Chaleponcus mwabvui, Enghoff, 2014

Enghoff, Henrik, 2014, A mountain of millipedes I: An endemic species-group of the genus Chaleponcus Attems, 1914, from the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Odontopygidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 100, pp. 1-75 : 61-63

Chaleponcus mwabvui sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C1BCEEF3-3247-47D9-BA27-663385735829 Figs 6 , 9 , 29 Diagnosis

Medium-sized. Gonopod coxa ( Fig. 9 ) without a lateral process; cucullus small. Distinguished from other species, i.a., by the characteristically shaped posterior telomeral lamella ( Fig. 29 ).

Etymology

The name honours Tarombera Mwabvu in recognition of his work on the taxonomy of African millipedes.

Material studied (total: 11 ♂♂)

Holotype

TANZANIA: ♂, Iringa Region, Iringa District, Udzungwa Mts, New Dabaga / Ulangambi FR, 08°06’ 47.4” S, 35°56’ 50.4” E, montane, 1800–1955 m asl, plot MS – plot A, 29 Oct. 2000, Frontier Tanzania leg. ( ZMUC).

Paratypes

All from TANZANIA, Iringa Region, Udzungwa Mts: 2 ♂♂, Iringa District, New Dabaga/Ulangambi FR, 08°06’ 47.4” S, 35°56’ 50.4” E, montane, 1800–1855 m asl, plot MS – plot A, sample 3 of 3, 11 Nov. 2000, Frontier Tanzania leg. (ZMUC); 5 ♂♂, Iringa District, New Dabaga/Ulangambi FR, 08°06’ 47.4” S, 35°56’ 50.4” E, montane, 1800–1955 m asl, plot MS – plot A, 29 Oct. 2000, Frontier Tanzania leg. (ZMUC); 3 ♂♂, Mufindi, Kigogo Forest Reserve, 1900 m, 7–15 Oct. 1984, pitfall traps in montane rain forest, N. Scharff leg. (ZMUC).

Type locality

TANZANIA: Iringa Region, Iringa District, Udzungwa Mts, New Dabaga/Ulangambi FR, 08°06’ 47.4” S, 35°56’ 50.4” E, montane, 1800–1955 m asl.

Description (male)

DIAMETER. 1.8–1.9 mm, 43–45 podous rings.

COLOUR. After 13 years in alcohol brownish yellow, dorsolaterally dark brown, a broad middorsal pale stripe, a narrow blackish lateral stripe at ozopore level.

ANAL VALVES ( Fig. 6C, F ). Each with a long, slightly curving dorsal spine and a small, triangular ventral one; marginal rim raised, setiferous tubercles barely developed, not on ‘ravelins’.

LIMBUS. With long, slender, apically denticulate lobes, separated by wider sinuses.

TARSAL SETATION. Normal.

GONOPOD COXA ( Figs 9 , 29 ). About 4 × as long as wide; lateral margin evenly convex in distal 2/3; cucullus (cu) small, smoothly rounded, without processes. Metaplical flange (mf) ending in triangular, apicad process; metaplical mesal margin straight, but with triangular process (mp) just below level of arculus. Metaplical shelf (ms) regularly rounded, projecting posteriad as well as mesad, continuing without transition in metaplical shelf-spine (mss). Metaplical shelf-spine (mss) of medium length, curving first mesad, then distad, then pointing mesad again; in specimen prepared for SEM pointing obliquely basad, tip reaching beyond basomere. GONOPOD TELOPODITE ( Fig. 29 ). Solenomere with a long, straight, mesad, proximal spine (ps). Telomere

distally with two branches:

• a large, convoluted anterior lamella (al) with smooth edges except for a few distal denticulations,

• a posterior-distal lamella (pl); distal margin of pl deeply laciniate in apical part, basally produced in slender process furcating into larger branch (plp1) with long-spinose margins and smaller, slender branch (plp2) with large spine at base and terminally bifurcating.

Distribution and habitat

Known from two forest reserves in the Udzungwa Mts: New Dabaga/Ulangambi FR and Kigogo FR. Altitudinal range: 1800–1955 m asl. Habitat: montane forest.

Coexisting species

All four species known from Kigogo FR, i.e., C. quasimodo sp. nov., C. scopus sp. nov., C. howelli sp. nov. and C. mwabvui sp. nov., were found in the same samples. In New Dabaga/Ulangambi FR, C. dabagaensis , C. gracilior sp. nov., C. netus sp. nov. and C. termini sp. nov. were found in the same samples as C. mwabvui sp. nov. In addition, C. krai sp. nov., C. malleolus sp. nov., C. nectarinia sp. nov., C. teres sp. nov., C. vandenspiegeli sp. nov. and C. vilici sp. nov. occur in New Dabaga/Ulangambi FR.

Figures

Fig. 6. Telson types in Chaleponcus species. — A. Dorsal and ventral anal valve spines well developed (C. nectarinia sp.nov.).B.Spinesverylong(C.circumvallatussp.nov.).C.Dorsal spinewell developed, ventral spinebarelyindicated(C.mwabvuisp.nov.).D.Nospines(C.teressp.nov.).E.Setiferoustuberclesonravelins (C. nectarinia sp. nov.). F. With setiferous tubercles, not on ravelins (C. mwabvui sp. nov.). Scales 0.1 mm.

Fig. 9. Chaleponcus spp., outline of coxite of left gonopod, posterior view. (The ’transverse’ plane of the gonopod is usually slightly at angles with the exact transverse plane of the millipede, so it may be necessary to tilt the gonopod slightly in order to obtain the view shown on the drawings.) The stippled lines indicate the place where the telopodital basomere emerges from the coxal cavity. Not to scale.

Fig. 29. Chaleponcus mwabvui sp. nov., right gonopod. A. Posterior view. B. Anterior-mesal view. C. Coxa, tip, anterior view. D. Telopodite, apical-dorsal view. E. Process plp of telomere. al = anterior telomeral lamella, cu = cucullus, mf = metaplical flange, mp = mesal metaplical process, ms = metaplical shelf, mss = metaplical shelf-spine, pl = posterior telomeral lamella, plp1, plp2, posterior telomeral lamella processes, ps = proximal spine on solenomere, slm = solenomere. Scales: 0.1 mm (A–D), 0.05 mm (E).