Chaleponcus termini, 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 : 56-58

Chaleponcus termini sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C7102566-C098-434C-A419-652D26ED1738

Figs 7–9 , 27

Diagnosis

Medium-sized. Characterized by the two-lobed, strongly serrate anterior telomeral lamella. Gonopod coxa ( Fig. 9 ) without a lateral process; metaplical shelf-spine long.

Etymology

The name is the genitive case of the Latin noun terminus which means frontier, and the name honours the NGO Frontier Tanzania.

Material studied (total: 28 ♂♂)

Holotype

TANZANIA: ♂, Iringa Region, Iringa District, Udzungwa Mts, New Dabaga / Ulangambi FR, 08°04’ 5.7” S, 35°54’ 18.8” E, montane, 1930–1950 m asl, plot 1, casual, 16–19 Oct. 2000, Frontier Tanzania leg. ( ZMUC).

Paratypes

All from TANZANIA, Iringa Region, Iringa District, Udzungwa Mts, New Dabaga/Ulangambi FR, all collected by Frontier Tanzania, all in ZMUC: 4 ♂♂, 08°05’ 34.5” S, 35°55’ 31.5” E, montane, 1800– 1900 m asl, plot 16, casual, 15–16 Nov. 2000; 1 ♂, 08°06’ 47.4” S, 35°56’ 50.4” E, montane, 1800–1955 m asl, plot MS – plot A, 29 Oct. 2000; 10 ♂♂, 08°05’ 34.5” S, 35°55’ 31.8” E, montane, 1885 m asl, plot 16, sample 2 of 3, 15 Nov. 2000; 1 ♂, 08°04’ 05.6” S, 35°54’ 20.4” E, montane, 1930 m asl, plot 6, sample 1 of 3, 28 Oct. 2000; 1 ♂, 08°04’ 05.6” S, 35°54’ 20.4” E, montane, 1930 m asl, plot 6, sample 2 of 3, 27 Oct. 2000; 2 ♂♂, 08°04’ 05.6” S, 35°54’ 20.4” E, montane, 1930 m asl, plot 6, sample 3 of 3, 27 Oct. 2000; 7 ♂♂, 08°04’ 5.7” S, 35°54’ 18.8” E, montane, 1930–1950 m asl, plot 1, casual, 16–19 Oct. 2000; 1 ♂, 08°04’ 05.7” S, 35°54’ 13.8” E, montane, 1940 m asl, plot 1, sample 1 of 3, 16 Oct. 2000.

Type locality

TANZANIA: Iringa Region, Iringa District, Udzungwa Mts, New Dabaga/Ulangambi FR, 08°04’ 5.7” S, 35°54’ 18.8” E, montane, 1930–1950 m asl.

Description (male)

DIAMETER. 1.6–1.9 mm, 41–43 podous rings.

COLOUR. After 12 years in alcohol yellowish, with dark spots at ozopores and paramedian dark dorsal bands flanking a mid-dorsal light stripe.

ANAL VALVES. Each with a long, slightly curving dorsal spine and a well-developed, triangular ventral one; marginal rim raised, no setiferous tubercles.

LIMBUS. With rounded - triangular, longitudinally furrowed denticles separated by parabolic sinuses, lobes ca. as long as wide, striate on external surface.

TARSAL SETATION. Normal.

GONOPOD COXA ( Figs 7 , 9 , 27 ). Almost 4 × as long as wide. Lateral margin regularly convex from base up to just below level of prl, at this place turning slightly laterad and forming blunt, rounded angle with oblique apical margin; cucullus (cu) hence subtriangular, apically rounded. Metaplical flange (mf) ending in long, triangular process pointing anteriad-mesad-distad; metaplical mesal margin straight up to level of arculus. Metaplical shelf (ms) forming subrectangular-rounded process just distal to arculus, followed by triangular incision separating cucullus from basal part of metaplica. ms simple, proximally stout, continuing in metaplical shelf-spine (mss) with no clear demarcation. mss medium long, originating from anterior-distal surface of ms, first projecting distad, then curving mesad, and then slightly basad.

GONOPOD TELOPODITE ( Figs 8A , 27 ). Solenomere with a small, irregular proximal spine (ps). Telomere

distally with two branches:

• a large anterior lamella dividing into two triangular lobes (al1 and al2) with strongly laciniate margins; basalmost lobe (al2) folded laterad and in situ visible in front of opposite coxa,

• a large posterior lamella (pl) first directed distad then folding back and delimiting an empty space together with al2.

Distribution and habitat

Known only from Udzungwa Mts, New Dabaga/Ulangambi FR. Altitudinal range: 1800–1955 m asl. Habitat: montane forest.

Coexisting species

C. gracilior sp. nov., C. mwabvui sp. nov., C. nectarinia sp. nov., C. netus sp. nov., C. teres sp. nov. and C. vilici sp. nov. were found in the same samples as C. termini sp. nov. In addition, C. dabagaensis , C. krai sp. nov., C. malleolus sp. nov. and C. vandenspiegeli sp. nov. occur in New Dabaga/Ulangambi FR.

Figures

Fig. 7. Gonopod coxa terminology, left coxa of Chaleponcus termini sp. nov., mesal(-posterior) view. cu = cucullus, mf = anteriad metaplical flange, mfp = metaplical flange process, ms = metaplical shelf, mss = metaplical shelf-spine, prl = proplical lobe.

Fig. 8. Gonopod telopodite terminology. — A. Left telopodite of Chaleponcus termini sp. nov., posterior view. White oval = basomere, blue oval = torsotope, red oval = telomere, yellow = solenomere (slm), green = proximal spine of solenomere (ps), pxl = proximal lobe of telomere, st = main stem of telomere, st’ = shallow lobe of st. B–C. Torsotope (left gonopod) with torsotope process (tp). B. C. vilici sp. nov., mesal-anterior view. C. C. netus sp. nov., posterior view. D. Solenomere (C. dabagaensis) to show longitudinal fluting. E. Tip of solenomere (C. netus sp. nov.) to show spinulation. Scales: 0.1 mm (A– D), 0.01 mm (E).

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. 27. Chaleponcus termini sp. nov., gonopods. A. Right gonopod, posterior view. B. Right gonopod, anterior view. C. Left telopodite, mesal-ventral view. D. Left coxite, mesal view. E. Right telopodite, anterior-ventral view. al1, al2 = anterior telomeral lobe, cu = cucullus, mf = metaplical flange, ms = metaplical shelf, mss = metaplical shelf-spine, pl = posterior telomeral lamella, ps = proximal spine on solenomere. Scales 0.1 mm.