Zoosphaerium tsingy, Wesener, 2009

Wesener, Thomas, 2009, Unexplored richness: discovery of 31 new species of Giant Pill-Millipedes endemic to Madagascar, with a special emphasis on microendemism (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida), Zootaxa 2097 (1), pp. 1-134 : 61-66

Zoosphaerium tsingy , new species

Derivatio nominis: tsingy , noun in apposition, after the type locality, the world heritage site Tsingy d'Bemaraha.

Studied material: 13 M, 5 F.

Holotype: 1 M (36 mm long), FMMC 5455 . Madagascar, Province Mahajanga, Parc National Tsingy de

Bemaraha, Ankidrodroa, 2.5 km NE Bekopaka, secondary dry forest, 100 m, 19°7.9'S, 44°48.5'E, coll. S. Goodman, 28.xi.2001, pitfall trap.

Paratypes: 8 M, 2 F, FMMC 5455 , same data as holotype . 5 M, 5 F, FMMC 5454 , same collection data as holotype .

Other material: 1 F, CAS BLF 4509 , Province Mahajanga, Forêt de Tsimembo , 8.7 km 336° NNW Soatana, tropical dry forest, 20 m, 19°1'17"S, 44°26'26"E, coll. Fisher, Griswold et al., 21–25.xi.2001

Distribution: Dry forests Bemaraha and Tsimembo in Western Madagascar (Fig. 38).

Diagnosis: Medium sized, up to 50 mm long. Males slightly (circa 5 mm) smaller than females. Color olive-greenish (Fig. 39A). All legs without long hairs on inner margin. Texture of tergites smooth and glabrous. First antennomere with groove (Fig. 43C), antennomeres 1–4 with sclerotized teeth (Fig. 43B), disc with 16–31 apical cones (Fig. 43A). Movable finger of posterior telopods not curved, of almost cylindrical shape with two non-sclerotized lobes and three thin spines (Fig. 42E), posterior side with circa 9 sclerotized teeth, (Fig. 42F). Two stridulation ribs on each male harp (Fig. 42B) and 2 or 3 on each side of female washboard. Third podomere of anterior telopods large, elongated (Fig. 42C). Two locking carinae on the anal shield, anterior carina short and dot-like, posterior one straight and of medium length. Operculum of special shape, anterior margin excavated into two wide lobes. Lateral lobe twice as long as inner one (Fig. 42A).

Similar species: Z. tsingy , n. sp. telopods have almost no similarities to any other described giant pillmillipede species. The shape and position of the locking carinae and vulva place Z. tsingy in the Z. platylabum species-group, but the special-shaped posterior telopods are so far unique for Zoosphaerium species.

Description: Body length: Males (13 specimens): length up to 36 mm, width of thoracic shield up to 19.3 mm, height of thoracic shield up to 10.7 mm. Females (6 specimens): length up to 48 mm, width up to 25.8 mm, height up to 14.1 mm. Females 5–10 mm larger than males of the same collection series.

Habitus: Anal shield well-rounded (Fig. 39A). Tergites very smooth and glabrous.

Coloration: Thoracic shield and tergites dirty olive-greenish, posterior margin and paratergite tips brown (Fig. 39A). Anal shield, collum, head, antennae and legs olive green.

Head: Eyes with more than 75 ocelli.

Antennae: Short, length of antennomeres: 1>2=3=4=5<6, sixth antennomere largest (Fig. 43B), disc with 16–31 apical cones (Fig. 43A). First antennomere of greatest width, short and cylindrical, with groove and one row of sensilla basiconica (Fig. 43C). Fifth antennomere with two rows of sensilla basiconica (Fig. 43D). Sclerotized teeth at base of antennomeres 1–4 (Fig. 43B).

Mandible: Six rows of pectinate lamellae and large intermediate area. Molar plate with one deep invagination. Condylus apically with strongly developed step (Fig. 44B).

Gnathochilarium: Lateral of palpi 6 or 7 sensory cones, located together (Fig. 43E). Depression on posterior side of palpi with some sensory cones (Fig. 43E). Tentorium towards endochilarium with single large tooth and two rows of spines forming zippers (Fig. 43E).

Collum: Margins covered with few short hairs, some hairs also standing on inner part.

Thoracic shield: Surface like those of tergites.

Tergites: Smooth and mostly glabrous. On high magnification (90x) very small, dot-like impressions become visible. Paratergites projecting slightly posteriorly (Fig. 39A).

Endotergum: Inner section with numerous short spines and isolated bristles (Fig. 47C). Between marginal ridge and inner area single row of large, circular cuticular impressions (Fig. 47C). Externally 2 or 3 rows of marginal bristle, standing irregularly to each other. Bristles scaly, of medium length, reaching up to tergite margin (Fig. 47C).

Anal shield: Rounded, neither bell-shaped nor tapered (Fig. 39A). Ventral side of anal shield with two black locking carinae, located closely to laterotergites. Anterior carina small and dot-like, posterior carina straight and of medium length.

Legs: Tarsi of first pair of legs with four to seven, second with seven or eight and third with 8–10 ventral spines. First two leg pairs with only weakly curved claws and without apical spine. Tarsi of legs 3–21 with curved claws, 10–13 ventral spines and one apical spine. Femur 1.8 and tarsi 4.4 times longer than wide.

Stigmatic plates: First lobe short and triangular, with well-rounded tip.

Female sexual characters: Subanal plate with washboard, consisting of short, incontinuous stridulation ribs, with two or three ribs on each half. Vulva large, covering more than 3/4 of coxa. Operculum long, extending beyond coxa up to first third of prefemur. Apical margin of operculum medially deeply notched, with two large lobes. Lateral lobe of greater length and width than inner lobe. Both lobes with well-rounded tips (Fig. 42A). Mesal plate long, extending beyond coxa up to operculum's height (Fig. 42A).

Male sexual characters: Anal shield well-rounded, at hindmost point covered with dense field of short hairs.

FIGURE 042. Zoosphaerium tsingy n. sp., A female paratype, B–F holotype, A: left second coxa with vulva, posterior view; B: right half of anterior telopod, anterior view; C: last three podomeres of anterior telopod, posterior view; D: last two podomeres of anterior telopod, lateral view; E: posterior telopod, anterior view; F: chela of posterior telopod, posterior view. Abbreviations: cav = cavity; cr-t = crenulated teeth; Cx = coxa; EP = external plate of vulva; IH = inner horns; IP = mesal plate of vulva; ml = membranous lobe; O = operculum; Pre = prefemur; s-p = sclerotized spot; scl-t = sclerotized teeth; SR = stridulation ribs. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Anterior telopods (Figs 42B–D): Podomeres 1–3 covered on both sides with numerous long, isolated hairs. Harp with two stridulation ribs, mesal rib smaller than lateral one, both ribs well-developed. Second podomere process lobe-like and little curved with rounded edges, protruding up to half of third podomere height, apically with sclerotized spots. Third podomere long, almost as long as first and second podomere combined. Cavity mesally with numerous sclerotized spots and five thin, sclerotized spines, laterally with three crenulated, small teeth. One sclerotized spot located closely to tip.

FIGURE 043. Zoosphaerium tsingy n. sp., paratype, SEM, A–D antenna, A: apical view on disc; B: lateral view; C: first antennomere, lateral view; D: margin between fifth and sixth antennomere, lateral view; E: gnathochilarium, right inner palpus and rudimentary lateral palpus with five sensory cones. Abbreviations: iP = inner palpus; rlp = rudimentary lateral palpus; sb = sensilla basiconica; v = depression on posterior side of palpi.

FIGURE 044. Zoosphaerium tsingy n. sp., paratype, SEM. A: tentorium towards endochilarium, dorsal view; B: right mandible, mesal view. Abbreviations: 3iT = 3 inner teeth; Co = condylus; Endo = endochilarium; eT = external tooth; mp = molar plate; pL = pectinate lamella.

Posterior telopods (Figs 42E, F): Movable finger with well-rounded tip, apically not tapering; hollowed-out inner margin with two non-sclerotized lobes and 3 or 4 sclerotized spines, posterior aspect with circa nine small, sclerotized teeth. Movable finger slightly longer than fixed finger, the latter straight, as wide as third podomere. Fixed finger at margin with numerous sclerotized spots. All podomeres covered on both sides with numerous, long isolated hairs, only tips of chela glabrous (Figs 42E, F). Inner horns of syncoxite with pointed, slender tip.

Intraspecific variation: Two males of the type series which are in all other aspects similar to the holotype have only one stridulation rib on each harp. One male of the type series has only four apical sensory cones on both antennae. The shape of the female operculum varies slightly in different sized females. The operculum is not notched in immature females.

The (only female) specimen from Tsimembo differs in the number of antennal cones (31, maximum 27 in Bemaraha specimens) and number of tarsal spines (first leg with 3 or 4, while 4–7 in Bemaraha specimens) from the type series. Those differences are treated as intraspecific variation. When male specimens become available or molecular studies are undertaken, this treatment might be viewed as an oversimplification.