Leucogeorgia redivivoides, Antić & Reip, 2020

Antić, Dragan Ž. & Reip, Hans S., 2020, The millipede genus Leucogeorgia Verhoeff, 1930 in the Caucasus, with descriptions of eleven new species, erection of a new monotypic genus and notes on the tribe Leucogeorgiini (Diplopoda: Julida: Julidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 713, pp. 1-106 : 71-74

Leucogeorgia redivivoides sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BCBC9EBF-506F-4EF2-A3A4-3FABE0756DED

Figs 44–46 , 56–57

Diagnosis

This species belongs to the group of Leucogeorgia spp. with modified mouthparts and teeth on the mesomeral claw (vs teeth absent from L. longipes ). Leucogeorgia redivivoides sp. nov. differs from L. mystax sp. nov., L. profunda sp. nov. and L. turbanovi sp. nov. by having a mesomeral claw that does not directly continue with the margin of the lamella, but with a clear connection on the mesal side (vs mesomeral claw continues directly with the margin of the lamella, both parts being fully coalesced in L. mystax sp. nov., L. profunda sp. nov. and L. turbanovi sp. nov.). Leucogeorgia redivivoides sp. nov. differs from L. caudata sp. nov. by having a more slender mesomeral claw and the absence of a very long and sharp process on the epiproct with a hyaline tip (vs a more robust mesomeral claw and the presence of a long and sharp process with a hyaline tip in L. caudata sp. nov.). Leucogeorgia redivivoides sp. nov. differs from the most similar species, L. rediviva sp. nov., by having a flattened and centrally slightly serrate mesomeral lamella (vs a more smooth and high central part of the mesomeral lamella in the form of a lobe in L. rediviva ), a subrhomboid hypoproct (vs lanceolate in L. rediviva ), a low, more subquadrangular ventral margin of male body ring 7, with a right posterior angle (vs a well-developed and rounded ventral margin of body ring 7 in L. rediviva ) and a stocky body with 28–35 podous rings in males (vs somewhat elongate, with 38–47 podous rings in males of L. rediviva ).

Etymology

The species name is a combination of the name ʻ rediviva ʼ and the Ancient Greek suffix ʻ- oides ʼ, referring to the species’ particularly strong resemblance to Leucogeorgia rediviva . Adjective.

Material examined

Holotype

ABKHAZIA – Gulripsh District • ♂; Tsebeldinsky karst Massif , near Amtkel village, Nizhnyaya Shakuranskaya Cave , 700 m from entrance; 43.03° N, 41.33° E; 16 Sep. 2014; I.S. Turbanov leg.; ZMUM.

Paratypes

ABKHAZIA – Gulripsh District • 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, 3 juvs; same collection data as for holotype; ZMUM • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; IZB • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; SMNG .

Description

SIZE AND NUMBER OF BODY RINGS. Holotype male 24 mm long, vertical diameter of largest body ring 1.95 mm, body with 34 podous rings + 1 apodous ring + telson. Paratype males 16.5–24 mm long, vertical

diameter of largest body ring 1.7–1.95 mm, body with 28–35 podous rings + 0–1 apodous ring + telson. Paratype females 25.5–26.5 mm long, vertical diameter of largest body ring 2.3 mm, body with 34–39 podous rings + 0–1 apodous ring + telson.

COLOUR ( Fig. 44 ). In alcohol brownish, with dark brown rings on prozonae.

HEAD ( Figs 44B , 45C ). Without ommatidia. Frontal setae absent. Labrum without labral teeth, with 2+2, 3+2 or 4+3 supralabral setae and 26–32 labral setae. Gnathochilarium (paratype males) with a triangular promentum; lamellae linguales in one paratype male with 4+4 proximal setae, in another paratype male with 3+2 proximal, 1+0 medial and 1+1 distal setae (5+3 setae); stipites in one paratype male with 1+2 long distolateral setae, in another paratype male with 3+3 distolateral setae; no other setae. Antennae 3.7 mm long in holotype male, their length ca 190% of vertical diameter of largest body ring. Lengths of antennomeres I–VIII (in mm): 0.15 (I), 0.79 (II), 0.76 (III), 0.73 (IV), 0.72 (V), 0.38 (VI), 0.14 (VII) and 0.03 (VIII). Length/width ratio of antennomeres I–VII: 0.7 (I), 3.6 (II), 3.4 (III), 3.8 (IV), 3.8 (V), 1.8 (VI) and 0.9 (VII). Length of antennae in other males 180–190% of vertical diameter of largest body rings. Antennomeres V and VI each with a terminal corolla of large sensilla basiconica bacilliformia; antennomere VII with a terminal corolla of small sensilla basiconica bacilliformia.

BODY RINGS ( Fig. 44E ). Ventral and ventrolateral sides of metazonal areas with longitudinal striations. Dorsal side with poorly visible striations. Length of midbody setae ca 8% of vertical diameter of rings.

TELSON ( Fig. 44D , F–G). Epiproct variable, with a short to somewhat longer, blunt preanal process. Paraprocts rounded, setose, mesal edges slightly bulging. Hypoproct subrhomboid, covered with ca eight long setae in paratype male.

LEGS IN MALES. First pair of legs modified, hook-shaped ( Figs 45 A–B, 46E), with three podomeres; coxa with one seta; prefemur with 4–5 setae; femora, postfemora and tibiotarsi coalesced; femur with four setae; postfemur with one seta. Tibiotarsal part with a small distal lobe. Tip slightly tuberculate. Postfemoral and tibial ventral pads poorly developed on pregonopodal legs, then gradually disappearing on postgonopodal legs.

VENTRAL MARGIN OF MALE BODY RING 7 ( Fig. 44C ). Low, rounded, more subquadrangular in lateral view, with a right posterior angle.

PENES ( Fig. 46F ). Elongate, apically with two long subtriangular lobes.

GONOPODS ( Figs 45D , 46 A–D). Promere (p) long and slender, with a flagellum (f); apical part spatulate, with denticulate margins; basal half with two developed ridges. Mesomere (m) with a well-developed and denticulate mesomeral claw (mc); mesomeral lamella (ml) gradually decreasing in height posteriad, distal margin serrate, posterior part finely fimbriate. Opisthomere (o) bipartite. Anterior branch of o with a solenomere (s) with a medium-sized tip, and a well-developed and fimbriate velum (v). Posterior branch of o in form of a shield-like protective lamella (pl). Mesomere and opisthomere connected basally with an accessory membrane (am).

Distribution

Known only from its type locality ( Fig. 57 , orange square).

Remarks

Like L. rediviva , this new species is characterized by a variable length of the process on the telson, which can be longer or shorter.

As it has been found 700 m from the entrance of the cave together with one female of another species of Leucogeorgia (probably L. abchasica ) without modified mouthparts, these two species are probably syntopic.

Figures

Fig. 44. Leucogeorgia redivivoides sp. nov., types from Nizhnyaya Shakuranskaya Cave (ZMUM) (A– C, E–F: holotype ♂; D: paratype ♂; G: paratype ♀). A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Anterior part of body, lateral view. C. Body ring 7, lateral view. D. Telson, posterior view. E. Midbody rings, lateral view. F. Telson, lateral view. G. Telson, lateral view. Arrow indicates metazonal setae. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Fig. 45. Leucogeorgia redivivoides sp. nov., paratype ♂ from Nizhnyaya Shakuranskaya Cave (SMNG). A. Leg-pair 1, anterior view. B. Right leg 1, lateral view. C. Head, ventral view. D. Left gonopods, mesal view. Abbreviations: m = mesomere; mc = mesomeral claw; ml = mesomeral lamella; p = promere; pl = protective lamella; s = solenomere. Solenomere broken. Scale bars: A–B, D = 0.1 mm; C = 0.2 mm.

Fig. 46. Leucogeorgia redivivoides sp. nov., paratype ♂♂ from Nizhnyaya Shakuranskaya Cave (ZMUM). A. Right gonopods, mesal view. B. Left gonopods, lateral view. C. Right gonopods, mesal view. D. Left gonopods, lateral view. E. Leg-pair 1, anterior view. F. Penes, posterior view. Scale bars: 0.3 mm.

Fig. 56. General distribution of the Caucasian leucogeorgiinines. The white dashed line hypothetically indicates the boundary between the northwestern and southeastern groups of species of the genus Leucogeorgia Verhoeff, 1930.

Fig. 57. Distribution of the northwestern group of the genus Leucogeorgia Verhoeff, 1930.