Thassoblaniulus simplarius Mauriès, 1985

Antić, Dragan Ž., Mock, Andrej & Enghoff, Henrik, 2015, Two new species of the millipede family Blaniulidae (Diplopoda, Julida) from caves in central and southeastern Europe, Zootaxa 3985 (4), pp. 523-540 : 536

Thassoblaniulus simplarius Mauriès, 1985

Figs 34–42

Material studied. Two males and five females ( ZMUC) from Alistrati Cave, near Alistrati, Serres, Macedonia, Greece, 28.06.1987, leg. F. Gasparo.

Diagnosis. Differs clearly from T. radjai sp. n. by numerous aspects of the anterior gonopods such as a different shape of distal part of coxal processes which are without shoulders, a bilobed mesal flange (f) and shorter telopodites (t), as well as by the presence of a higher number of ocelli and by the absence of a claw on the first pair of male legs (see Table 2 ).

Supplementary description. Specimens from the non-insular population from Alistrati Cave are somewhat different in view of the habitus than those from the population from the type locality, Drakotrypa Cave, Island of Thasos, so additional details can be added:

Males: L 10 mm, H 0.6 mm. Females up to L 13 mm, H 0.7 mm. Males with 37–41 body rings + telson (including 2 apodous rings), and with 5–6 ocelli on each side of the head. Females with 39–46 body rings + telson (including 2–3 apodous rings), and with 4–7 ocelli on each side of the head arranged mainly in one row, but also in two irregular rows.

Length of antennae 156 % of H in male, 137 % of H in female. Relative lengths of antennomeres 1–8 (8 = apical sensilla): 8/18/17 /15/ 17/15/6 /4 % in male, 8/19/18 /15/ 16/15/5 /4 % in female.

Length of setae ca. 10 % of H in male, 7 % of H in female.

Length of legs 102 % of H in male, 85 % of H in female. Relative lengths of podomeres from coxa to claw 21/ 13/11 /13/ 13/21/8 % in male, 23/ 14/14/10 / 10/21/8 % in female; claw length/height 4 in both male and female.

Note on cave adaptations. Like the new Thassoblaniulus species, T. simplarius not a real cave-dweller. Apart from the above-mentioned non-troglomorphic characters, this species also possesses a higher number of ocelli (4– 7 on each side of the head). Probably T. simplarius is a troglophilic species.

Distribution. Known only from two localities in eastern Macedonia, Greece: Drakotrypa Cave, Island of Thasos (type locality) and Alistrati Cave, near Alistrati, Serres ( Fig. 43 , orange triangles).

Figures

FIGURE 43. Distribution of the genera Cibiniulus Verhoeff, 1897 and Thassoblaniulus Mauriès, 1985.

FIGURES 34 – 37. Thassoblaniulus simplarius Mauriès, 1985, male. 34. anterior gonopods, anterior view; 35. anterior gonopods, posterior view; 36. anterior gonopods, lateral view; 37. first pair of legs, anterior view. f: postero-mesal flange, t: telopodite, cp: coxal processes. Scale lines: 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 38 – 42. Thassoblaniulus simplarius Mauriès, 1985, male. 38. posterior gonopod, mesal view; 39. lamella of posterior gonopod, anterior view; 40. posterior gonopod, lateral view (basis of gonopod embedded in mounting glue); 41. apical part of lamella with solenomere, anterior view. 42. body ring 7, ventral view. ll: leaf-shaped lamella, so: solenomere. Scale lines: 0.1 mm for 38 – 40 and 42; 0.01 mm for 41.