Desmoxytes simplipoda, Liu, Weixin, Golovatch, Sergei & Tian, Mingyi, 2016

Liu, Weixin, Golovatch, Sergei & Tian, Mingyi, 2016, Six new species of dragon millipedes, genus Desmoxytes Chamberlin, 1923, mostly from caves in China (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae), ZooKeys 577, pp. 1-24 : 4-7

Taxon classification Animalia Polydesmida Paradoxosomatidae

Desmoxytes simplipoda sp. n. Figs 1 C–D, 4, 5

Holotype

♂ (SCAU), China, Guangdong, Qingyuan, Yangshan Xian, Chengjia Xiang, Dabei Cun, Cave Kuangzhanyan, 24°46'28"N, 112°48'16"E, ca 140 m a.s.l., 2014-XII-28, leg. Mingyi Tian, Weixin Liu, Sunbin Huang & Xinhui Wang.

Paratypes.

1 ♂, 6 ♀ (SCAU), same locality and collecting data as the holotype.

Name.

To emphasize the legs being simple, devoid of modifications; adjective.

Diagnosis.

Using the latest key ( Liu et al. 2014), this new species keys out to the superficially most similar Desmoxytes longispina (Loksa, 1960), especially so due to spiniform paraterga and a condensed solenophore, but differs by the legs being devoid of modifications.

Description.

All characters as in Desmoxytes laticollis sp. n., except as follows.

Length ca 28-29 mm (♂) or 31-33 mm (♀), width of midbody pro- and metazonae 1.8 and 4.0 (♂) or 2.5 and 4.5 mm (♀), respectively. Holotype 29 mm long, 1.8 and 4.0 mm wide on midbody pro- and metazonae, respectively. In width, head <segment 2-4 <collum <5-16. Coloration (Fig. 1 C–D) varying from dark brownish to nearly pallid, anterior part of body a little darker than posterior part. In holotype, head, as well as dorsal and both lateral sides of metaterga dark brownish; prozonae, paraterga, sterna, and legs pallid to yellowish (Fig. 4); apices of antennomeres 6 and 7 dark brownish (Fig. 1 C–D). Antennae very long and slender, reaching back until posterior margin of segment 6 (♂) or segment 5 (♀) when stretched dorsally.

Prozonae very delicately microalveolate, metazonae rather finely shagreened and microgranulate (Fig. 4). Collum (Fig. 4A) with 3+3 evident setigerous spinules at fore margin, at least 1+1 much smaller spinules in the middle and 2+2 strongly enlarged spines (paramedian spines being larger than others) at posterior margin; following metaterga 2-18 showing a pattern of smaller 2+2 posterior spinules with invariably obliterated setae (paramedian two spinules a little larger, the other two located at base of each paratergum), while metaterga 19 with 1+1 posterior spinules (Fig. 4C, E). Paraterga (Fig. 4) very strongly developed, spiniform, on collum with four evident anteromarginal denticles; all following paraterga long, straight, also spiniform, about as high as metatergal height in ♂, a little shorter in ♀; paraterga 2-18 with 2-3 evident denticles frontally. Paraterga 2-9 directed more dorsad than laterad, nearly erect above dorsum; following paraterga directed a little caudad, but ending up clearly above dorsum. Ozopores conspicuous, located a little above first denticle from lateral side of pore-bearing paraterga (Fig. 4 B–F). Transverse sulcus present on segments 2-19, but complete and reaching bases of paraterga only on segments 6-15 (Fig. 4C, E).

Sterna sparsely setose, cross-impressions evident. A large, median, sparsely setose process with two small pores at base between ♂ coxae 4 (Figs 4B, 5A). Legs devoid of modifications (Fig. 4 A–B), ca 2.8-3.0 (♂) or 2.5 (♀) times as long as midbody height.

Gonopods (Fig. 5 B–C) simple. Coxite stout, about 1/3 as long as telopodite. Prefemur short, less than half the length of acropodite. Femorite long, suberect. Solenophore strongly condensed and divided into a large subtriangular lamella lateralis (ll) and a terminally evidently bifid lamella medialis (lm).

Remark.

Judging by the extremely elongated antennae and legs, this species seems to be a troglobite.