Chaleponcus altirungwensis, Enghoff, 2017

Enghoff, Henrik, 2017, A new species of the Chaleponcus dabagaensis - group from Mount Rungwe, Tanzania-support for an extended concept of the Eastern Arc Mountains (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Odontopygidae), Zootaxa 4353 (2), pp. 389-392 : 389-391

Chaleponcus altirungwensis sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

Diagnosis. A species of the C. dabagaensis group, differing from congeners by several gonopodal characters including a furrowed ‘fistlike’ mesal process subdistally on the gonopod coxa and a backwards-bent solenomere tip.

Etymology. The name is a composite adjective and refers to the type locality at high altitude on Mount Rungwe.

Material studied (total: 6 ♂♂, 8 ♀♀, 6 juv.)

Holotype: ♂ TANZANIA, Mount Rungwe SW, 1900 m, 20.viii.1980, in soil, M. Stoltze & N. Scharff leg. ( ZMUC).

Paratypes: 5 ♂♂, same data as holotype, in pit fall traps and in soil ( ZMUC).

Additional non-type material: 8 ♀♀, 6 juv., same data as holotype, in pit fall trap, in soil, in litter, under bark.

Description. SIZE. Length. 22–26 mm (males), max. 30 mm (females). Diameter 1.57–1.80 mm (males), max. 2.04 mm (females). 43–46 podous rings, no apodous rings in front of telson.

COLOUR. Somewhat faded after 37 years in alcohol, brownish yellow, darker dorsolaterally, with a contrasting broad light dorsal longitudinal stripe and a narrow dark line at ozopore level.

ANAL VALVES with a small dorsal spine, no ventral spine (in this respect similar to C. mwabvui Enghoff, 2014 (fig. 6C in Enghoff 2014 1); setiferous tubercles not prominent, on small extensions of the marginal ridge (‘ravelins’).

LIMBUS ( Fig. 1 G ) divided into almost equilateral rounded-triangular lobes.

GONOPOD COXA ( Fig. 1 A–D ). About 3 × as long as wide. Lateral margin with two shallow concavities, at ca. ¾ of its length with short, blunt lateral process (lp). Cucullus (cu) irregularly quadrangular, with almost right-angled apicolateral, apico-mesal and baso-mesal corners, mesal half of cucullus projecting freely. Metaplical flange (mf) ending in rather long process (mfp, Fig. 1 D ). Mesal margin of metaplica (mp) with concavity at level of arculus. Metaplical shelf (ms) prominent, regularly rounded, projecting mesad. Metaplical shelf-spine (mss) originating from proximal (lateral) part of shelf, of medium length, shallowly sigmoid, projecting mesad. A longitudinally furrowed “fistlike” process (fp) ( Fig. 1 A, C ) projecting mesad between ms and cu.

GONOPOD TELOPODITE ( Fig. 1 A, B, E, F ). Solenomere (slm) without a proximal spine, subapically fluted, tip bent 180° backwards, with two rounded “bumps” in bend ( Fig. 1 F ). Telomere small, much shorter than solenomere, distally divided into four closely juxtaposed branches:

- two laminar branches (tm1, tm2) which overlap distally, leaving a teardrop-shaped opening between their bases, - a third laminar branch (tm3) which is closely appressed to the tips of tm1 and tm2. This branch (tm3’) terminates in

a slender process (tm3’) which is freely projecting in some specimens, but tucked in between tm 1–3 in figured

specimen (due to shrinkage during preparation for SEM?)

- a slender branch (tm4) originating between base of tm1–3 and base of solenomere and projecting further distad than

the other branches (more or less parallel to tm3’ when this process is projecting freely).

Figures

FIGURE 1.Chaleponcus altirungwensis sp. nov., paratype.A–F.Right gonopod.A.Posterior view.B. Anterior view.C. Close-up of “fistlike” process (rotated 45° relative to A). D. Close-up of metaplical flange withits process (mfp). E. Telopodite (and apical part of coxa, visiblealong top edge of image),latero-posterior view.F.Tip of solenomere.G.Limbus.cu= cucullus,fp =“fistlike” process,lp = lateral process, mf = metaplical flange, mfp = metaplical flange process, mp = metaplica, ms = metaplical shelf, mss = metaplical shelf-spine, slm = solenomere, tm1–4 = telomere branches, tm3’ = terminal process of tm3. Scales 0.1 mm (A, B, D), 0.05 mm (E), 0.02 mm (C), 0.01 mm (F).