Eviulisoma dabagaense Kraus, 1958

Enghoff, Henrik, 2018, A mountain of millipedes VII: The genus Eviulisoma Silvestri, 1910, in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania, and related species from other Eastern Arc Mountains. With notes on Eoseviulisoma Brolemann, 1920, and Suohelisoma Hoffman, 1963 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 445, pp. 1-90 : 47-48

Eviulisoma dabagaense Kraus, 1958

Figs 6E , 22

Eviulisoma dabagaense Kraus, 1958: 2 (holotype (not studied) in the Überseemuseum Bremen).

Diagnosis

Differs from other species of the E. dabagaense group by the combination of a gonopod coxa without a distolateral process and a parallel-margined map with two strong apical denticles and several smaller ones on the dorsal margin.

Material studied (total: 5 ♂♂)

TANZANIA: 1 ♂, Iringa Region, Iringa District, New Dabaga/ Ulangambi FR , 08°06′47.4″ S, 38°56′50.4″ E, montane, 1800 m a.s.l., Plot MS–Plot A, 9 Nov. 2000, Frontier Tanzania leg. (near topotype) ( ZMUC); 3 ♂♂, Iringa Region, Udzungwa Scarp FR, above Chita Village , 1600–1650 m a.s.l., 8–13 Nov. 1984, pitfall traps in montane rain forest, N. Scharff leg. ( ZMUC); 1 ♂, Kitungulu FR , 1500 m a.s.l., 08°09′ S, 36°05′ E, forest, Jan.1996, M. Andersen, P. Gravlund and A. Jakobsen leg. ( ZMUC); 3 ♀♀, tentatively referred to this species, same collection data as preceding ( ZMUC).

Descriptive notes (male)

SIZE. Length 17–18 mm, max. width 1.8–2.1 mm.

COLOUR. After 17–33 years in alcohol overall colour of body, antennae and legs whitish. Occipital region of head, as well as collum, light brown. Dorsal half of posterior ¾ of metazonites also light brown, making entire animal transversely striped.

ANTENNAE. Reaching back to middle of ring 4.

BODY RINGS. Paranota represented by a tiny keel on ring 2 (as Fig. 4C ), otherwise completely absent. Stricture between pro- and metazonite smooth or indistinctly striolate. A transverse row of setae on all body rings.

HYPOPROCT. Rounded trapezoidal, without distinct tubercles.

LEGS. Length 1.3–1.5× body width. Relative lengths of podomeres: femur> prefemur = tarsus> tibia> postfemur. Scopulae on anterior legs on femur, postfemur, tibia and tarsus, disappearing from femur and postfemur on posterior legs.

STERNUM 5. A trapezoidal process between legs 4 ( Fig. 6E ).

STERNUM 6. Deeply excavated, rim simple.

GONOPODS ( Fig. 22 ). Coxa without a lateral process; coxal lobe (cxl) small. Prefemoral part (prf) ca 0.25 × as long as acropodite; mesal acropodital process (map) large, lamelloid, straight, with parallel margins, tip of process with two strong denticles, a few smaller denticles distally on dorsal margin; solenophore (sph) a rolled sheet, less than ⅔ as long as map, forming a tube with two small apical denticles and a slender process (sph-p) ca at mid-length.

Distribution and habitat

Known from three forest reserves in the western Udzungwas (New Dabaga/ Ulamgambi FR, Kiranzi/ Kitungulu FR, Udzungwa Scarp FR). Altitudinal range 1500–2100 m a.s.l. (upper limit according to Kraus 1958). Habitat: montane rain forest (studied specimens) and semi-rainforest ( Kraus 1958). Collected together with E. navuncus sp. nov. and E. nessiteras sp. nov. in Kitungulu / Kiranzi FR.

Remarks

The studied near-topotype agrees completely with the original description ( Kraus 1958); a side-by-side comparison with the holotype was therefore deemed unnecessary. Several juveniles with a colour pattern like that of E. dabagaense were found in samples from New Dabaga-Ulangambi FR containing no males of E. dabagaense , but one or several males of the entirely pallid E. ottokrausi sp. nov. Although a safe identification of these juveniles cannot be made, they probably belong to E. dabagaense .

Figures

Fig. 4. Eviulisoma spp. A–B. E. paradisiacum sp. nov., ♂. A. Head and rings 1–8, lateral view. B. Head and collum, frontal view. C. E. Zebra sp. nov., ♂, head and rings 1–3, lateral view. Abbreviation: pn = paranotum. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Fig. 6. Eviulisoma spp., male sternum 5 with lobe between 4th legs and sternum 6 with excavation. A–B. E. ejti sp. nov., paratype, sternum 5 and 6. A. Ventral view. B. Sub-posterior view. C. E. acaciae sp. nov., paratype, sternum 6, ventral view. D–F. Sternum 5 lobe, posterior view. D. E. chitense sp. nov., paratype. E. E. dabagaense Kraus, 1958, specimen from Udzungwa Scarp FR, above Chita Village. F. E. coxale sp. nov., specimen from Mito Mitatu. Abbreviation: am = amorphous mass. Scale bars: A–C = 0.2 mm; D = 0.05 mm; E–F = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 22. Eviulisoma dabagaense Kraus, 1958. A–C. Topotype, ♂, left gonopod. A. Mesal view. B. Lateral view. C. Ventral view. D–F. ♂ from Udzungwa Scarp FR, above Chita Village, right gonopod. D. Ventrolateral view. E. Sternal lobe between legs 4. F. Subdorsal view, emphasizing solenophore. Abbreviations: cxl = coxal lobe; map = mesal acropodital process; prf = prefemur; slm = solenomere; sph = solenophore; sph-p = slender process from sph. Scale bars: A–E: 0.1 mm; F = 0.05 mm.