Paracortina (Altum) wangi, Stoev, Pavel, 2004

Stoev, Pavel, 2004, The first troglomorphic species of the millipede genus Paracortina Wang & Zhang, 1993 from south Yunnan, China (Diplopoda: Callipodida: Paracortinidae), Zootaxa 441, pp. 1-8 : 2-6

Paracortina (Altum) wangi sp. n.

Figs 1–11 .

Material examined: Holotype: adult male; 59 pleurotergites, length ca. 55 mm, width ca. 2.0 mm; China, Yunnan, Mengzi County, Wulichong Sinkhole Cave (No 3), 0 4.01.1989, P. Beron leg. ( NMNHS) – Paratypes: 6 males, 9 females, 7 juveniles, same date, locality and collector ( NMNHS; one male, one female – ZMUC; one male – MNHN); adult male, 5 females, China, Yunnan, Mengzi County, Long Bao Pao Dong Cave, 0 7.01.1989, P. Beron leg. ( NMNHS).

Description of locality. The caves Wulichong Sinkhole and Long Bao Pao Dong are situated in the karst plateau south of Mengzi. The caves are ca. 750 m apart and, undoubtedly, represent a single cave system. They are connected through the river Wulichong, which after originating in the cave Wulichong penetrates underground and appears in the inner passages of Long Bao Pao Dong. The Bulgarian­Chinese Expedition had investigated ca. 1 320 m of the cave system, the expected length was roughly estimated at about 15 km. Associated fauna: Burmoniscus yunnanensis Do Heon Kwon & Taiti, 1993 , Spherillo raffaelei (Arcangeli, 1927) (Isopoda) ( Do Heon Kwon & Taiti, 1993); Crenatidorsus grandifoliatus (Diplopoda) (Zhang & Wang, 1993); Thereuopoda longicornis (Fabricius, 1793) (Chilopoda) ( Stoev, 2002); Gastropoda, Araneae, Orthoptera , etc. (Beron, pers. comm.).

Etymology. The species honours Daqing Wang for his contribution to the systematics of Paracortinidae .

Description. Length: adult males: 45–55 mm, adult females: 50–70 mm. Maximum width 3.0–3.5 mm, 54–60 pleurotergites + telson.

Body colour: yellow­brownish. All pleurotergites evenly yellowish, posterior margin banded darker, more evident on the anterior pleurotergites. Metazonites slightly darker than prozonites; antennae yellowish, legs yellow­brownish. Frontal part of head convex, densely covered with fine setae ( Figs 1–2 ). Stipes, cardo, the edge between the dorsal and the frontal face of the head, as well as its part below the level of antennal base marbled light brown­yellowish. Labrum dark brown. Ocellaria composed of ca. 20–25 dark ocelli in 3 rows. Tömösváry organs about six times larger than an ocellus, placed between ocellaria and antennal base ( Fig. 2 ). Antennae very long, extending beyond the posterior edge of the sixth pleurotergite when folded backward ( Fig. 1 ). Sixth and seventh pleurotergites in males strongly enlarged.

All crests well developed, forming somewhat primary and secondary rows along the body. The 5th crest is strongly pronounced resembling the paranota in certain Polydesmida ( Fig. 3 ). The 2nd and 4th crests are slightly larger than the 1st and 3rd ones. The crests below the 5th are less pronounced than the 1st to 5th. Eight crests between the ozopores on 7th pleu­

rotergite. Ozopores present from 6th pleurotegite till penultimate, placed on tip of 5th crest. Setal pattern: Table 1 .

First and 2nd leg­pairs markedly shorter, 3rd slightly shorter than subsequent legs. Tarsus of 1st–3rd leg­pair single; bi­articulated from 4th to ultimate pair. All legs ending with a very long and curved claw. Coxal sacs present from 3rd to 23rd leg pair. Coxae of 2nd leg pair with a small anterior process and posterior gonopore, the latter on a small cone. Coxa of 7th leg­pair with two processes – a long, subfalcate and apically pointed process (f), and shorter, more oval one (t) ( Fig. 6 ); in situ f protruding between the gonopods, pointing caudad. Coxae of remaining legs normal. Tarsal pads small, present from 3rd to 10th pair of legs. Hypoproct tripartite, the medial sclerite larger of all, rectangular, bearing two paramedian macrosetae. Anal valves smooth, with two pairs of macrosetae. Spinnerets comparatively thin and long, ending with a long macroseta ( Fig. 5 ).

Male gonopods ( Figs 7–10 ): sternum – uncalcified lamina between the coxae. Each coxa with two anterior processes (a & b); a very small, b about ¼ of the femoroidal length; posterior coxal process absent. Femoroid: with two prefemoroidal processes (c & d); c visibly shorter and bearing 5–10 long and curved macrosetae at its apical part; d placed laterally to c, with ca. 20 long macrosetae. Basal part of femoroidal stem yellowish in colour, heavily enlarged, with a large process (p), which usually ends with two small denticles (sometimes simple). Middle and apical part of femoroid dark brown, very slender, elongate and S ­shaped. Its terminal part heavily twisted, pointing caudad. Well­developed tooth (k) emerges distally in the upper part of the femoroidal stem; small additional tooth (n) usually present near to k, but sometimes missing. Solenomere (s) bifid; the branches equally long, sometimes parasolenomere (ps) shorter or even very small and inconspicuous; seminal grove (sg) ending in the upper branch ( Fig. 9 ).

Females: visibly larger than males, 2nd and 3rd pleurotergite heavily enlarged, 6th and 7th normal. Coxae of 7th leg pair normal, without processes. Second leg pair reduced in adult, larger females ( Fig. 11 ), normal in younger ones. Reduced legs consisting of three calcified plates – two anterior (ap), and one posterior (pp); apical part of the larger anterior plate sparsely setose ending with a small pointed tooth. Cyphopods long and retractable, terminal part divided ( Fig. 11 ).

Map. General distribution of family Paracortinidae : 1 – P. (P.) leptoclada ; 2 – P. (P.) voluta ; 3 – P. (R.?) stimula; 4 – P. (R.) thallina ; 5 – P. (A.) viriosa ; 6 – P. (A.) serrata ; 7 – P. (A.) carinata ; 8 – P. (A.) wangi .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Paracortina wangi sp. n.: 1 — Head and anterior pleurotergites, lateral view; 2 — head and collum, lateral view; 3 — cross­section of a middle pleurotergite, posterior view; 4 — one of the middle legs, posterior view; 5 — telson, ventro­caudal view; 6 — male 7 th leg, posterior view. Abbreviations, see text.

FIGURES 7 – 11. Paracortina wangi sp. n.: 7 – male gonopod, anterior view; 8 – same, mesal view; 9 – same, lateral view; 10 – same, posterior view; 11 – female cyphopods and second leg pair, anterior view. Abbreviations, see text.

Tables

TABLE 1. Partial chaetotaxy in P. wangi sp. n.

	Anteriorsetae	Posteriorsetae
Collum	5+5	­
2nd pleurotergite	5+5	­
3rd pleurotergite	5+5	­
4th pleurotergite	5+5	­
5th pleurotergite	2+2	3+3
6th pleurotergite	­	5+5
7th pleurotergite	­	5+5
8th pleurotergite	­	5+5