Epanerchodus jaegeri, Golovatch, S. I., 2014

Golovatch, S. I., 2014, Review of the millipede genus Epanerchodus Attems, 1901 in continental China, with descriptions of new species (Diplopoda: Polydesmidae), Zootaxa 3760 (2), pp. 275-288 : 278-281

Epanerchodus jaegeri sp. nov.

Figs 7–11

Material examined: Holotype male ( SMF), China, Shaanxi Prov., Taibaishan Mts, S slopes, above Houzhenzi, secondary broadleaved forest, 1300–1700 m a.s.l., 107°50’E, 33°51’N, 0 8.06.1997, leg. P. Jäger and B. & J. Martens. Paratypes: 1 female ( SMF), same locality, together with holotype; 3 females ( SMF), same locality, secondary broadleaved forest with bamboo as undergrowth, 2500–2800 m a.s.l., 28– 29.06.1997, leg. J. Martens & P. Jäger; 1 female, 5 juveniles ( SMF), same locality, broadleaved to Rhododendron forest, 3050 m a.s.l., 14 & 15.06.1997, leg. P. Jäger and B. & J. Martens; 1 female ( SMF), same locality, near Taibai, sieving in Rhododendron forest, 3050 m a.s.l., 12 & 13.06.1997, leg. P. Jäger and B. & J. Martens.

Name: Honours Peter Jäger ( SMF), one of the main collectors.

Diagnosis: Differs from congeners by the rather large size (width up to nearly 3.0 mm), coupled with the subequally wide head and collum, the presence of sphaerotrichomes on male femora, postfemora, tibiae and tarsi, the slender endomere and a suppressed exomere. See also Key below.

Description: Length of holotype ca 21 mm, of female paratypes 20–23 mm; width of pro- and metazona in holotype 1.6 and 2.6 mm, respectively, in female paratypes 1.7–1.8 and 2.7–2.9 mm, respectively. Coloration in alcohol rather uniformly light grey-brown ( Figs 7–9 ). Body with 20 segments. Tegument mainly shining, texture very delicately alveolate. Head very densely pilose throughout, with squarish genae. Antennae rather long and only slightly clavate due to highest antennomere 6 (height measured from the lower to the higher edge) ( Fig. 7 ), either slightly overreaching segment 3 dorsally (male) or slightly shorter (female); antennomere 3 longest, ca 1.3 longer than subequal antennomeres 4–6; 5th and 6th each with a small, compact, distodorsal group of bacilliform sensilla; antennomere 7 with a minute dorsoparabasal cone and a distodorsal group of microscopic sensilla.

In width, head = collum <segments 2 = 3 <4 <5=16, thereafter body gradually tapering towards telson ( Fig. 8 ). Paraterga strongly developed, set high (at about upper ¼ of midbody height), starting from collum, male dorsum very faintly, female one a little more strongly, convex; male paraterga mostly very weakly upturned to reach level of dorsum, in female subhorizontal to slightly declivous and always lying slightly below a faintly convex dorsum, drawn clearly forward only on metatergum 2. Caudolateral corner of postcollum paraterga spiniform, extending increasingly beyond rear tergal margin, especially clearly so in segments 16–18. All poreless segments with three, all pore-bearing ones with four, minute incisions at lateral margin. Front edges of metaterga slightly bordered and upturned, straight, usually forming a distinct shoulder. Pore formula normal, ozopores evident, dorsal, located in front of posteriormost marginal indentation. Metatergal sculpture typical, well-developed, with three transverse rows of setiferous, polygonal bosses ( Figs 7 & 8 ). Tergal setae very short, mostly obliterate and retained only on collum. Stricture between pro- and metazona wide, shallow and smooth. Limbus very thin, microdenticulate. Pleurosternal carinae absent. Epiproct rather short, conical, pre-apical lateral papillae very evident ( Figs 8 ). Hypoproct semi-circular; caudal, paramedian, setiferous papillae small and well-separated.

Sterna without modifications, densely (male) or poorly (female) setose. Legs generally rather long and slender, slightly incrassate in male compared to female ( Figs 7–10 ), ca 1.7–1.8 (male) or 1.5–1.6 times (female) as long as midbody height, male prefemora clearly bulging laterad, like coxae beset ventrally with bi- or trifid setae turning into short sphaerotrichomes on femora, postfemora, tibiae and tarsi ( Fig. 10 ).

Gonopods ( Fig. 11 ) with large, subquadrate coxae strongly fused medially at base and carrying a few long setae ventrally. Telopodite elongated, slender, subfalcate, prefemoral (densely setose) portion almost half as long as entire telopodite; seminal groove running mesally over most of its extent, only distally moving frontally to recurve first laterad and then a little basad at base of a somewhat shorter, more complex endomere (en), exomere absent; en beset with rather long, bacilliform setae placed on a rounded hump in distal third, apex subacuminate; both a rather small, rounded lobe (s) and a short process (p) at base of en.

Remarks. This species occurs sympatrically, often even syntopically with the one described just below. However, both are easily distinguished by the considerably larger body and broader collum, as well as by the lack of bulging male prefemora and sphaerotrichomes in E. martensi sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 9. Epanerchodus jaegeri sp. nov., holotype. 7: habitus, dorsal view. 8: posterior body part, dorsal view. 9: segments 6 – 9, ventral view. Pictures by K. Makarov, not taken to scale.

FIGURES 10 & 11. Epanerchodus jaegeri sp. nov., holotype. 10: leg 7, lateral view. 11: right gonopod, mesal view. Scale bars: 10, 0.5 mm; 11, 0.2 mm.