Chaleponcus netus, 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 : 17-20

Chaleponcus netus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:244DB18B-A3BC-43C6-9B7F-B1C309C14737

Figs 4 , 8–11 , 34

Diagnosis

Medium-sized. Differs from all other group members by the presence of a long, gently curved, longitudinally fluted spine (pxs) on the proximal lobe of the telomere. The profile of the coxa ( Fig. 9 ) is also distinctive, as is the spine-like tip of the anterior lamella (al) of the telomere.

Etymology

The name is a Latin adjective meaning ”woven” or ”knit” and refers to the intricately interwoven gonopod telopodites.

Material studied (total: 66 ♂♂)

Holotype

TANZANIA: ♂, Iringa Region, Iringa District, Udzungwa Mts, New Dabaga / Ulangambi FR, 08°00’ 26.6” S, 35°56’ 06.1” E, montane forest, 1910 m asl, plot Kinyonga, casual, 24 Oct. 2000, Frontier Tanzania ( ZMUC).

Paratypes

All from TANZANIA, Iringa Region, Iringa District, Udzungwa Mts, all collected by Frontier Tanzania, all in ZMUC: New Dabaga/Ulangambi FR: 9 ♂♂, 08°05’34.5” S, 35°55’ 31.5” E, montane, 1800 – 1900 m asl, plot 16, casual, 15–16 Nov. 2000; 3 ♂♂, 08°00’ 26.6” S, 35°56’ 06.1” E, montane forest, 1910 m asl, plot Kinyonga, casual, 24 Oct. 2000; 1 ♂, 08°00’ 26.5” S, 35°56’ 06.1” E, scrub/thicket/bush, 1908 m asl, plot Kinyonga, 19 Oct. 2000. West Kilombero Scarp FR: 1 ♂, 07°50’ 38.4” S, 36°22’ 17.6” E, montane forest, 1390 m asl, plot Paradiso, 12 Nov. 2000; 6 ♂♂, 07°50’ 38.4” S, 36°22’ 17.6” E, montane forest, 1390 – 1410 m asl, plot Paradiso, 18 Nov. 2000; 2 ♂♂, 08°04’ 05.6” S, 35°54’ 20.4” E, montane, 1930 m asl, plot 6, sample 1 of 3, 28 Oct. 2000; 2 ♂♂, 08°04’ 05.6” S, 35°54’ 20.4” E, montane, 1930 m asl, plot 6, sample 2 of 3, 27 Oct. 2000; 1 ♂, 08°04’ 05.6” S, 35°54’ 20.4” E, montane, 1930 m asl, plot 6, sample 3 of 3, 27 Oct. 2000; 2 ♂♂, 08°03’ 39.9” S, 35°54’ 41.9” E, montane, 1945 m asl, plot 24, 29 Oct. 2000; 16 ♂♂, 08°03’ 34.9” S, 35°54’ 41.9” E, montane, 1955 m asl, plot 24, casual, 2 Nov. 2000; 2 ♂♂, 08°03’ 39.9” S, 35°54’ 41.9” E, montane, 1963 m asl, plot 24, sample 1 of 3, 28 Oct. 2000; 3 ♂♂, montane, 1800 – 1955 m asl, plot MS, plot A, 29 Oct. 2000; 17 ♂♂, 07°50’ 38.4” S, 36°22’ 17.6” E, montane forest, 1390 – 1410 m asl, plot Paradiso, 12–18 Nov. 2000.

Type locality

TANZANIA: Iringa Region, Iringa District, Udzungwa Mts, New Dabaga/Ulangambi FR, 08°00’ 26.6” S, 35°56’ 06.1” E, montane forest, 1910 m asl.

Description (male)

DIAMETER. 1.9–2.3 mm, 41–45 podous rings.

COLOUR. After 12 years in alcohol pale yellowish, with paramedian dark bands flanking a broad middorsal light stripe, a narrow blackish lateral stripe at ozopore level.

ANAL VALVES. Each with a long, slightly curving dorsal spine and a small to well-developed, triangular ventral one; marginal rim raised, setiferous tubercles on small ‘ravelins’.

LIMBUS ( Fig. 4C ). With almost equilateral triangular lobes with rounded, spinulose tips, separated by parabolic sinuses; lobes striate on external surface.

TARSAL SETATION. Normal.

GONOPOD COXA ( Figs 9–11 ). About 4 × as long as wide. Lateral margin very shallowly convex from base up to beyond level of prl and ms, then curving lateral and together with apical margin forming blunt, disto-lateral process of cucullus; main part of cucullus subrectangular in anterior view. Metaplical flange (mf) ending in blunt process; metaplical mesal margin straight up to level of arculus, then abruptly turning mesad at ca. 130° angle (base of mss), then turning apicad at ca. right angles. Metaplical shelf (ms) regularly rounded, projecting posteriad as well as mesad. Metaplical shelf-spine (mss) originating from anterior-mesal end of ms, very long, first directed apicad, then mesad and apically slightly obliquely distad, in situ crossing over with opposite mss.

GONOPOD TELOPODITE ( Figs 8 , 10–11 ). Solenomere with a very long, gently curved proximal spine (ps) set in a socket with more or less spinulose rim; sometimes a tiny denticle (ps2) at base of ps. Proximal lobe of telomere (pxl) with a long, gently curved, longitudinally fluted spine (pxs). Telomere distally with three branches:

• an S-shaped anterior lamella (al), broad at base, then narrowing and ending in curved spine-like tip, • a large, irregularly shaped intermediate lamella (il),

• a small, rounded posterior lamella (pl).

Distribution and habitat

Known from New Dabaga/Ulangambi FR and West Kilombero FR, Udzungwa Mts. Altitudinal range: 1390 – 1963 m asl. Habitat: montane forest; one sample from scrub/thicket/bush.

Coexisting species

In New Dabaga/Ulangambi FR C. dabagaensis , C. gracilior sp. nov., C. malleolus sp. nov., C. mwabvui sp. nov., C. nectarinia sp. nov., C. termini sp. nov., C. vandenspiegeli sp. nov. and C. vilici sp. nov. were found in the same samples as C. netus sp. nov. In addition, C. krai sp. nov. and C. teres sp. nov. were found in New Dabaga/Ulangambi FR. In West Kilombero Scarp FR C. circumvallatus sp. nov. was found in the same sample as C. netus sp. nov. In addition, C. basiliscus sp. nov., C. gracilior sp. nov., C. ibis sp. nov., and C. tintin sp. nov. were found in West Kilombero Scarp FR.

Figures

Fig. 4. Limbus types in Chaleponcus species, SEM micrographs, external view, except I: internal view. — A. Lobes pointed, more than twice as long as broad (C. scopus sp. nov.). B. Lobes pointed, slightly less than twice as long as broad (C. howelli sp. nov.). C. Lobes pointed, almost equilateral triangles (C. netus sp. nov.), D. Lobes rounded, slightly longer than broad (C. dabagaensis Kraus, 1958). E. Lobes broadly rounded, slightly shorter than broad (C. hamerae sp. nov.). F. Lobes spatulate (C. gracilior sp. nov.). G. Lobes rounded, broader than long, spinose, ridged (C. krai sp. nov.). H. Lobes ca. 3 times as broad as high, rounded, spinose (C. teres sp. nov.). I. Lobes rounded, much broader than high, smooth (C. malleolus sp. nov.). J. No lobes (C. circumvallatus sp. nov.). Scales: 0.01 mm (A– F, J), 0.001 mm (G–I).

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. 10. Chaleponcus netus sp. nov., left gonopod, coloured. — A. Posterior view. B. Ventral view. Orange = coxite, blue = torsotope, yellow = solenomere (slm), green = proximal spine of solenomere (ps), pink = telomere. pxs = spine on proximal telomeral lobe, st = main stem of telomere. Scales 0.1 mm.

Fig. 11. Chaleponcus netus sp. nov., gonopods. — A. Gonopods, anterior view. B. Left coxite, mesal view. C. Base of proximal solenomere spine (ps) with spinose socket. D. Right gonopod, anterior (and slightly mesal) view. E. Left gonopod telopodite, posterior view. F. Base of proximal solenomere spine (ps) in a different individual, with denticle (ps2). al = anterior lamella of telomere, il = intermediate lamella of telomere, mfp = metaplical flange process, ms = metaplical shelf, mss = metaplical shelfspine, pl = posterior lamella of telomere, ps = proximal spine of solenomere, ps2 = additional proximal spine of solenomere, pxl = proximal lobe of telomere, pxs = spine on proximal lobe of telomere. Scales: 0.1 mm (A–B, D–E), 0.05 mm (C, F).

Fig. 34. Intercalary cuticular microscutes in Chaleponcus spp. A. C. netus sp. nov. B. C. tintin sp. nov. C–D. C. nikolajscharffi sp. nov. Fig. D shows fungus-like outgrowths from scutes. Scales 0.001 mm.