Polydesmus asturiensis, Djursvoll, Per, 2019

Djursvoll, Per, 2019, Two new species of Polydesmus Latreille, 1802 / 1803 from northern Spain with reinstatements of two species, and a key to the Iberian Polydesmus species (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Polydesmidae), ZooKeys 888, pp. 51-65 : 51

Polydesmus asturiensis sp. nov. Figs 9-11 , 12-16

Type specimens.

Spain, Asturias province; holotype ♂ (fragments); Teverga, Cueva de Huerta, 750 m a.s.l.; UTM 29TQH37; July. 1934; Bolivar col.; MNCN 20.07/1484 • paratype ♂; same data as holotype; MNCN 20.07/2021 • paratypes ♂, 2 ♀♀ (fragments); same data as holotype; MNCN 20.07/1481 • paratypes ♂, ♀ (fragments); Vega de Enol; ca. 1050 m a.s.l.; 2 Nov. 1969; E. Ortiz leg.; MNCN 20.07/1450.

Additional material.

Two specimens in fragments, same locality data as holotype (MNCN 20.07/1484).

Etymology.

Named after the province of Asturias.

Diagnostic characters.

Differs from other Polydesmus species in having a twisted endomere with a distinct cleavage basad to the solenophore-pulvillus, with acute a1 distally. Exomere subfalcate, long and slender, with a ventrolateral right-angled tooth t1 just after main curvature point and together with the placement of the distal second tooth t2 close to apex.

Description.

With 20 body rings, total length 7-10 mm. Coloration whitish to pale yellow (long-term ethanol-preserved specimens only). Tegument shiny. Collum ovoid, much narrower than head and metaterga 2, head >> collum << metatergum 2 ( Fig. 10 ). Antennae comparatively long, not surpassing somite 3, antennomere 6 almost clavate, slightly longer than 4 and 5, 4 = 5 <6 >> 7. With dorsoparabasal sensory knob on antennomere 7, sensillar area on antennomere 5-7 ( Fig. 9 ). Metaterga almost rectangular, tergal sculpture (tuberculation) in three transverse rows, third row barely visible in metaterga 2-4. Paraterga horizontal and rounded anterolaterally, paraterga 2-8 with barely visible lateromarginal incisions (not serrate), with gradually larger caudolateral projections from paraterga 5. Setae minute, barely visible. Ozopore located slightly inside caudolateral margin. Epiproct pointed apically. Male legs distinctly swollen, sphaerotrichomes present. Legs 1.5-2 times as long as midbody height, with single dorsal macrosetae on tibia.

Gonopod strongly bifurcate, including endomere and exomere ( Figs 11 - 15 ). Endomere stouter, somewhat twisted, with descending seminal groove crossing beneath exomere to a distad-projecting solenophore-pulvillus, cleavage almost cut it into pieces behind solenophore-pulvillus, a1 distally smooth and pointed ( Fig. 15 ). Exomere curved, originating from endomere with sulcus, with t1 and t2 tooth. Prefemoral part densely setose. Lateral gonocoxal edge with two large macrosetae.

Female with marked apophysis (tubercle) supporting the orifice of the gonopore on second coxae ( Fig. 16 ). Epigynal ridge poorly modified but with pin-shaped median process, with crevice inside. Vulva relatively short, e.g., from lateral view less than 2 × as long as high.

Figures

Figures 8 - 11. 8 P. biscayensis sp. nov., paratype, female epigyne (MNCN 20.07 / 1320) 9 P. asturiensis sp. nov., paratype, antenna (MNCN 20.07 / 1450) 10 P. asturiensis sp. nov., paratype, head and anterior body rings, dorsal view (MNCN 20.07 / 1481) 11 P. asturiensis sp. nov., male paratype right gonopod, mesal view (MNCN 20.07 / 1450).

Figures 12 - 16. 12 P. asturiensis sp. nov., male paratype, left gonopod, lateral view (MNCN 20.07 / 1481) 13 - 14 P. asturiensis sp. nov., male paratype, right gonopod, mesal view (MNCN 20.07 / 1450) 15 P. asturiensis sp. nov., male paratype, left gonopod, anterior view (MNCN 20.07 / 1481) 16 P. asturiensis sp. nov., paratype, female epigyne and vulva (MNCN 20.07 / 1481).