Eumastigonus hallelujah, Korsós, Zoltán & Johns, Peter M., 2009

Korsós, Zoltán & Johns, Peter M., 2009, Introduction to the taxonomy of Iulomorphidae of New Zealand, with descriptions of two new species of Eumastigonus Chamberlin, 1920 (Diplopoda: Spirostreptida: Epinannolenidea), Zootaxa 2065, pp. 1-24 : 12-14

Eumastigonus hallelujah sp. n.

Figs. 25, 27–32 , 50 .

Type material: Holotype 3 ( CMNZ): New Zealand, South Island, Canterbury Region, Arthur’s Pass Nat.

Park, along Hallelujah Flat to Saddle–Andrew’s Stream, leg. P. M. Johns, 20 Nov. 1961, Nothofagus cliffortioides , under logs.

Paratypes (253, 24Ƥ, and 5 juveniles): 23, 2Ƥ ( CMNZ: one male is dissected for SEM: gonopods, 7th ring) – Same locality and date 53, 4Ƥ and 2 juveniles ( CMNZ) – Arthur’s Pass Nat. Park, Cass, Hallelujah Flat, Andrews Stream mouth, river terrace, 750 m, leg. P. M. Johns & M. Williams, 14 Oct. 1960, under logs; 83, 8Ƥ ( HNHM, vulva prep.) – Craigieburn Range, Cave Stream, leg. Z. Korsós & Aorangi Exp., 8 Feb. 1995, in Nothofagus forest; 23 (see Fig. 24 ) and 1 f# ( HNHM) – Craigieburn Forest Park, Lyndon Hut, S43°09’ – E171°43’, picnic area, 821 m, leg. Z. Korsós, 28 May 2006, in Nothofagus cliffortioides forest; 13, 4Ƥ ( CMNZ) – Craigieburn Range, Lyndon Hut, Cave Stream, Ski Club/picnic area, 900 m, leg. P. M. Johns, 28 May 2006, under Nothofagus logs; 43, 2Ƥ, and 3 juveniles ( ZMUC Copenhagen) – Arthur’s Pass Nat. Park, Hallelujah Flat, 750 m, leg. P. M. Johns, 22 Nov. 1961, under logs; 33, 3Ƥ ( MNHN) – Arthur’s Pass Nat. Park, Poulter Valley, Rabbit Farm hut/Aeroplane Flat, 610 m, leg. P. M. Johns, 10 Feb. 1962, under logs.

Other material studied: 5293, 457Ƥ, and 32 juveniles from about 150 sites.

Diagnosis: Closest to E. insulanus in size, colour, and partly in gonopod structure, but differing in ocellarium (ocelli arranged usually in 3–4 rows, in a triangular shape) and by the details of gonopods: median process of anterior gonopods have a thin, beak-like process pointed mesad, telepodite of anterior gonopods flat, parallel-sided, slightly directed mesad, apically setose. Posterior gonopods with broad, pointed apical lamella.

Etymology: Named after the type locality.

Description: Length: 19–32 mm, max. midbody diameter: 1.8–2.8 mm, no. of rings: 37–44 podous, 2–4 apodous, plus telson.

Head rounded, with no sculpture, no setae. Gnathochilarium typical cambalidean, antennae of average length, reaching 2nd ring if bent backwards. About 22–36 ocelli in 4 (rarely in 5) rows, in a triangular or elongated rectangular field.

Collum broad, rounded, covering caudal part of head until ocellarium, with only a few (2–3) short striae at its corner. Prozonae of each rings with slightly punctated surface, metazonae below ozopores with 10–14 longitudinal striae turning upwards along suture and melt into the sculpture of prozonae. Ozopores situated at about ½–1/3 of metazonal lenth behind suture, openings very small, sometimes hardly visible. Telson smooth, without striae, with no projection, smoothly overlaying paraprocts. Subanal plate normal, triangular without any modifications. Paraprocts glabrous, without setae.

Colouration: Live colour uniformly brown ( Fig. 25), dark brown or black-brown, head, legs and paraprocts lighter, rings usually without any specific colour pattern, pro- and metazonae with same colouration. Preserved specimens in alcohol turn to almost black, or later fading to light amber colour, legs lighter or bright yellow.

Male sexual characters: Mandibular stipites, gnathochilarial stipites, 1st and 2nd legpair, and penis as characteristic for the genus. 3–7th legs normal, without modifications, walking legs from 10th onwards with femoral pads, slightly decreasing in size and finally disappearing towards end of body.

Gonopods ( Figs. 27–32 ): Coxal part (c) of anterior gonopods thick, more-or-less parallel-sided, sternum (st) inbetween strong, wide, with two lobes obtusely rounded. Anterior gonopods with typical 3+1 welldeveloped distal processes. Inner coxal process (i) longest or subequal to telopodite; smooth, laterally flattened, shovel-shaped, subapically sometimes with stronger caudal excision. Median process (m) shorter, with two overlapping lobes: apical lobe beak-like, pointed mesad (this is considered as a diagnostic character), other lobe laterally attached to it like a shoulder. Outer process (o) blunt, obliquely cut, with a set of short hairs. Telopodite (tp) of anterior gonopods longer than the two coxal processes, sometimes longer than the third, inner process, wide, rounded, with longer hairs and setae along the margin. Remnant of second telopodomere missing. Flagellum long, pointed, tip without hairs, fits into seminal groove of posterior gonopods. Posterior gonopods in situ inbetween coxal and telopodital processes of the anterior gonopods, with tips (tibiotarsal part) protruding anteriorly. Sternal parts of posterior gonopods widely separated, coxal part (c) subparallel-sided, telopodite divided into two processes, inner one blunt, densely hairy, outer part thin, slightly bent lamella, with tip (a) tapering and pointed. Anterior side of posterior gonopods longwise split, with overlapping clefts housing flagellum in situ. Margin of cleft mediobasally strongly serrated, with small spikes sitting on each tooth. Tip of telopodite separated by a groove resembling a division of joints.

Protrusion on 7th ring not particularly well-developed, ventral margin just encapsulating the slightly protruding gonopods in situ.

Female sexual characters: Vulva ( Fig. 50 ) characteristic for Eumastigonus , disc-shaped, compact. Tip of bursal valves pointed, amterior with 5–6, posterior with 1–2 long setae. Operculum (op) small, concealed behind bursa. Internal structure, apodematic tube and ampulla could not be observed.

Distribution: New Zealand, South Island ( Fig. 52 ). It is widespread from Nelson to Fiordland and especially common in the higher rainfall (1500–6000 mm) Nothofagus forests of the main alpine chain and lowland podocarp forests of Westland. Populations do exist at three very isolated sites: (1) Lake Forsyth on Banks Peninsula (dry shrubby vegetation), (2) Lindis Pass, North Otago, in rock scree under shrubby matagouri ( Discaria toumatou ), and (3) in windswept podocarp-broadleaf forest at Mt Cargill, Dunedin.

Figures

FIGURE 52. New Zealand, North Island, distributions of E. kaorinus (infilled squares), E. distinctior (blank squares), and E. hemmingseni (infilled triangles).

FIGURES 27 – 30. E. hallelujah paratype male from Craigieburn Range, Canterbury Region, 27: anterior gonopods, anterior view (i = inner lobe, m = median lobe, o = outer lobe, c = coxa, st = sternal plate), 28: anterior gonopods, posterior view (tp = telopodite process), 29: posterior gonopods, anterior view (a = apex, sg = seminal groove), 30: posterior gonopods, posterior view (c = coxa). Scale 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 31 – 32. E. hallelujah paratype male from Hallelujah Flat, Arthur’s Pass National Park, Canterbury Region, scanning electronmicrographs. 31: Anterior gonopods, anterior view (i = inner lobe, m = median lobe, o = outer lobe, c = coxa, st = sternal plate, tp = telopodite process), 32: posterior gonopods, posterior view (a = apex).

FIGURES 50 – 51. Left female vulvae, posterior view (op = operculum). 50: E. hallelujah paratype female from Craigieburn Range, Canterbury Region, 51: E. waitahae paratype female from Kaikoura, Mt Fyffe Conservation Area, Marlborough Region. Scales 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 22 – 24. Female vulvae (op = operculum). 22: E. kaorinus from Whangaruru headland, Northland Region, right vulva, anterior view, 23: E. distinctior from Porirua, Wellington Region, Galathea Expedition, 1951 (ZMUC), left vulva, posterior view, 24: E. hemmingseni from Akatarawa, Wellington Region, right vulva, posterior view. Scales 0.5 mm.