Megaphyllum (Parancistrum) serratum (Verhoeff, 1898)

Vagalinski, Boyan, Lazányi, Eszter & Golovatch, Sergei, 2013, Redescription of the subgenus Parancistrum Verhoeff, 1943, an eastern Mediterranean lineage of the millipede genus Megaphyllum Verhoeff, 1894 (Diplopoda: Julida: Julidae: Brachyiulini), Zootaxa 3734 (5), pp. 501-520 : 508-510

Megaphyllum (Parancistrum) serratum (Verhoeff, 1898)

Figs 19–22

Brachyiulus serratus Verhoeff, 1898: 297 –298, fig. 7. Brachyiulus serratus: Verhoeff 1923: 131 .

Chromatoiulus serratus: Attems 1927: 229 –230, figs 301–302. Chromatoiulus (Phauloiulus) serratus: Attems 1940: 307 . Megaphyllum serratum: Enghoff 2006: 183 .

Material examined. MNKB: Cat. No. 2265, syntypes 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 1 juv.; Verhoeff syntype slide No. 1201: gonopods + leg-pair 2.

Diagnosis. Differs from M. curvifolii , M. genezarethanum , M. tenenbaumi , and M. arcuatum sp. n. by the serrated, rather than smooth, anterior opisthomere process; and from M. turcicum by the narrow posterior opisthomere process which is slightly shorter than solenomere, as opposed to the same process being very wide, higher than solenomere in the latter species.

Descriptive notes. According to Verhoeff’s (1898) original description, this species seems to be comparable in size with M. transsylvanicum . However, the examined specimens proved to be considerably smaller: male in developmental stadium XII, 52+1+T, body length 29 mm, height 1.7 mm; female in stadium XII–XIII, 48+1+T, length 33 mm, height 2.2 mm. 20 labral setae. Collum with 4–5 shallow striae near posterolateral corner; male mandibular stipites fairly large, protruding mostly ventrad, with a rounded infero-anterior corner. Ozopores placed just behind suture between pro- and metazona, slightly sinuous in anterior body rings; male pleurotergum 7 almost unmodified, only its ventral metazonal edge slightly convex. Metazona deeply striated, with 10 striae in a square with sides equal to metazonal length just below ozopore level; metazonal hind margins densely pilose. Pre-anal process directed slightly ventrad, rather short, strongly robust, surpassed by longest setae on anal valves. Subanal scale triangular, pointed, protruding by ca 1/3 of its length behind anal valves’ rear contour in the male, blunt, not protruding in the female. Anal valves densely setose, with a distinct row of short, stiff setae along caudal margin of each valve.

Gonopods: Promere ( Fig. 20 and P in Fig. 19 ) ca 2 times longer than broad, with a rounded incision at distolateral margin; median groove (g) very deep and narrow, tightly subtending opisthomere in situ. Flagellum considerably longer than promere. Opisthomere ( Figs 19, 21 ) with a narrow, slightly tapering, posterior process (pp), with several blunt teeth at distomesal margin; a flattened, mesad deviating, anterior process (ap) with a serrated apical part; and a slender, tubular solenomere (s) with a finger-like anterior protrusion (asp). Promere in situ considerably shorter than opisthomere; promere-opisthomere connection exceptionally strong due to a chitinous knot at their bases, similar to those normally observed between promeres of most julids.

Vulvae ( Fig. 22 ) strongly asymmetric: lateral hump of bursa (lh) protruding apically high above both mesal hump (mh) and operculum. Short, rounded hyaline lamellae present apically on both bursa and operculum. Setation dense all over vulva. Shape of receptaculum (at, pa) typical of the subgenus, but smaller in relation to vulva size compared to condition observed in the other species.

Distribution. Turkey, Pernata, Inevi (type locality) (Verhoeff 1898; Enghoff 2006).

Remarks. At the present the examined individuals are all strongly faded, but, according to Verhoeff (1898), only the males have yellow-reddish dorsolateral sides which might suggest sexual dimorphism.

Figures

FIGURES 19 – 22. Megaphyllum serratum syntypes, male (19 – 21) and female (22): (19) right gonopods, mesal, slightly anterior view; (20) right promere, posterior view; (21) right opisthomere, meso-anterior view; (22) right vulva, lateroposterior view (setae omitted, receptaculum seen by transparency, but drawn with solid lines for better emphasis). Abbreviations: ap: anterior process, asp: anterior protrusion of the solenomere, at: apodematic tube, ch: central hump, ct: connecting tube, fc: flagellum channel, fl: flagellum, g: median groove, lh: lateral hump, mh: mesal hump, P: promere, pa: posterior ampulla, ph: posterior hump, pp: posterior process, r: median ridge, s: solenomere, sf: spine-like filaments. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.