Orthomorpha elevata, Likhitrakarn, Natdanai, Golovatch, Sergei I. & Panha, Somsak, 2011

Likhitrakarn, Natdanai, Golovatch, Sergei I. & Panha, Somsak, 2011, Revision of the Southeast Asian millipede genus Orthomorpha Bollman, 1893, with the proposal of a new genus (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae), ZooKeys 131, pp. 1-161 : 89-93

Orthomorpha elevata sp. n. Figs 100102

Holotype.

♂ (CUMZ), Malaysia, Perak State, Bondig, Air Banum, ca 500 m, 5°38'13"N, 101°42'41"E, 27.05.2011, leg. S. Panha.

Paratypes.

2 ♀ (CUMZ), same data, together with holotype. 1 ♀ (CUMZ), Malaysia, Johor State, Sungai Bantang, ca 100 m, 2°19'50"N, 103°09'45"E, 21.05.2011, leg. R. Chanabun. 1 ♀ (CUMZ), same State, Sungai Bantang, ca 100 m, 2°19'50"N, 103°09'45"E, 21.05.2011, leg. R. Chanabun. 2 ♀ (CUMZ), Kelantan State, near Gua Pulai, ca 120 m, 4°74'36"N, 101°56'32"E, 26.05.2011, leg. R. Chanabun. 2 ♀ (CUMZ), Kelantan State, near Gua Matu Madu, ca. 130 m, 4°50'13"N, 101°56'56"E, 26.05.2011, leg. R. Chanabun.

Name.

To emphasize the mostly strongly elevated paraterga.

Diagnosis.

Differs by mostly strongly elevated paraterga, coupled with two small sternal cones between ♂ coxae 4 (see also Key below).

Description.

Length 34 (holotype) or 31-38 mm (♀), width of midbody pro- and metazona 2.8 and 4.3 mm (holotype), 2.9-3.5 and 4.3-5.0 mm (♀), respectively.

Coloration of live material (Fig. 100A) blackish to blackish-brown with contrasting pinkish paraterga legs, and tip of epiproct; coloration of alcohol material after long-term preservation blackish-brown with contrasting light yellowish calluses; two paramedian spots divided by a broad, blackish, axial stripe on prozona; lateral parts of paraterga near calluses, tip of epiproct, legs and venter light yellow-brown, legs slightly infuscate distally; antennae brown, distal part of antennomere 5, distal 2/3 of antennomere 6 and entire antennomere 7 blackish-brown (Fig. 100B-H).

Clypeolabral region densely setose, vertex bare, epicranial suture distinct. Antennae short, slightly clavate (antennomere 6 broadest), extending behind body segment 3 (♂) or 2 (♀) dorsally. Head in width <collum <segments 3 and 4 <2 <5-17 (♂, ♀); thereafter body gently and gradually tapering. Collum with three transverse rows of medium-sized setae, pattern untraceable; paraterga slightly declivous, subtriangular, with a faint lateral incision near midway, evidently discontinuing dorsum’s convexity, caudal corner pointed, about level to rear tergal margin (Fig. 100B & C). Tegument rather poorly shining, metaterga, prozona and most of metazona below paraterga finely shagreened; metaterga dull, leathery, roughly shagreened, their caudal margin evidently ribbed, with 3+3 or 4+4 short wrinkles; surface below paraterga rugulose, on segments 2-4(5) microgranulate. Postcollum metaterga with fully abraded setae, setation pattern untraceable even as insertion points. Axial line visible on collum and both on following pro- and metazona. Paraterga very strongly developed (Fig. 100A-H), especially well so in ♂, set at about 1/4 body height, postcollum ones upturned in lateral view, moderately enlarged on pore-bearing segments, thinner on poreless ones; shoulders broadly rounded and narrowly bordered, fused to callus; paraterga 2 and 19 (♂) or 19 (♀) lying below dorsum, paraterga 3 (♂) or 2-4 and 18 (♀) level to dorsum, remaining postcollum paraterga clearly above dorsum; caudal corner of postcollum paraterga pointed or narrowly rounded, always extending beyond rear tergal margin, best developed on segments 17 and 18 (Fig. 100F & G). Calluses delimited by a sulcus both dorsally and ventrally, with an evident front denticle only on paraterga 2, lateral margin virtually unincised on following paraterga, except for a small sinuosity in front of ozopore on pore-bearing segments. Posterior edge of paraterga strongly concave, especially strongly so on segments 18 and 19. Ozopores evident, lateral, lying in an ovoid groove at about 1/4 in front of caudal corner. Transverse sulcus complete on metaterga 4-18, narrow, superficial, not reaching bases of paraterga. Stricture between pro- and metazona narrow, rather deep, beaded at bottom down to base of paraterga (Fig. 100B-F & H). Pleurosternal carinae complete crests with a caudal tooth on segments 2-4, thereafter increasingly strongly reduced and remaining visible only as a front bulge and a caudal tooth until segment 17 (♂) or 13 (♀). Epiproct (Fig. 100F-H) conical, flattened dorsoventrally, with two small teeth directed ventrocaudally, emarginate or subtruncate at tip; pre-apical papillae small denticles lying very close to tip. Hypoproct (Fig. 100G) semi-circular, caudal margin with two strong and well-separated setiferous knobs.

Sterna sparsely setose, shining, without modifications; cross-impressions shallow; a paramedian pair of rather small, but evident tubercles in front of gonopod aperture; a small central lobe with a paramedian pair of evident, setose, apical cones between ♂ coxae 4 (Fig. 100I & J). Legs long and slender, slightly incrassate in ♂, midbody ones ca 1.3-1.4 (♂) or 1.1-1.2 times (♀) as long as body height, prefemora without modifications; ♂ tarsal brushes visible on legs 1-3, thereafter gradually thinning out.

Gonopods (Figs 101 & 102) simple. Coxa long and slender, with several strong setae distodorsally. Prefemur densely setose, more than 2 times shorter than femorite + “postfemoral” part. Femorite slightly curved, slender, nearly not enlarged distad, with a “postfemoral” part demarcated by an oblique lateral sulcus. Solenophore tip distinctly trifid, terminal prong being sharp and longest, middle denticle nearly as long as subterminal lobule; solenomere long and flagelliform.

Remark.

This new species is rather widespread in northern Malaysia (Map 2).