Chaleponcus nectarinia, 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 : 39-41

Chaleponcus nectarinia sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CA316ECB-0AD5-450C-B2A8-ED38EEE4DA87

Figs 6 , 9 , 20

Diagnosis

Medium-sized. Gonopod coxa ( Fig. 9 ) without a lateral process; metaplical shelf-spine long. Telomere with characteristically shaped posterior lamella divided into a horizontal lobe with spinose edges and a long, straight, distal spine-like part.

Etymology

The name (noun in apposition) refers to the somewhat sunbird (Nectarinia)-like profile of the gonopod coxal tip.

Material studied (total: 6 ♂♂)

Holotype

TANZANIA: ♂, Iringa Region, Iringa District, Udzungwa Mts, New Dabaga / Ulangambi FR, 08°03’ 34.9” S, 35°54’ 41.9” E, montane, 1955 m asl, plot 24, casual, 2 Nov. 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: 2 ♂♂, 08°03’ 34.9” S, 35°54’ 41.9” E, montane, 1955 m asl, plot 24, casual, 2 Nov. 2000; 1 ♂, 08°03’ 39.9” S, 35°54’ 41.9” E, montane, 1945 m asl, plot 24, 29 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; 1 ♂, 08°04’ 05.7” S, 35°54’ 18.8” E, montane, 1930-1950 m asl, plot 1, casual, 16–19 Oct. 2000.

Type locality

TANZANIA: Iringa Region, Iringa District, Udzungwa Mts, New Dabaga/Ulangambi FR, 08°03’ 34.9” S, 35°54’ 41.9” E, montane, 1955 m asl.

Description (male)

DIAMETER. 2.3–2.4 mm, 48–49 podous rings.

COLOUR. After 13 years in alcohol still with a broad light middorsal band, dorsolaterally dark brownish, laterally brownish-yellow.

ANAL VALVES ( Fig. 6A, E ). Each with a long, slightly curving dorsal spine and a well-developed, triangular ventral one; marginal rim raised, setiferous tubercles well developed, on ‘ravelins’.

LIMBUS. With long, triangular, apically rounded lobes; lobes ca. twice as long as broad, striate on external surface.

TARSAL SETATION. Normal.

GONOPOD COXA ( Figs 9 , 20 ). About 4 × as long as wide. Lateral margin slightly convex, continuous with convex apical margin; cucullus (cu) hence regularly rounded; proplical lobe in anterior view hidden by projecting baso-mesal corner of cucullus. Metaplical flange ending in approximately equilateral triangular process (mfp); metaplical mesal margin basally shallowly concave, with semicircular incision at level of arculus. Metaplical shelf (ms) projecting mainly mesad, with approximately right-angled meso-posterior corner. Metaplical shelf-spine (mss) medium length, arising from distal surface of ms, first directed apicad, then curving mesad almost in one plane, tip pointing meso-basad.

GONOPOD TELOPODITE ( Fig. 20 ). Solenomere with a long, gently curved, proximal spine (ps) originating

next to a wrinkled area. Telomere distally with two branches, both curving anteriad:

• a broad anterior lamella (al) with approximately smooth edges,

• a slender posterior lamella (pl) dividing into a long apicad spine and an anteriad lobe with spinose edge.

Distribution and habitat

Known only from New Dabaga/Ulangambi FR. Altitudinal range: 1930–1955 m asl. Habitat: montane forest.

Coexisting species

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

Note

The posterior telomeral lamella of C. nectarinia sp. nov. is remarkably similar to the anterior lamella in C. krai sp. nov., cf. note in the general description of the C. dabagaensis group.

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. 20. Chaleponcus nectarinia sp. nov., gonopods. A. Right gonopod, posterior (-lateral) view. B. Right gonopod, anterior view. C. Tip of posterior lamella of telomere. D. Left gonopod, mesal (-posterior) view. E. Right gonopod, mesal view. al = anterior lobe of telomere, cu = cucullus, mfp = metaplical flange process, ms = metaplical shelf, mss = metaplical shelf-spine, pl = posterior lobe of telomere, ps = proximal spine of solenomere. Scales 0.1 mm.