Leucogeorgia aff. lobata, 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 : 47

Leucogeorgia aff. lobata sp. nov.

Figs 27D , 56 , 58

Material examined

CENTRAL-WEST GEORGIA – Ratscha-Letschchumi • 1 ♂; Ambrolauri District, W of Ambrolauri, Achara, above street SH17, riverside opposite Zeda Ghvardia, Eckis caves , right cave; 42.54° N, 42.89° E; 16 Jun. 2019; H. Reip leg.; SMNG .

Remarks

This male, collected in Achara, a new cave near Ambrolauri ( Fig. 58 , violet triangle with a question mark), is characterized by the presence of a lobe (l) on the mesomeral lamella and of a rift between the mesomeral claw and lobe, similar to conditions observed in the typical L. lobata sp. nov. However, this male is slightly different from those of L. lobata sp. nov. in showing a more slender and straight promere, an elongate mesomeral claw, a somewhat reduced mesomeral lamella, as well as an elongate tip of the solenomere. The length of the latter we generally find constant within the species. Further, the locality of this male is slightly separated from the four sites of L. lobata sp. nov. All this may indicate that another new, cryptic taxon might be involved here, but in the absence of more males we do not dare formalize this.

The newly discovered cave was probably part of a larger parted cave system, where the entrance to the second part is just a few meters left of the above cave. Both caves were opened and divided into separate caves during the building of street SH17. We call this small new cave system Eckis Caves after the name of the discoverer, Eckard Göbel.

Figures

Fig. 27. Gonopods (A–C: Leucogeorgia lobata sp. nov.; D: L. aff. lobata sp. nov., ♂ from Eckis Cave). A. Paratype ♂ from Garakha Cave, right gonopods, lateral view (IZISU). B. ♂ from Motena Cave, left gonopod, mesal view (SMNG). C. ♂ from Motena Cave, left gonopod, mesal view (ZMUM). D. Left gonopod, mesal view (SMNG). Scale bar: 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. 58. Distribution of the southeastern group of the genus Leucogeorgia Verhoeff, 1930 and the species Martvilia parva gen. et sp. nov.