Armeniopachyiulus pokr, Vagalinski & Evsyukov & Chumachenko & Zabiyaka, 2023

Vagalinski, Boyan, Evsyukov, Aleksandr P., Chumachenko, Yuri A. & Zabiyaka, Igor Y., 2023, A review of the genus Micropachyiulus Verhoeff, 1899 and description of the related Armeniopachyiulus gen. nov. (Diplopoda: Julida: Julidae: Pachyiulini), Zootaxa 5239 (2), pp. 221-246 : 240-243

Armeniopachyiulus pokr gen. et sp. nov.

Figs 11–13

Material examined ( ZMUM). Holotype: ♂ (in two pieces with dissected gonopods), Lesser Caucasus, Armenia, W of Shamshadyn, halfway between Ijevan & Berd, 1500–1600 m, Fagus , Carpinus , Acer etc. forest, in litter and under bark, 26–27.V.1987, S. Golovatch & K. Eskov leg.;

Paratypes: 1 ♂ (in two pieces with dissected gonopods), 1 ♀ (unbroken), same collecting data as for holotype; 1 ♂ (gnathochilarium, antennae, gonopods, flanges of pleurotergum 7, leg pairs 1 & 2, leg 3, and most of trunk prepared for SEM), SW of Shnogh, halfway between Alaverdi & Bagratashen, Carpinus forest, litter, 24. V.1987, S. Golovatch & K. Eskov leg.; 1 ♂ (in 2 pieces, with dissected gonopods, left opisthomere damaged, left promere accidentally lost), 1 ♀ (in 2 pieces, leg pair 2 with vulvae dissected), Armenia, Yeghegnut, ca 20 km N of Kirovakan [Vanadzor], 1200–1250 m a.s.l., Quercus , Carpinus , Acer etc. forest, 23. V.1987, S. Golovatch & K. Eskov leg.

Etymology. From the Armenian word for ‘small’, ‘petty’, ‘minute’, after the size of this new species.

Description. Measurements: Holotype with BRF 36 + 3 + T, L = 8.2 mm, H = 0.6 mm; paratype ♂♂ with BRF 35–40 + 1–3 + T, L = 8.4–8.5 mm, H = 0.45–0.55 mm; paratype ♀♀ with BRF 40–43 + 1–3 + T, L = 9–10 mm, H = 0.51–0.56 mm.

Colouration (after more than 30 years of ethanol conservation) ( Fig. 11 ): mostly pallid, with traces of darker transverse stripes above ozopore level and brownish tinges at paraprocts.

Head (in Fig. 11A ): With 3–5 pigmented ommatidia on each side. Vertigial, supralabral and labral setae: 2, 4 and 14, respectively.Antennae ( Fig. 12A ) 1.45 times as long as head in males and 1.3 times in females; antennomere 2 = 5> 3 = 4> 6; 5 ca 1.5 times as long as broad and ca 1.7 times as broad as 2; 5 and 6 with a row of several sensilla basiconica dorsolaterally at distal margins, those on 5 of similar size as the four apical sensilla, those on 6 considerably smaller. Mandibular stipites in males not expanded. Labrum tridentate. Gnathochilarium ( Fig. 12B ) with 4 instead of 3 distal setae on each stipes (the latter being the normal state in Julidae ), basal part of stipites non-setose, stipital palps relatively small; promentum rather small, dividing lamellae linguales by ca 2/5 of their length, the latter each bearing three setae in a row.

Trunk and legs: Collum mostly smooth, with only several short and fine striae near posterolateral corner. Body rings considerably vaulted. Prozonae almost completely smooth, with only a few sparse and very shallow longitudinal striae. Metazonae shallowly and discontinuously striated; metazonal margins with a whorl of 20–25 erect setae, these being 0.2 (females) or 0.25 (males) times as long as H. Ozopores set closely behind pro-metazonal suture— either touching it or at a distance of less than 1x their diameter. Walking legs relatively short: ML ca 0.7 times as long as H in males and ca 0.6 times in females. Tarsus of ML ca 1.5 as long as tibia and ca 2.5 times as long as apical claw. Legs 1 (in females), 2 and 3 ( Fig. 12D, E ) with an accessory claw, following legs without.

Telson (in Fig. 11B ): Pre-anal ring rather densely covered with long setae. Epiproct slightly bent ventrad, proximally roof-like, distally forming a slender, sharply pointed, hyaline tip reaching level of tip of paraproctal setae. Hypoproct broadly rounded, not protruding beyond hind contour of paraprocts in both sexes, ventrally with two median submarginal setae. Paraprocts moderately densely setose, without distinct row of shorter setae along posterior margins.

Male sexual characters: Legs 1 ( Fig. 12C ) 3-segmented, compact hooks oriented mesad; tibial outgrowth rather long and slender, tarsal remnant indistinct; the distal podomere baso-mesally with a verrucose hump (h). Legs 2 ( Fig. 12D ) significantly ticker and slightly longer than following legs; adhesive pads absent from all legs. Flanges of pleurotergum 7 ( Fig. 12F ) gradually narrowing, ending with a small, rounded lobe, directed fronto-ventrad. Penis very small, weakly chitinized, hidden deeply in its sac above coxae 2, with short and broad, well-divided apical lobes.

Gonopods ( Fig. 13A–E ) in situ mostly concealed in gonopodal sinus, only tips of promeres visible on the outside. Promere ( Fig. 13A ) slender, somewhat higher than opisthomere, sigmoid in both anterior-posterior and lateral-mesal views, gradually narrowing towards a rounded apex directed somewhat mesad; posterior surface with a well-developed mesal ridge (mr) reaching to ca promere mid-height, a very small lateral ridge (lr), and a long, arched distal ridge (dr) bearing 2–3 dense rows of denticles; a broad and deep median groove (mg) between mesal and lateral ridges. Opisthomere ( Fig. 13B–E ) rather stout; mesomeral process (m) mostly fused to the solenomere, with a bulging basal part being reciprocal to the median groove of the promere, distally free, directed partly anteriad, apically finely and irregularly branched; posterior lamella (l) well-developed, thick, expanding mesad, mostly concealing solenomere from mesal view, meso-apically forming a groove surrounded by short fringes; solenomere (s) simple, meso-laterally flattened, bent frontad, apically forming a fovea (fo).

Female sexual characters: Legs 1 significantly, legs 2 slightly ticker than leg-pair 3 and following pairs. Vulva ( Figs 13F ) cylindrical, mostly symmetrical; the two bursal valves separated only apically by a small, oval median cleft (mc), this being surrounded by a broad median field (mf); operculum (op) slightly higher than bursa, both bursa and operculum ending with large ear-like hyaline protrusions; only 2 pairs of setae distally on bursa, operculum nonsetose. RS composed of a long and mostly straight central tube (ct), slightly enlarged at bottom, and a long, narrow and folded posterior tube (pt) leading to a small piriform posterior ampulla (pa).

Distribution ( Fig. 14 , yellow squares). Armenia: Armenian Lesser Caucasus (type locality).

Figures

FIGURE 11. Armeniopachyiulus pokr gen. et sp. nov., ♂ holotype (ZMUM). A. Head with anterior part of body. B. Posterior part of body with telson. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 12. Armeniopachyiulus pokr gen. et sp. nov., ♂ paratype from Shnogh (ZMUM). A. left antenna, ventral view. B. Gnathochilarium, ventral view. C. Right leg 1, anterior view D. Right leg 2, anterior view. E. Right leg 3, anterior view. F. Right flange of pleurotergum 7, ventro-lateral view. Abbreviations: h: verrucose hump. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 13. Armeniopachyiulus pokr gen. et sp. nov., ♂ paratypes from Shamshadyn (A–D) and Shnogh (E), and ♀ paratype from Yeghegnut (F), all in Armenia (ZMUM). A. Right promere, posterior view. B. Right opisthomere, latero-anterior, slightly apical view. C. Same, lateral view. D. Same, mesal view. E. Same. F. Left vulva, meso-posterior view. Abbreviations: ct: central tube, dr: distal ridge, fo: fovea, l: posterior lamella, lr: lateral ridge, m: mesomeral process, mc: median cleft, mf: median field, mg: median groove, mr: mesal ridge, op: operculum, pa: posterior ampulla, pt: posterior tube, s: solenomere. Scale bars: 0.1 mm (E, F), 0.02 mm (A–D).

FIGURE 14. Distribution of the genera Micropachyiulus Verhoeff, 1899 and Armeniopachyiulus gen. nov.