shaped, tip emarginate ( Fig. 7 U: P arrow); first lobe situated on top, terminating in two lamellae ( Fig. 7 U: L1 arrow); second lobe long, blunt, twisted at base ( Fig. 7 U: L2 arrow). Solenomere (sl) very short, flagelliform, straight, a bit curving distad.

Distribution and habitat. Known only from the type locality and nearby areas. The holotype and accompanying paratypes were crawling on logs and litter in limestone forest near the main road to Sareethai cave.

Remark. This species exhibits a remarkable shocking pink color, no doubt aposematic. The specimens present some variation of the sternal process between the male coxae 4, some specimens with a slightly emarginate tip, the others with deep emarginate tip ( Figs. 7 M, 7N). Very similar and probably closely related to D. purpurosea .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Live photographs of the new species. A, B: Desmoxytes des sp. n. — A; male holotype, B; female. C, D: Desmoxytes breviverpa sp. n. — male paratype. E, F: Desmoxytes takensis sp. n. — E; male paratype, F; female. G, H: Desmoxytes pinnasquali sp. n. — G: male holotype, H: mating couple.

FIGURE 5. Desmoxytes breviverpa sp. n. (male holotype). A, B: anterior body parts—dorsal view (A) and lateral view (B). C: segments 10 and 11 (op = ozopore) — dorsal view. D, F, J: posterior body parts—lateral view (D), dorsal view (F) and ventral view (J). E: segments 10 – 11 (op = ozopore) — lateral view. G, H: sternal process between male coxae 4 — ventral view (G) and lateral view (H). I: legs 4 – 6 — anterior view.

FIGURE 6. Desmoxytes breviverpa sp. n. (male paratype), right gonopod. A: lateral view. B: mesal view. C: ventral view. D, F: subdorsal view. E: dorsal view.

FIGURE 7. Desmoxytes breviverpa sp. n. (male holotype). A: head and segments 1 – 3 — dorsal view. B: segments 8 – 10 (op = ozopore) — dorsal view. C: posteriormost segments and telson segments—dorsal view D: head and antenna—anterior view. E: segments 8 – 10 — lateral view. F: segment 10 — posterior view. G: paraterga and sculpture of segment 10 — lateral view. H: paraterga of segment 10 (arrow = tiny denticle) — lateral view. I: last segment and telson; showing epiproct and hypoproctventral view. J – L: epiproct; J: dorsal view, K: lateral view, L: ventral view. M: sternal process between male coxae 4 (male holotype) — posterior view. N: sternal process between male coxae 4 — posterior view. O: male leg 5. P: male leg 6. Q: male right anterior leg of segment 10. R – U: right gonopod; R: mesal view (cx = coxa, ca = cannula, pfe = prefemorite, fe = femorite, sg = seminal groove, sph = solenophore, sl = solenomere, black arrow = sulcus on mesal side, white arrow = digitiform ventral lobe), S: lateral view (arrow = sulcus on lateral side), T: ventral view (ll = lamina lateralis, lm = lamina medialis, black arrow = process, white arrow = digitiform ventral lobe), U: dorsal view (P arrow = process, L 1 & L 2 arrows = lobes on lamina medialis).