Thyropygus forceps, Pimvichai & Enghoff & Panha & Backeljau, 2016

Pimvichai, Piyatida, Enghoff, Henrik, Panha, Somsak & Backeljau, Thierry, 2016, A revision of the Thyropygus allevatus group. Part V: Nine new species of the extended opinatus subgroup, based on morphological and DNA sequence data (Diplopoda: Spirostreptida: Harpagophoridae), European Journal of Taxonomy 199, pp. 1-37 : 18-20

Thyropygus forceps sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:11BAAEC5-404D-4E15-982C-2F3E51DEA56B

Figs 4 A–E, 11B

Diagnosis

A species of the opinatus subgroup. Lateral process of anterior coxal fold (alp) long, slender, regularly curved, tip close to tip of opposite alp, the two together forming a circle. Similar in this respect to T. erectus and T. floweri . Differs from the former by having a telopodite lobe (lo). Particularly similar to T. floweri , differing from it by having the mesal process of posterior coxal fold (pmp) slender, directed distolaterad, laterally with a digitiform process (plp), and by not having pmp strongly developed along the anterior-posterior axis.

Etymology

The name is a Latin noun in apposition, referring to the forceps-like gonopod coxae.

Material examined

Holotype THAILAND: ♂, Nakhonsrithammarat Province, Lanska District, Namwang Srithammasokrach , 8°20'25" N, 99°49'42" E, 16 May 2010, leg. S. Panha, P. Pimvichai and members of the Animal Systematics Research Unit ( CUMZ-D00092 ).

Paratypes THAILAND: 2♂♂, 2subadult ♂♂, same data as holotype ( CUMZ-D00073 ); 5♂♂, Nakhonsrithammarat Province, Ronpiboon District, Tham Pha Deang temple , 8°14'42" N, 99°52'03" E, 14 May 2012, leg. C. Sutcharit and members of the Animal Systematics Research Unit ( CUMZ-D00093 ); 2 ♂♂, same data as preceding ( ZMUC).

Description

Adult males with 54–62 podous rings, no apodous rings. Length 9–12 cm, width 4.6–5.8 mm. Overall colour of living animal ( Fig. 11B ) brown. Legs, antennae, middorsal metazona, epiproct, paraprocts and hypoproct brownish orange; preserved specimens with head, antennae, prozona, legs, middorsal metazona, epiproct, paraprocts and hypoproct brown; metazona dark brown.

GONOPODS ( Fig. 4 A–E). Anterior coxal fold (ac; Fig. 4A ): distinctly crenulated along convex part of lateral margin (smooth in specimens from Tham Pha Deang temple), lateral process (alp) long, slender, regularly curved, tip close to tip of opposite alp, the two together forming a circle; mesal process (amp) slightly shorter than alp, directed obliquely disto-mesad (in specimens from Tham Pha Deang temple lateral process (alp) long, slender, crossing over with opposite tip, the two together forming a circle; Fig. 4B ); mesal process (amp) slightly shorter than alp, directed distad, slightly sigmoid. Posterior coxal fold (pc; Fig. 4C ) basally with moderately high lateral paracoxites (px), distally with two processes: mesal process (pmp) slender, directed distolaterad; lateral process (plp) digitiform. Telopodite ( Fig. 4 D–E) leaving coxite over shelf of posterior coxal fold; femoral spine (fe) massive, curving in horizontal plane and curving against ti; telopodite distally to fe with large, round lobe (lo) projecting distolaterally; tibial spine (ti) very long, slender, curving in horizontal plane, its tip resting against base of fe; apical part: spatulate lobe (sl) with sharp dark brown spine at tip; palette (pa) simple, distally with about nine brownish blepharochaetae (bp).

DNA barcode

The GenBank accession number of the barcode of one of the paratypes is KC519531 (voucher code CUMZ-D00073).

Distribution ( Fig. 12 )

Known only from Namwang Srithammasokrach and Tham Pha Deang temple in Nakhonsrithammarat Province.

Remarks

Coexisting with the larger T. cimi sp. nov. at Namwang Srithammasokrach.

Figures

Fig. 4. Thyropygus forceps sp. nov., gonopods. –A, C–E. Holotype (CUMZ-D00092), ♂, from Namwang Srithammasokrach.A. Anterior view, left telopodite removed. C. Posterior view, left telopodite removed. D. Left telopodite, posterior-mesal view. E. Left telopodite, anterior-lateral view. – B. Specimen from Tham Pha Deang temple (CUMZ-D00093), ♂. Anterior view, left telopodite removed.

Fig. 11. A. Thyropygus navychula sp. nov., specimen from Surin Islands, living ♂ (paratype, CUMZ-D00089-1). B. Thyropygus forceps sp. nov., specimen from Namwang Srithammasokrach, living ♂ (paratype, CUMZ-D00073-1).

Fig. 12. Known distribution of the species of the T. opinatus subgroup.