Nepalella shimianensis, Mikhaljova, 2022

Mikhaljova, Elena V., 2022, Contributions to the millipede fauna of China: five new species of the genus Nepalella Shear, 1979 (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Megalotylidae), Zootaxa 5196 (3), pp. 388-406 : 398-401

Nepalella shimianensis sp. nov.

Figs 47–58

Material examined. Holotype: male ( ZMUM), China, Sichuan Province, [Ya’an City], SSE Shimian [County, Huilong Town], S Zhuma [Village], 29˚0′19′′ N, 102˚27′24′′ E, H= 3625 m, 26.05.2014, leg. I. Belousov, I. Kabak.

Diagnosis. Differs from congeners mainly by the posterior gonopod colpocoxite in caudal view with distal part as a longitudinal boat-shaped structure (bs) couple with proximal part bearing a lateral, strong, curved process (lp) and median process (m) covered with spikes ( Figs 52, 54 , 57 ).

Description. Male. Length in alcohol about 10 mm, width about 1.0 mm with paraterga. Coloration in alcohol light brown. Antennae brown. Head marbled brown. Distal parts of pregonopodal legs marbled brown. Distal parts of postgonopodal legs marbled brownish. Eye patches black.

Body with 30 rings (including telson). Head sparsely setose. Antennae very long and slender. Eye patches subtriangular, with about 25 ommatidia. Collum semicircular. Both collum and ring 2 somewhat narrower than head with genae. Ring 2 somewhat wider than collum. Body width gradually increasing until ring 7–8, body parallelsided on rings 8–21(22), thereafter gradually tapering. Paraterga beginning on ring 2, small, moderately developed on rings 3–21, reduced on rings 22–26, onward missing. Metazonital macrochaetae arranged in a transverse row on rings 27–29, like an elongate (to different degrees) triangle on preceding rings. Nearly all macrochaetae broken off, remaining ones in anterior part of body middle length, thin, pointed apically, but not very sharply so. Caudolateral (exterior after Spelda 2001) macrochaetae longest, anterolateral (median after Spelda 2001) and medial (interior after Spelda 2001) ones subequal in length. Axial suture well-developed.

Legs long and slender. Leg pairs 1 and 2 typically reduced in size, with usual tarsal brushes and two additional claws dorsally. Other pregonopodal legs somewhat enlarged. Starting from legs 3, pregonopodal legs with funnelshaped tarsal papillae. Legs 10 and 11 with tarsal papillae occupying all length of the tarsi. Legs 12 with tarsal papillae occupying middle parts of the tarsi only. Legs of midbody without tarsal papillae. Hindmost legs broken off.

Claws sabre-shaped. Claws of pregonopodal and postgonopodal legs, including legs 10 and 11, at base with two small additional claws dorsally only. Femora 3 and 4 with a finger-shape process (f) ( Fig. 47 ).

Legs 10 and 11 with coxal glands. Coxa 10 with an emarginated process (e) narrowed at the apex ( Fig. 49 ). Coxa 11 with a low outgrowth (t) in anterior face; sternum 11 frontally with a roller (r) covered with papillae distally ( Figs 48, 51 ). Prefemur 11 without process.

Anterior gonopods reduced, sternum with a median conical lobe (ml); coxites (cxi) of medium length, nearly straight, hornlike ( Fig. 50 ). In caudal view the posterior gonopod colpocoxite basal half with a lateral, strong, curved process (lp) and median process (m) covered with spikes ( Figs 52, 54 , 56, 57 ). The colpocoxite distal part as a longitudinal boat-shaped structure (bs) with bent back ovale basal part (op) covered with tiny spikes ( Figs 52, 54– 56 ). Mesally the colpocoxite with a thin subapical process (k) ( Fig. 57 ) (this process is not visible in Figs 52–55 ). In frontal view the colpocoxite basally with a tongue-like blade (bl); angiocoxite (a) slightly depressed centrally ( Figs 53 , 58 ). Posterior gonopod telopodites large.

Female unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the locus typicus, Shimian, adjective.

Figures

FIGURES 47–51. Nepalella shimianensis sp. nov., male holotype (ZMUM). 47. Leg 3 without coxa, frontal view. 48. Leg 11, frontal view. 49. Leg 10, frontal view. 50. Anterior gonopods, caudal view. 51. Basal part of leg pair 11, frontal view. Abbreviations: cxi, coxite; e, coxal process; f, femoral process; ml, median lobe; r, sternal roller; t, coxal outgrowth. Scales: 20 μm (Figs 50, 51), 100 μm (Figs 47–49).

FIGURES 52–55. Nepalella shimianensis sp. nov., male holotype (ZMUM). 52. Posterior gonopod, caudal view. 53. Posterior gonopod, frontal view. 54. Posterior gonopod colpocoxite, caudal view. 55. Distal part of posterior gonopod colpocoxite, caudal view. Abbreviations: a, angiocoxite; bl, anterior colpocoxital blade; bs, boat-shaped structure; lp, lateral process; m, median process; op, ovale part. Scales: 10 μm (Fig. 55), 20 μm (Fig. 54), 100 μm (Figs 52, 53).

FIGURES 56–58. Nepalella shimianensis sp. nov., male holotype (ZMUM). 56. Posterior gonopod, mesal view. 57. Posterior gonopod, caudal view. 58. Posterior gonopod, frontal view. Abbreviations: a, angiocoxite; bl, anterior colpocoxital blade; k, subapical process; lp, lateral process; m, median process; op, ovale part. Scales: 0.25 mm (Fig. 56), 0.5 mm (Figs 57, 58).