Miniaria ramifera Shear & Marek, 2023

Shear, William A. & Marek, Paul E., 2023, The millipede family Striariidae Bollman, 1893. VIII. Three new genera and four new species of minute millipedes from Oregon and Washington, USA (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Striarioidea), Zootaxa 5264 (3), pp. 323-340 : 326-328

Miniaria ramifera Shear & Marek , n. sp.

Figs 1–11 , 39–45

Types: All specimens deposited in CAS. Male holotype, 6 male paratypes and 6 female paratypes from Mashel River at State Route 7, 46.86695°N, - 122.33645°W, 600′asl, Pierce Co., Washington, collected 19 March 2004 by W. Leonard and C. Richart. Parts of the holotype are on SEM stub WS36-8 .

Diagnosis. Distinct from M. richarti n. sp. in having the gonopod anterior angiocoxite with a prominent subterminal posterior branch (aac, Figs 9, 11 , 39–44 ). The gonopods are widely separated mesally, while those of M. richarti n. sp. are appressed to each other in the midline. The anterior angiocoxites are evenly curved, not sharply elbowed as in M. richarti n. sp..

Etymology. The species name is a Latin adjective, meaning “branch-bearing,” and refers to the subterminal posterior branch of the gonopod anterior angiocoxite.

Description. Male paratype from Mashel River. Length 3.5 mm, greatest width 0.31 mm. Nonsexual characters and secondary sexual modifications as described for genus.Gonopods ( Figs 9, 11 , 39–44 ) small; anterior angiocoxites (aac, Fig. 9 ) curved posteriad, slightly knobbed at tips, distally with prominent fringed margin, long, flattened subterminal process. Posterior angiocoxites (pac, Fig. 9 ) less than half length of anterior ones, fimbriate especially along posterior margin, sheathing single curved flagellocoxite or flagellum. Colpocoxite reduced to single branch with membranous base. (cc, Figs 39–44 ). Ninth legs ( Fig. 10 ) as described for genus.

Females similar to males in all nonsexual respects.

Distribution. OREGON: Multnomah Co.: Ainsworth State Park, 45.596°N, - 122.051°W, 210′ asl, 15 November 1967, E. M. Benedict, 2 mm. Gobbert Butte, Gresham, 45.4731°N, - 122.4378°W, 30 October 2016, P. Nosler, m. Washington Co.: 1.7 mi W of Timber, T3N, R5W, sec.?, 300′ asl, 27 November 1971, E. M. Benedict, m. WASHINGTON: Pierce Co.: Ohop Valley Road at State Route 7, 600′ asl, 46.86695°N, - 122.33645°W, 12 January 2004, W. Leonard, m. Skamania Co.: Cook-Underwood Road, 1.4 mi NE of Cook, 450′ asl, 45.7239°N, - 121.64765°W, 30 November 2003, W. Leonard, 4 mm.

Notes. Gonopod variation in this species focuses on the degree to which the anterior angiocoxite is terminally knobbed and the extensiveness of the fimbriated posterior distal margin. In the Ainsworth State Park male ( Fig. 43 ), the fimbriate part appears as a coalesced process. In the Timber ( Fig. 44 ) and Mashel River ( Figs 39, 40 ) males, it is more extensive and does not protrude, and while in the male from Cook-Underwood Road ( Figs 41, 42 ) there is a broad fimbriate region. We do not have enough localities to determine if this is geographic variation or simply due to positioning on a microscope slide.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Miniaria ramifera n. gen., n. sp., male holotype. 1. Head and legpairs 1 and 2, anterioventral view. 2. Left leg 1, posterior view. 3. Coxae of legpair 2, ventral view. 4. Legpairs 3 and 4, ventral view. Abbreviations: cf, coxal flask of coxa 3; cx3, body of coxa 3; lab, labrum; L (numeral), numbered legpair; m, mandibular stipes; om, ommatidium; pf (numeral), prefemur of numbered legpair; vd, opening of vas deferens.

FIGURES 5–8. Miniaria ramifera n. gen., n. sp., male holotype. 5. Legpairs 2 and 3, ventral view. 6. Tarsus of left leg 3, lateral view. 7. Comb seta of tarsus 3. 8. Legpairs 4–6, ventral view. Abbreviations: cf, coxal flask of leg 3; L (numeral), numbered legpair;pf(numeral),prefemurofnumberedleg;w,accessory clawoftarsus3,x,combsetae;y,recessedporeplate;z,sensory seta.

FIGURES 9–14. Miniaria n. gen. species. 9–11. Miniaria ramifera n. gen., n. sp., male holotype. 9. Gonopods, posterior view. 10. Legpair 9 and coxae of legpair 10, anterior view. 11. Tip of gonopod anterior angiocoxite, ventral view. 12–14. Miniaria richarti n. gen., n. sp., male from Germany Creek. 12. Head and legpair 1, ventrolateral view. 13. Pleurotergites 11 and 12, lateral view. 14. Pleurotergites 12 and 13, dorsal view. Abbreviations: aac, anterior angiocoxite; cx, gonopod coxa; cx (numeral), coxa of numbered legpair; lab, labrum; L1, legpair 1; m, mandibular stipes; numerals, ring numbers; om, ommatidium.

FIGURES 39–46. Gonopods and ninth legs of male striariid millipedes. Figs. 39–45. Miniaria ramifera n. gen., n. sp. 39. Right gonopod of specimen from Mashel River, mesal view. 40. Same, lateral view. 41. Right gonopod of specimen from Cook- Underwood Road, mesal view. 42. Same, lateral view. 43, Right gonopod of specimen fromAinsworth State Park, mesal view. 44. Right gonopod of specimen from Timber, mesal view. 45. Ninth legpair of specimen from Ainsworth State Park, posterior view. 46. Miniaria richarti n. gen., n. sp., right gonopod of specimen from Hospital Creek, mesal view. Abbreviations: aac, anterior angiocoxite; cc, colpocoxite; cx9, ninth leg coxa; cxp, coxal process; pac, posterior angiocoxite; t9, telopodite of ninth leg.