Rhopalomeris nigroflava Likhitrakarn, 2024
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.3897/zookeys.1215.130919 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:63D44DED-AB0D-4762-99A9-CC64B9EB8AE4 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13941511 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/6D8B6CCE-FED1-49C9-9E20-ADD3FD6AF618 |
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taxon LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:act:6D8B6CCE-FED1-49C9-9E20-ADD3FD6AF618 |
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treatment provided by |
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scientific name |
Rhopalomeris nigroflava Likhitrakarn |
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sp. nov. |
Rhopalomeris nigroflava Likhitrakarn sp. nov.
Figs 4 View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 , 6 View Figure 6
Material examined.
Holotype: Myanmar – Kayin State • ♂; Linno Gu (Lateral small cave); 16°50'52.9"N, 097°36'37.7"E; 25 Nov. 2015; F. Bréhier leg.; MY 15-13 / 01 - CUMZ -GLO 093 GoogleMaps . Paratypes: Myanmar – Kayin State • 7 ♂♂ 5 ♀♀; same locality as holotype; MY 15-13 / 01 - CUMZ -GLO 093 GoogleMaps ) • 2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀; same locality as holotype; MNHN -MY 15 -13 / 01 GoogleMaps .
Diagnosis.
Differs from other species of Rhopalomeris by the yellowish body with contrasting brown to blackish markings on terga 4–9 (Fig. 4 A – F View Figure 4 ). Additionally, characterized by the smallest body sizes (5.1–9.7 mm in length and 2.6–4.7 mm in width), coupled with the telopod syncoxital lobe being slightly lower than lateral syncoxite horns. For further details, see key below.
Description.
Body length of unrolled holotype, 7.3 mm, width 4.1 mm. Body length of unrolled paratypes, 5.6–9.3 mm (♂), 5.1–9.7 mm (♀), width 3.1–4.8 (♂), 2.6–4.7 mm (♀).
Color faded after nine years of preservation in alcohol (Fig. 4 A – F View Figure 4 ): body yellowish to brown yellowish, with contrasting brown to blackish markings on terga 4–9 (Fig. 4 A, B, D, E View Figure 4 ); lateral sides of terga 10, 11, and anal shield sometimes with a pair of small, faint, dark paramedian spots, these reaching neither caudal nor lateral edges (Fig. 4 A, B, D, E View Figure 4 ); head, antennae and collum brown to dark brownish, only labrum, vertex and Tömösváry’s organ light brown; venter yellow brown to light yellowish; legs pale brown to brownish, with basal part of each podomere whitish (Fig. 4 C, F View Figure 4 ).
Labrum sparsely setose (Figs 4 C, F View Figure 4 , 5 A View Figure 5 ). Gnathochilarium with 2 + 2 palps subequal in length. Eyes blackish, with 6 (7) + 1 (♂) ommatidia (Fig. 5 A View Figure 5 ), 6 – (9) + 1 ommatidia (♀), cornea convex and translucent. Antennomere 6 rather short, ~ 1.7–1.8 × as long as its height, dorsal margin only slightly curved (Figs 4 C View Figure 4 , 5 A, C View Figure 5 ). Disk of antennomere 7 beset with 22–28 small sensory cones apically (Fig. 5 A, C View Figure 5 ), 16–26 small sensory cones apically (♀). Tömösváry’s organ typical, horseshoe-shaped, oblong-oval, elongate, ~ 1.6–1.7 × as long as broad (Fig. 5 A, C View Figure 5 ).
Collum as usual, with two transverse striae (Fig. 5 A View Figure 5 ). Thoracic shield with a small hyposchism field not projecting past rear tergal margin (Fig. 5 B View Figure 5 ). 7–9 mostly superficial striae, only lower 4 or 5 lying above schism, one level to schism, remaining 3 or 4 below schism, 6 or 7 complete, crossing the dorsum (Fig. 5 B View Figure 5 ). Terga 3–7 rather broadly rounded laterally, with two or three striae starting above lateral edge, sometimes middle stria fading away mid-dorsally (Fig. 5 B View Figure 5 ). Following terga in front of pygidium concave medially at caudal edge and with one or two striae starting above lateral edge. Male pygidium faintly concave medially at caudal edge (Fig. 4 A, D, E View Figure 4 ).
♂ legs 17 (Fig. 6 A – C View Figure 6 ) particularly strongly reduced, with a rather small to medium-sized, often irregularly rounded coxal lobe and a 4 - segmented telopodite. Tarsus with 2–4 strong apical spines.
♂ legs 18 (Fig. 5 D View Figure 5 ) rather strongly reduced, with a rounded ogival syncoxital notch and a 4 - segmented telopodite. Femur with a small, setose, caudomedial tubercle near apex. Tarsus with a small apical spine.
Telopods (= ♂ legs 19) (Fig. 6 D – G View Figure 6 ) with a small subtrapeziform, narrowly and roundly emarginated syncoxital lobe, this being flanked by two setose syncoxite horns, each of the latter higher than syncoxital lobe (Fig. 6 D, E View Figure 6 ) and crowned by a subapical setoid filament (Fig. 6 F, G View Figure 6 ). Telopodite 4 - segmented. Prefemur (Fig. 6 E View Figure 6 ) rectangular, with a conspicuous, elongated, robust, tuberculiform, distomesal prefemoral trichostele; in anterior view, with a rounded tip, extending to about half or distal boundary of femur (Fig. 6 E View Figure 6 ). Femur (Fig. 6 D, E View Figure 6 ) rectangular, with a prominent, stout, relatively short femoral trichostele in anterior view, extending apically to ~ 1 / 2–3 / 4 prefemoral trichostele, in posterior view with a rounded, subtriangular femoral process, this being curved anterolaterally and gently tapering into an acuminate rounded tip distally (Fig. 6 D, E View Figure 6 ). Tibia stout, gently tapering distally and curved apicobasally towards femoral process, with a rather large, distolateral tibial process strongly curved mesad (Fig. 6 D, E View Figure 6 ), with a strong anterior seta in anterior view (Fig. 6 D View Figure 6 ) near base of tibial process. Tarsus the smallest, subcylindrical, moderately sigmoid, strongly curved, narrowly rounded apically, with a robust and small terminal seta (Fig. 6 D, E View Figure 6 ).
Remarks.
It seems noteworthy that a female and two male (Fig. 5 C View Figure 5 ) specimens were found guarding a clutch of eggs near its head, beneath the thoracic shield. This behavior deviates from the typical reproductive strategy so far known in the entire order Glomerida , where females deposit eggs in specialized clay chambers and leave them to develop independently ( Thomas et al. 1970; Janssen 2013). This is the first instance of paternal brood care observed in Glomerida . Therefore, this newly discovered species presents fascinating traits worthy of a dedicated future study.
Etymology.
The specific epithet nigroflava is derived from the Latin niger meaning black and flavus meaning yellow, in reference to the dark bands on a yellowish dorsum, adjective in feminine gender.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
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