Pogoropsis prolixopes Rosenmejer & Enghoff, 2020

Olsen, Sissel Anna, Rosenmejer, Trine & Enghoff, Henrik, 2020, A mountain of millipedes IX: Species of the family Gomphodesmidae from the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania (Diplopoda, Polydesmida), European Journal of Taxonomy 675, pp. 1-35 : 16-18

Pogoropsis prolixopes Rosenmejer & Enghoff gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D35FD14F-0709-4AF2-945F-AEDA96FF91E3

Figs 2 , 5D , 12–13

Diagnosis

As for the genus. Differs conspicuously from other Udzungwan gomphodesmids species by the very long and slender gonopod telopodite.

Etymology

The name is a Latin noun in apposition meaning “long leg/foot” and refers to the unusually long gonopods.

Material examined

Holotype

TANZANIA • ♂; Iringa region /district, West Kilombero Scarp Forest ; 07°45′34.2″ S, 36°26′37.4″ E; 1510 m a.s.l.; 7 Dec. 2000; Frontier Tanzania UMBS leg.; open woodland, plot Acacia ; NHMD 621672 .

Paratypes

TANZANIA • 19 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; same collecting data as for holotype; NHMD 621673 • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, 2 juv.; Iringa region /district, West Kilombero Scarp Forest ; 07°53′19.5″ S, 36°23′11.6″ E; 1111 m a.s.l.; 23 Nov. 2000; Frontier Tanzania UMBS leg.; montane forest, plot 17, Ukami; NHMD 621685 .

Description

Males

SIZE AND SHAPE. Body length ca 32–37 mm. Maximum width 6.0– 6.7 mm. W/L ratio 20%. Height of body ring eight 4.5 mm. H/W ratio= 68%.

COLOUR ( Fig. 12A ). Uniformly yellowish/light brown

STERNAL PROCESS ON BODY RING 6 ( Fig. 5D ). Longer than wide, triangular tip.

HYPOPROCT. Suboval in shape, without median projection ( Fig. 12C ). Paramedian tubercles of normal size, not projecting beyond edge of sclerite.

GONOPOD ( Fig. 13 ). Gonocoxa without paracannular setae. Telopodite mesonodal. Nodus with few small triangular processes. Process M thin, narrow at base, and closely following postnodal telopodite. Process L absent. Postnodal teleopodite relatively long, curved dorsomesad, closely following prefemoral region. Solenomere with triangular lobe, followed by longer and more slender triangular lobe. Apex thin and curved, projecting at right angles before end of solenomere.

Distribution

Known only from the type locality and one further site in the Udzungwa Mts, West Kilombero Scarp, montane forest and open woodland ( Fig. 2 ). The two sites are ca 12 km apart and are situated in different forested areas (cf. Frontier Tanzania 2001: 26, 174).

Remarks

The shape of the sternal process on the 6 th body ring is more similar to that seen in species of the genus Ngurubates Hoffman, 2005 , than to that of species of Pogoro . In the key to genera of Gomphodesmini, Hoffman (2005) actually uses this character to distinguish between Pogoro and Ngurubates . After examining both genus descriptions, however, it became clear that Pogoropsis prolixopes gen. et sp. nov. fits into neither of these genera. Ngurubates species have subonychial pads only on legs 1–5 ( Pogoro : 1–6), and ventral tubercles on anterior legs are present ( Pogoro : absent). Almost all characteristics of the new species fit Pogoro . The only differences from the Pogoro species description are the absence of paracannular setae, the absence of gonopodal process L and in particular the very elongated, hairpinbent gonopod telopodite.

Figures

Fig. 2. Map of the Udzungwa Mts showing collection sites for gomphodesmids. Based on Marshall et al. (2010: fig. 1).

Fig. 5. Sternal process on body ring 6. A. Emphysemastix spp. B. Agrophogonus spp. except A. hamulifer Olsen & Enghoff sp. nov. C. Agrophogonus hamulifer Olsen & Enghoff sp. nov. D. Pogoropsis prolixopes Rosenmejer & Enghoff gen. et sp. nov. E. Pogoro siren Rosenmejer & Enghoff sp. nov. F. Pogoro scharffi Hoffman, 2005. G. Pogoro alopias Rosenmejer & Enghoff sp. nov. Not drawn to scale.

Fig. 12. Pogoropsis prolixopes Rosenmejer & Enghoff gen. et sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (NHMD 621672). A. Habitus. B. Front end, showing gonopods, ventral view. C. Hind end, ventral view. Scale bars: A = 5 mm; B = 3 mm; C = 1 mm.

Fig. 13. Pogoropsis prolixopes Rosenmejer & Enghoff gen. et sp. nov., paratype, ♂, left gonopod (NHMD 621673). A–B. Mesal view. C. Apex of solenomere. D–E. Lateral view. F–G. Dorsal view. Abbreviations: M = Process M; stl = slender triangular lobe; tl = triangular lobe. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.