Lusitanipus xanin Gilgado, 2020

Gilgado, José D., Martínez-Pillado, Virginia & Prieto, Carlos E., 2020, A new green-coloured Lusitanipus Mauriès, 1978 from the Iberian Peninsula (Diplopoda: Callipodida: Dorypetalidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 714, pp. 1-14 : 4-8

Lusitanipus xanin Gilgado sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2B1CB681-38B8-4F13-99B3-1DAFFE514367

Figs 1 D–6

Diagnosis

Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. differs from the other Iberian callipodidan species in the same characters as Lusitanipus alternans (see Reboleira & Enghoff 2015), except that Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov., has metazonital crests of similar size, whereas Lusitanipus alternans has crests of different sizes ( Verhoeff 1893; Spelda 2015; Reboleira & Enghoff 2015). Furthermore, Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. differs from L. alternans in its green colour, the higher number of body rings, the shape of the gonocoxite, and the curvature and shape of the processes of the tip of telopodites of gonopods.

Etymology

The specific epithet xanin (noun in apposition) is the name of a goblin-like mythological creature, the “Xanín”. This being supposedly inhabits the forests of the region were this species was found (El Bierzo). As the “Xanín”, this species is a small creature dwelling on the ground under the shade of the foliage that is seldomly seen and tries to hide when discovered.

Type material

Holotype

SPAIN • ♂; León province, el Bierzo, Peñarrubia ; 42°27 44.2̎ N, 6°48 32.6̎ W; 405 m a.s.l.; 21 Jun. 2019; José D. Gilgado and Virginia Martínez-Pillado leg.; slope beside the road parallel to the Peñarrubia reservoir; under stones; MNCN 20.07 /2069.

Paratypes

SPAIN • 1 ♀, same collection data as for holotype; MNCN 20.07/2070 • 1 ♂, León province, el Bierzo, Peñarrubia ; 42°27 19.2̎ N, 6°49 6.9̎ W; 430 m a.s.l.; 12 Oct. 2006; Carlos E. Prieto leg; entrance of small cave without name, close to the dam; MNCN 20.07/2071 .

Description

BODY SIZE. Holotype male: 60 body rings including collum, telson; two apodous rings before telson. Body approximately 50 mm long; 2.5 mm high; 2.3 mm wide at mid-body section. Paratype male: 62 body rings (two apodous); approximately 39.5 mm long; 2.2 mm high; 2.05 mm wide at mid-body section. Female: 63 rings (two apodous); 53 mm long; 2.8 mm high; 2.45 mm wide at mid-body section.

COLOUR. Living specimens: intense green colour, dorsally darker, ventrally lighter ( Fig. 1D ). Dorsal median light stripe absent. In first body rings, prozonites lighter, posterior half of metazonites darker than anterior part, darker (brownish) crests than intercrests. Colour pattern subtly, progressively changing towards end of body, getting more even, mostly in prozonites; metazonites having more intense darker green colour ( Fig. 2 ). Legs pale beige ( Fig. 2 ). Antennomeres 2–5 pigmented in greyish colour, more in distal extremes; antennomeres 6–7 little or no pigmentation ( Figs 2 , 3B ). Colour fading to paler brownish or greyish tone ( Fig. 3A ) after long-term storage in ethanol.

HEAD. Convex, without flattened area or bumps of Cyphocallipus ( Figs 2 , 3A, C ), covered with small setae, larger on forehead than posterior part of head. Posterior region having lighter colour than forehead ( Fig. 3A, C ). Eyes with ca 59 ommatidia distributed in eight rows ( Fig. 3A ). Tömosvary organ dorsally between eyes, insertion of antennae, closer to former, being only slightly larger than largest ommatidia. Antennomeres of similar shape, proportions to L. alternans , with 6–7 lacking pigmentation ( Fig. 3B ). Antennomere 5 distally, laterally with sensory region full of short, dense sensillae, also present in L. alternans and other Dorypetalidae species as Dorypetalum helenae ( Stoev & Enghoff 2006) .

TRUNK. Collum: colour pattern as in Fig. 3C , not very marked crests. Five setae on each side of median half, with setae a,d–e in anterior position; b slightly more posterior than a; c slightly more posterior than b ( Table 1 ). Chaetotaxy of first seven rings as in Table 1 , all setae posterior from body ring 6. Prozonites with scale-like microsculpture, narrow, not very marked crest-like lines, not always continuous with crests of metazonite ( Fig. 3D ). Crests of metazonites equal in size, unlike L. alternans . Pleurotergite 7 with 18 crests on each side. In male holotype, ozopores present from ring 5 (very inconspicuous on this ring) up to ring 57. Ozopores placed between anterior extremes of 5 th – 6 th crest, except first one: closer to 5 th crest.

LEGS. First pair of smaller size than following, with bump on coxae. Second pair slightly larger, showing gonopores. Two first pairs having one macroseta on inner part of prefemora, bundles of macrosetae in inner side of femora, postfemora; in tarsus: brush-like row of setae on inner side ( Fig. 4 A–B). Leg 3 not having these bundles of macrosetae, instead: fields of small aggregated setae on inner side of prefemur, femur, postfemur. Leg 3 showing, under optic microscopy, brush-like row of setae on tarsus, papillae ( Fig. 4C ). Leg 3 with coxal sacs, conspicuous from legs 3–16, missing or not visible in following ones ( Fig. 4 C–D). Leg 4 seemingly without brush-like row of setae but with papillae, aggregated inner fields of setae on inner side of trochanter, prefemur, femur, postfemur ( Fig. 4 D–E). Same pattern repeated on all legs, except for last 15, lacking these papillae, fields of setae. Claws of all legs well developed, two basal minor spines ( Fig. 4E ).

TELSON ( Fig. 3F ). Epiproct with one spinneret, four setae at each side of sagittal plane, two most proximal setae in middle, two most distal ones close to posterior margin. Paraproct bipartite, with macroseta in each division, as in L. alternans . Hypoproct tripartite with 1+2+1 setae.

MALE GONOPODS ( Fig. 5 ). Gonocoxite (c) simple, narrow, with almost semi-circular arc (arc) in middle part, row of setae on posterior margin, as seen in lateral view ( Fig. 5B ). Arc of gonocoxite ending in blunt semi-rectangular process (srp), almost as long as arc, narrower in central part, pilose on distal margins ( Fig. 5 A–C). Process flat on interior side, without “spoon-like” shape to accommodate telopodite. Pair of membranous structures (m) of small size interiorly placed between bases of gonocoxites (c), posteriorly to pseudoflagellum (f), telopodites (t). Membranous structures (m) seemingly triangular shaped in posterior view, however in lateral view: subrectangular projection (sp) in margin. Homologous structure present in L. alternans in fig. 5A of Reboleira & Enghoff (2015), with similar but slightly different shape. Pseudoflagellum (or hornflagellum) (f) straight, as in L. alternans , almost as long as telopodite (t). Telopodite ending in complex structure similar to L. alternans , with several differences ( Figs 5 D–E, 6): tip of telopodite (l) flat (as a lamella), curved in way that tip projecting towards solenomerite (s), similarly to hook ( Figs 5D , 6B ). Same processes as L. alternans present, except for γ, having several differences ( Fig. 6 ): α shorter, less twisted (only slightly curved in tip), placed more basally; β short, not twisted, shape of solenomerite (s) slightly different: narrow pointy process pointing anteriorly, shorter pointy tip projecting towards tip of telopodite.

FEMALE. First pair of legs of smaller size compared to third pair of legs. Second pair of legs reduced ( Fig. 3E ). Second pleurotergite without conspicuous ventrolateral posteriad process as Cyphocallipus excavatus (see Hoffman 2009), margin describing subtle tentative insinuation of process in that position ( Fig. 3E ). Everted coxal sacs visible from third pair of legs, as male ( Fig. 3E ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Location and characteristics of the sampling points and a living specimen of Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. A. Aerial view of the area at the Peñarrubia reservoir and its location in the Iberian Peninsula, with sampling point marked with a red star. B. Geological map of the area (modified from Abril Hurtado et al. 1982), with sampling point marked by a red star. C. Aspect of the landscape where Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. was collected. D. Living specimen of Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. in a defensive position over a clay layer below the limestone pebbles where it was found.

Fig. 2. External morphology of Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. in lateral view. A. ♂ holotype (MNCN 20.07/2069). B. ♀ paratype (MNCN 20.07/2070). Scale bar = 5 mm.

Fig. 3. Morphological details of Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. A. Head of ♂ paratype (note: colour has faded after 13 years in ethanol) (MNCN 20.07/2071). B. Last antennomeres of ♀ paratype (MNCN 20.07/2070). C. Posterodorsal part of the head of ♀ paratype and collum in dorsal view (MNCN 20.07/2070). D. Dorsal part of pleurotergites 5 (only partially visible) to 7 in lateral view (MNCN 20.07/2070). E. Detail of ventral part of first rings of ♀ in lateral view, with posterior tip of collum and pleurotergite 2 visible, four first pair of legs (second reduced) and coxal sacs (MNCN 20.07/2070). F. Telson and last rings of ♀ paratype (MNCN 20.07/2070). Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 4. Legs of ♂ paratype (MNCN 20.07/2071) seen by optic microscopy. A. Leg 1. B. Leg 2. C. Leg 3. D. Coxa and coxal sac of leg 4. E. Tip of tarsus and claw of leg 4. Scale bars: A–D = 0.5 mm, E =0.1 mm.

Fig. 5. Gonopod of ♂ paratype (MNCN 20.07/2071). A. Posterior view. B. Lateral view. C. Anterior view. D. Distal part of right telopodite in posterior view. E. Tip of right telopodite with tip of solenomerite visible. Scale bars: A–D = 0.4 mm, E = 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: α, β = processes of telopodite; arc = semi-circular arc of gonocoxite; c = gonocoxite; f = pseudoflagellum (or hornflagellum); l = lamella; m = membranous structures; s = solenomerite; sp = subrectangular projection of membranous structures; srp = semi-rectangular process of gonocoxite; t = telopodite.

Fig. 6. Telopodite and gonocoxite of Lusitanipus alternans and Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. A. Distal part of gonopod of Lusitanipus alternans in anterior view, redrawn after Reboleira & Enghoff (2015). B. Distal part of gonopod of Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. in anterior view. C. Tip of telopodite of Lusitanipus alternans in lateral view, redrawn after Verhoeff (1900) (original without scale bar). D. ip of telopodite of Lusitanipus alternans in ventrolateral view, redrawn after a SEM photograph by Reboleira & Enghoff (2015). E. Tip of telopodite of Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. in lateral view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: α, β and γ = processes of telopodite; c = gonocoxite; f = pseudoflagellum (or hornflagellum); l = lamella; s = solenomerite; t = telopodite.