Zoosphaerium tampolo, Wesener, 2009

Wesener, Thomas, 2009, Unexplored richness: discovery of 31 new species of Giant Pill-Millipedes endemic to Madagascar, with a special emphasis on microendemism (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida), Zootaxa 2097 (1), pp. 1-134 : 94-97

Zoosphaerium tampolo , new species

Derivatio nominis: tampolo , noun in apposition, refers to the type locality. Studied material: Holotype: 1 M (33 mm long), FMMC 3958, Locus typicus: Madagascar, Province

Toamasina, Forestière de Tampolo , littoral forest, 10 m, 17°17.2'S, 49°25.4'E, coll. S. Goodman, 3–16.iv.1997 .

Paratypes: 2 M, 3 F, FMMC 3958 , same data as holotype . 8 M, 2 F, FMMC 4030 , S. F. Tampolo, 10 km NNE Fenoarivo Atn. , littoral forest, 10 m, 17°17'S, 49°26'E, coll. B. L. Fisher, 04.iv.1997, pitfall traps. 3 M , FMMC 4035 , S. F. Tampolo , littoral forest, 10 m, 17°17' S, 49°25' E, coll. B. L. Fisher, 10.iv.1997, pitfall traps .

Other material: All from S. F. Tampolo: 4 M, FMMC 7029; 4 F, FMMC 7881; 11 F, FMMC 7881; 20 M, FMMC 7882.

Distribution: Only known from the type locality, the Northern littoral forest of S. F. Tampolo.

Diagnosis: Up to 34 mm long. Color faded to olive-brownish in alcohol. Antenna, head and legs dark greenish. Texture of tergites glabrous. Anal shield well -rounded, covered with few, isolated hairs. First stigmatic plates greatly enlarged and well-rounded (Figs 64A, B). Disc of antenna with 20–30 apical cones (Fig. 65C). Movable finger of posterior telopods broad, with well-rounded tip and five sclerotized spines (Fig. 64F); posterior side with circa 10 small, sclerotized teeth (Fig. 64G). Fixed finger long and slender, curved, basally with one small spine, distally at inner margin with numerous sclerotized spots (Fig. 64F). Fixed finger slightly shorter than movable finger. Single stridulation rib on each male harp (Fig. 64D). Last podomere of anterior telopods laterally of cavity with 4 or 5 sclerotized teeth (Fig. 64E). Anal shield with two locking carinae, first small, second 2 times longer than first. Female with two stridulation ribs on each side of female washboard, operculum of vulva with two well-rounded, same sized tips not protruding above coxal margin (Fig. 4C).

Similar species: Z. tampolo , n. sp. occurs sympatrically with Z. villosum (Wesener & Sierwald, 2005) , from which it differs in the number of stridulation ribs on the male harp, the body size and the shape of the locking carinae on the anal shield. Z. tampolo , n. sp. shares some habitus characters with Z. platylabum ( de Saussure & Zehntner, 1897) but differs from the latter in different shaped anterior and posterior telopods. The greatly enlarged first stigma plates and the presence of minute sclerotized teeth on the anterior side of the movable finger are a unique character of Z. tampolo , n. sp. for the whole Z. coquerelianum species-group.

Description: Body length: Males (15 specimens): length up to 33 mm, width of thoracic shield up to 16.0 mm, height of thoracic shield up to 8.8 mm. Females (4 specimens): length up to 32 mm, width up to 15.4 mm, height up to 7.9 mm. Both sexes of similar size.

Habitus: medium sized, dark-colored, glabrous pill millipede.

Coloration: Head, collum, thoracic shield, tergites and anal shield completely blackish, antennae and legs dark green.

Head: Eyes with>75 ocelli.

Antennae: Length of antennomeres: 1>2=3>4=5<<6, sixth antennomere longest, as long as fourth and fifth combined (Fig. 65A). Sixth antennomere cylindrical, disc with 20–30 sensory cones (Fig. 65C). First antennomere remarkably broader than others (Fig. 65A), short, with groove and 1 or 2 rows of sensilla basiconica (Fig. 65B). Sclerotized teeth at base of antennomeres 1–5 (Fig. 65A).

Mandible: 5 or 6 rows of pectinate lamellae, number of teeth declining apically to proximally (Fig. 65D). Condylus with two strongly developed steps (Fig. 65D).

Gnathochilarium: Laterally of palpi four sensory cones, located together. Depression on posterior side of palpi with some sensory cones.

Collum: Median part of collum glabrous.

Thoracic shield surface structured like tergites.

Tergites: Paratergites projecting slightly posteriorly.

Endotergum: Inner area with thin conical spines and long hair. Single row of small, circular cuticular impression, regularly distributed (Fig. 74A). Two rows of marginal bristles, reaching up to margin (Fig. 74A).

Anal shield: Well-rounded, neither bell-shaped nor tapered. Covered with few isolated hairs. Underside carries two well-developed black locking carinae, anterior one small, but well-developed. Posterior carina 1.5–2 times longer than anterior one.

FIGURE 065. Zoosphaerium tampolo n. sp., paratype, SEM, A: antenna, lateral view; B: antenna, first antennomere; C: apical view on sixth antennomere with disc; D: right mandible, mesal view. Abbreviations: 3iT = 3 inner teeth; Co = condylus; eT = external tooth; mp = molar plate; pL = pectinate lamella.

Legs: Tarsi of first pair of legs with four or five, second with five to six and third pair with seven to eight ventral spines. First two leg pairs with only weakly curved claws and without apical spine. Tarsi of legs 3–21 with curved claws, 12–14 ventral spines and one apical spine. In 9th leg femur 2.4 times, tarsi 4.8 times longer than wide.

Stigmatic plates: First lobe long and broad, reaching as high as prefemur (Figs 64A, B).

Female sexual characters: Subanal plate with washboard, consisting of well-developed stridulation ribs, two ribs on each half. Stridulation ribs symmetrical and strong. Vulva large, covering more than 3/4 of coxa. Operculum reaching up to apical coxal edge, with two well-rounded, same sized lobes (Fig. 64C). Mesal plate long and broad, reaching up to half of operculum height (Fig. 64C).

Male sexual characters: Anal shield not sexually dimorphic.

Anterior telopods (Figs 64D, E): Harp with single stridulation rib, rib straight and well-developed. Second podomere process lobe-like and little curved with rounded edges, reaching up to 1/3 of third podomere height, apically with sclerotized spots. Third podomere cavity mesally with numerous sclerotized spots and three sclerotized spines, laterally with row of 4 or 5 crenulated, large teeth. One sclerotized spot located closely to tip.

Posterior telopods (Figs 64E, F): Movable finger of chela thick, 1.85 times longer than wide, weakly curved, apically slightly tapering. Hollowed-out inner margin with five sclerotized spines, posterior aspect with circa 10 small, sclerotized teeth, anterior aspect apically with four minute, non-sclerotized teeth. Fixed finger shorter and more slender than movable finger. Fixed finger tip weakly curved, anterior side basally with single, short, sclerotized spine, apically with numerous sclerotized spots. Fixed finger on both sides covered with few long hairs. Movable finger on posterior side medially with few hairs, remaining parts of posterior telopods glabrous. Inner horns of syncoxite apically curved posteriorly. Tips sharp, whole horns covered with numerous short hairs.