Eviulisoma ejti, Enghoff, 2018

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 : 34-36

Eviulisoma ejti sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8 DAFBA5 D-17C5-49 A 6- A 290-D0D540D1295F

Figs 6A–B , 7C , 16

Diagnosis

Differs from other species of the E. kwabuniense group by map being apically shaped like a narrow, slightly hooked spoon and at ca ¾ of its length having a side branch, in combination with a spinose iap and a solenophore with a large, hooked dorsal lobe.

Etymology

The species name honours the European Journal of Taxonomy (EJT), in recognition of its immense importance for the dissemination of taxonomic research in Europe, and beyond.

Material studied (total: 5 ♂♂)

Holotype

TANZANIA: ♂, Iringa District, Udzungwa Scarp FR , 11 km SE of Masisiwe Village, Kihanga Stream , 1800 m a.s.l., 08°22′05.7″ S, 35°58′41.6″ E, 17–27 May 1997, ZMUC and SI Exp. leg. ( ZMUC).

Paratypes

TANZANIA: 4 ♂♂, same collection data as for holotype ( ZMUC).

Referred non-type material

TANZANIA: 1 ♀, tentatively referred to this species, same collection data as for holotype ( ZMUC).

Description (male)

SIZE. Length 15 mm, max. width 1.5 mm.

COLOUR. After 20 years in alcohol uniformly light yellowish brown, a little darker dorsally.

ANTENNAE. Reaching back to middle of ring 3.

BODY RINGS. Paranota completely absent. Stricture between pro- and metazonite clearly striolate. A transverse row of setae on all body rings, but many setae abraded.

HYPOPROCT. Large, trapezoid, almost rectangular, with three prominent marginal tubercles.

LEGS. Length = body width. Relative lengths of podomeres: prefemur = femur> tarsus> tibia> postfemur. Scopulae ( Fig. 7C ) on femur, postfemur, tibia and tarsus, present until last pair of legs, although less dense posteriorly.

STERNUM 5. A trapezoid process, slanting anteriad, between legs 4 ( Fig. 6 A –B ).

STERNUM 6. Deeply excavated. Rim of excavation simple ( Fig. 6 A –B ).

GONOPODS ( Fig. 16 ). Coxal lobe (cxl) prominent. Prefemoral part (prf) ca 0.4× as long as acropodite. Mesal acropodital process (map) stout, straight, apically divided into long, narrowly spoon-shaped, slightly hooked branch and short, rounded-triangular side branch. Intermediate acropodital process (iap) almost as long as map, very slender, straight, densely spinose. Solenophore (sph) very large, ca 0.8× as long as map, deeply divided into relatively broad, mesally concave, apically hooked dorsal process (sph-d) and much shorter, long, lamelloid ventral process (sph-v), a very short lamelloid process between sph-d and sph-v.

Distribution and habitat

Known only from the Udzungwa Scarp FR, 11 km SE of Masisiwe Village, Kihanga Stream, 1800 m a.s.l.

Figures

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. 7. Eviulisoma spp., scopulae on postfemur (pof), femur (fe), tibia (ti) and tarsus (ta) of male legs. A. E. paradisiacum sp. nov., paratype. B, D. E. cetafi sp. nov., paratype. C. E. ejti sp. nov., paratype. E–F. E. coxale sp. nov., paratype from Mito Mitatu. Scale bars: A, C, E = 0.05 mm; B, F = 0.01 mm; D = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 16. Eviulisoma ejti sp. nov., paratype, left gonopod. A. Mesal view. B. Lateral view. C. Ventral view. D. Dorsal view. Aluminium tape used for mounting visible in lower left corner of A and D. Abbreviations: cxl = coxal lobe; iap = intermediate acropodital process; map = mesal acropodital process; prf = prefemoral part; slm = solenomere; sph-d, sph-i, sph-v = dorsal, intermediate and ventral lobes of solenophore. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.