Hemisphaeroparia avis sp. nov. Figs 1F, 12, 13
Type material.
Holotype ♂ (MRAC 22853), Cameroon, Center Region, Mafou and Afamba Division, Mfou, cocoa plantation, 3°48 ’49.6” N, 11°40 ’49.6” E, 24.VII.2019, A.R. Nzoko Fiemapong leg. Paratypes: 3 ♂, 12 ♀, 2 subadult ♀ (many fragmented) (MRAC 22854), 12 ♂ (MRAC 22855), 1 ♂ (SEM, MRAC 22856), 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (ZMUM Rd 4630), 1 ♂ (UY1), same locality, together with holotype.
Diagnosis. Differs from all other species of the genus by the presence of a boletiform epicranial tubercle (♂) (Fig. 12D, K), coupled with the unusually large, disc-shaped spiracles next to coxae 1 or 2 (Fig. 12G, L), the strong, setose, subtriangular, distoventral process on ♂ prefemur (Fig. 12J), the densely setose sterna between ♂ coxae 2 and 3 (Fig. 12M), and the sole prominent, clearly exposed process (ab) with a bird’s beak-shaped tip on the gonopodal telopodite (Fig. 13).
Name. From Latin avis (= bird), to emphasize the bird’s beak-shaped tip of the sole process (ab) of the gonopodal telopodite; noun in apposition.
Description. Length of holotype ca 4.5 mm, width of midbody pro- and metazonae 0.45 and 0.6 mm (♂), respectively. Length of paratypes 4.0-5.5 mm, width of midbody pro- and metazonae 0.45-0.5 and 0.6-0.7 (♂) or 0.6-0.8 mm (♀), respectively. Coloration in alcohol mostly uniformly reddish, apparently in part due to a thin earth crust coating most of the body (Fig. 1F); more rarely nearly pallid.
Body with 20 segments in both sexes. Tegument very delicately micro-alveolate, slightly shining to dull. Head very densely micropilose, with a very distinct, mushroom-like, frontal tubercle (♂) (Fig. 12D, K). Interantennal isthmus ca 1.3-1.4 times diameter of antennal socket. Antennae long and strongly clavate, reaching back up to segment 3 when stretched dorsally (♂, ♀). In length, antennomere 3 = 6> 5> 2 = 4> 7> 1; antennomere 6 the largest, antennomeres 5 and 6 each with a distinct, round, distodorsal field of minute sensilla. In width, collum <head <segments 2-4 <5-16; thereafter body gradually tapering towards telson. Collum ellipsoid, transversely oval, like all following metaterga with three transverse, regular rows of setae. Tergal setae relatively long, each mostly ca 1/3-1.4 as long as metatergum, a little longer on collum and gradually reduced in size towards telson, bacilliform and longitudinally ribbed (Fig. 12 A–F, N), always 3+3 in each row on postcollum metaterga. Dorsum invariably regularly convex. Paraterga medium-sized, set at around upper 1/3 of metazonae (Fig. 12 A–C), visible starting with collum, often slightly upturned caudally, faintly, but regularly rounded and bordered, lateral incisions absent; but 2-3 setae or their insertion points present at lateral margin. Caudal corner of paraterga mostly rounded, drawn increasingly back, but faintly reaching past rear tergal margin only on segments 18 and 19 (Fig. 12C, F). Pore formula normal: 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15-18. Ozopores small, round, opening flush dorsally near caudal corner of poriferous paraterga. Stricture between pro- and metazonae wide, shallow. Limbus very finely microspiculate. Spiracles next to coxae 1 or 2 unusually prominent, discoid and microporose (Fig. 12G, L); following ones small, inconspicuous, as usual. Pleurosternal carinae traceable as very faint ridges or lines on most segments (Fig. 12 A–C). Epiproct short, conical, flattened dorsoventrally. Hypoproct semi-circular, setae strongly separated and borne on minute knobs.
Sterna wide, mostly unmodified and sparsely setose, unusually densely setose only between ♂ coxae 2 and 3 (Fig. 12M); each ♂ prefemur 1 with a prominent, densely setose, subtriangular, blunt, distoventral process (Fig. 12J) (much like in H. falcata); some setae on ♂ legs slightly modified, with flattened or branching tips. Legs rather long and slender, ca 1.2-1.3 (♂) or 1.0 -1.1 (♀) times as long as midbody height; in length, tarsus> femur> coxa = prefemur = postfemur = tibia, the latter with a particularly long, tactile seta apicodorsally. Tarsal brushes absent.
Gonopods (Fig. 13) with large, subglobose, clearly exposed, alveolate coxae, these rather densely setose nearly throughout, fused medially at base, each carrying two very long setae near place of fusion. Telopodite bases clearly concealed inside a large gonocoel, each very densely setose along funnel-shaped mesal part, with only one strong, slightly curved, very distinctly exposed, ribbon-shaped, apically bird’s beak-shaped branch (ab). Solenomere (sl) a short unciform branch located at and hidden by base of ab.
Remarks.
Mfou, the type locality of Hemisphaeroparia avis sp. nov., is shared with as many as further two congeners, H. spiniger and H. falcata .