Chiraziulus kaiseri ( Mauriès, 1983 )

Reboleira, Ana Sofia P. S., Hosseini, Mohamad Javad Malek, Sadeghi, Saber & Enghoff, Henrik, 2015, Highly disjunct and highly infected millipedes - a new cave-dwelling species of Chiraziulus (Diplopoda: Spirostreptida: Cambalidae) from Iran and notes on Laboulbeniales ectoparasites, European Journal of Taxonomy 146, pp. 1-18 : 5-11

Chiraziulus kaiseri ( Mauriès, 1983)

Figs 3–8 , 11–12

Nannolene (Chiraziulus) kaiseri Mauriès, 1983: 252 , figs 4–10.

Nannolene (Chiraziulus) kaiseri – Golovatch 1983: 166.

Chiraziulus kaiseri – Enghoff & Moravvej 2005: 63.

Diagnosis

A species of Chiraziulus , differing from C. troglopersicus sp. nov. by having triangular anterior gonopods in anterior view, the posterior branch of the telepodite smaller than the anterior branch, and the posterior gonopod with a simple, sharp, spinelike process.

Type material examined

IRAN: Holotype (♂) and numerous paratypes, Shiraz, sandstone mountains N of the town, 1600 m asl. Very dry, scattered vegetation including the first spring flowers, under stones and clods, 16 Feb. 1937, E.W. Kaiser leg. ( ZMUC).

Additional material examined

IRAN: 1 ♂, Sarab Cave, 22 Jul. 2002, Alexandri leg. ( ZMUC); 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, 19 Str. km W of Shiraz, G. Pretzmann leg. ( NHMW).

Description

Eyes absent, body depigmented, with prominent tergal crests. Ozopores on protruding tubercles, starting on 5 th body ring ( Fig. 3A, B ). Antenna with four long apical cones and bacilliform sensilla seated in small depressions on external part of the 5 th and 6 th antennomeres ( Fig. 3C ). Labrum and supralabral chaetotaxy as in Fig. 3E . Gnathochilarial stipes with three setae, two distolateral and one distomesal seta, the latter close to promentum. Lingual lamella with two setae. Promentum moderately setose ( Fig. 3F ). Limbus with numerous tiny denticles ( Fig. 3D ). Borders between cuticular scutes on part of body with lines of beadlike structures ( Fig. 3D ), similar to those observed by Akkari & Enghoff (2011) and Enghoff (2014) in other millipedes.

Male

Anterior gonopods ( Figs 4 , 5 A–F) with tongue-shaped, parallel-sided mid-sternal lobe. Each coxite approximately like an equilateral triangle folded at right angles along vertical axis; resulting surfaces facing anteriad and mesad; coxite hence narrow triangular in anterior view, ending in rather sharp point ( Fig. 5A ); coxite in mesal view with a plane surface traversed by oblique groove for accommodation of flagellum ( Fig. 4 ); posterior margin sinuous, in apical view c. 30% of it with rugose-scaly microsculpture on lateral surface. Telopodite large, two-lobed; anterior lobe (regarded as part of the coxite (e) by Mauriès) larger (Ta), but not reaching tip of coxite ( Fig. 5 D–E), apical margin concave ( Fig. 5F ); in anterior view Ta broadly visible lateral to coxite, with transverse “step”, distal to ‘step’ with several setae; in posterior view Ta longitudinally concave, apically with several setae and with mesal margin (facing rugosity of coxite) rugose; posterior lobe of telopodite (Tp) (T = telopodite of Mauriès) much shorter than Ta, rod- shaped, apically broadly rounded, with several setae ( Fig. 5D ). Rugose tips of coxite and telepodite (Ta) of anterior gonopod forming a pair of “forceps” ( Fig. 5F ). Flagellum exceedingly long, inserted below mid-height of posterior margin of coxite, initially directed distad, then turning anteriad and traversing mesal surface of coxite in slightly curved groove, then turning basad-posteriad, probably accommodated in basal oblique groove ( Fig. 4 B–C); apical part of flagellum densely covered with c. 5 µm long hairlike, retrorse processes ( Fig. 4A ). Posterior gonopods ( Fig. 5 G–I) apically covered with setae and with a long slender, spine-like, apically twisted process. Mesal sternal part of gonopods forming trough densely covered with sharktooth-like denticles ( Fig. 5J ).

Female

Vulva in situ as in Fig. 6 A–B. Peculiar, microtubular tissue present below insertion level of bursa ( Fig. 6C ). Operculum (o) smaller than bursa, with 2 large apical setae; bursa massive, enveloping operculum, with simple slit-shaped crest and 8 + 8 setae along distal margins ( Fig. 6D, E ).

Distribution

Known from several localities in Iran ( Fig. 2 ).

Intrapecific variability of Chiraziulus kaiseri

In addition to the type locality and a few sites in its vicinity, Chiraziulus kaiseri has been recorded from the south of Iran ( Golovatch 1983). Examination of an adult male from an isolated cave (Sarab Cave) in northwestern Iran, far from the type locality, leads us to include it in C. kaiseri as well and to regard the differences in the male gonopods as intraspecific variability ( Fig. 7 ).

The anterior gonopods of the specimen from Sarab Cave shows some differences compared to the type material, especially in the shape of the posterior branch of the telepodite ( Fig. 7 E–J). No remarkable difference was observed in the posterior gonopods ( Fig. 7 K–L). Some variability was also observed in the chaetotaxy of the gnathochilarial stipes ( Fig. 3F ). In the specimens from the type locality, Sarab Cave and 19 km W of Shiraz, there are two distolateral and one distomesal setae, whereas in the specimen illustrated by Golovatch (1983: 168, fig. 12), all three setae are distolateral.

Figures

Fig. 3. Chiraziulus kaiseri (Mauriès, 1983), paratypes. Scanning electron micrographs. A. Head and first body rings in lateral view. B. Last body rings (“tail”) in lateral view. C. Tip of antenna. D. Detail of the limbus; notice lines of beadlike structures between cuticular scutes. E. Detail of labrum in frontal view. F. Gnathochilarium in ventral view; the arrow shows the distomesal setae on stipes. Scale bars: A–B, E–F = 100 μm; C = 10 μm; D = 1 μm.

Fig. 4. Chiraziulus kaiseri (Mauriès, 1983), ♂, paratype, anterior gonopod.Scanning electron micrographs. A. Tip of flagellum. B. Flagellum insertion and loop across anterior gonopod coxite. C. Anterior gonopod showing the entire extension of the flagellum. Scale bars: A = 10 μm; B–C = 100 μm.

Fig. 5. Chiraziulus kaiseri (Mauriès, 1983), ♂, paratypes, gonopods. Scanning electron micrographs. A. Anterior gonopods in anterior view. B. Anterior gonopods with one posterior gonopod in lateral view. C. As B, in apical view. D. As B, in posterior view. E–F. Anterior gonopod with detail of the processes on the tip of anterior gonopods. G–I. Posterior gonopod. J. Detail of the mesal sternal part. Abbreviations: C = coxal process; T = telepodite; Ta = anterior lobe of telopodite; Tb = posterior lobe of telepodite. Scale bars: A, D, I = 100 μm; B–C, E–H = 10 μm.

Fig. 6. Chiraziulus kaiseri (Mauriès, 1983), female vulva. Scanning electron micrographs. A. Vulva in situ behind second pair of legs, posterior view. B. Details of right vulva behind second pair of legs. C. Detail of microtubular structure under the vulva. D. Vulva in ventral view. E. Vulva in anterior view. Abbreviations: o = operculum; b = bursa. Scale bars: A = 100 μm; B–E = 10 μm.

Fig. 7. Chiraziulus kaiseri (Mauriès, 1983). Comparison of the paratype (A, C, E, G, I and K) and specimen from Ghar Sarab Cave (B, D, F, H, J and L). A–B. Left anterior gonopods, mesal view. C–D. Anterior gonopod, posterior view. E–F. Anterior gonopod, anterior view. G–H. Anterior gonopod, lateral view. I–J. Anterior gonopod, apical view. K–L. Posterior gonopods.

Fig. 8. Number of podous rings and midbody vertical diameter of the studied specimens. Chiraziulus kaiseri (Mauriès, 1983) in blue; Chiraziulus troglopersicus sp. nov. in red. ▲ = adult ♂♂; ● = juveniles and ♀♀.

Fig. 11. Cambala annulata (Say, 1821), anterior gonopod. A. Mesal view. B. Detail of the mesal sternal part. C. Apical part of coxal processes and telepodite. Scale bars: A = 100 μm; B–C = 10 μm.

Fig. 12. Chiraziulus kaiseri (Mauriès, 1983), paratypes infected with ectoparasitic fungi of the genus Rickia Cavara, order Laboulbeniales. A. Arrows indicate black dots on the body rings corresponding to the insertion of the fungi. B. Scanning electron micrograph of the collum with one fungus (arrow). Scale bars: A = 1 mm; B = 100 μm.

Fig. 2. Distribution of species of Chiraziulus Mauriès, 1983 in Iran (Mauriès 1987). C. troglopersicus sp. nov.: red dot (1); C. kaiseri: yellow dots (2–6). 1. Neyneh Cave. 2. “Chiraz” “montagne greseuse au nord de la ville”. 3. 19 km W of Shiraz. 4. 5 km N of Persepolis. 5. Oasis 95 km N of Bandarabass. 6. Sarab Cave.