Lophostreptus magombera Enghoff sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 46DC7675-238F-47DB-9D36-87EA131A9E64

Figs 2, 3G, 18–20

Diagnosis

Differs from congeners, except L. similis Attems, 1934, by the distinctive shape of the gonopod coxa, in particular the long, stout, somewhat duck-head-shaped lateroapical process (Fig. 20D–E). In other characters very similar to the co-existing L. tersus, but smaller (Fig. 18). Differing from L. similis by having a semicircular flange on the gonopod telopodite, by lacking a mesal coxal process, and by lacking an elongate lobe on the gonopod telopodite.

Etymology

Named after the Magombera Nature Reserve, see Marshall (2008). Noun in apposition.

Material examined (total 6 ♂♂, 21 ♀♀, 1 juv.)

Holotype

TANZANIA • ♂; Morogoro Region, Kilombero District, Magombera Nature Reserve; 07°49′21.7″ S, 36°58′57.1″ E; 283 m a.s.l.; 30 Jan. 2020; A. Ngute and A.R. Marshall leg.; Micro-FoRCE plot 12, closed forest; NHMD 621882.

Paratypes

TANZANIA – Morogoro Region, Kilombero District, Magombera Nature Reserve • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; 07°48′43.4″ S, 36°57′22.3″ E; 288 m a.s.l; 6 Mar. 2018; A.R. Marshall leg.; Half-FoRCE plot 32, open forest; NHMD 621883 • 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; 07°48′21.5″ S, 36°59′47.5″ E; 287 m a.s.l.; 17 Feb. 2018; A.R. Marshall leg.; Half-FoRCE plot 38, open forest; NHMD 621884 . – Morogoro Region, Kilombero District, Udzungwa Mountains National Park, Mwanihana • 7 ♀♀; Sonjo; 07°48′22.6″ S, 36°52′17.0″ E; 579 m a.s.l.; 14 Dec. 2021; A. Ngute, R. Malanda, H. Mnendendo, W. Mhagawale, A. Mpoto, A. Marshall leg.; FoRCE plot 13, closed canopy; NHMD 621885 • 4 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; Sonjo; 07°48′24.4″ S, 36°52′21.7″ E; 589 m a.s.l.; 15 Dec. 2022; A. Ngute, R. Malanda, H. Mnendendo, W. Mhagawale, A. Mpoto, A. Marshall leg.; FoRCE plot 14, open canopy; NHMD 621886 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; Sonjo; 07°47′57.1″ S, 36°52′51.0″ E; 540 m a.s.l.; 12 Aug. 2021; A. Ngute, E. Kivambe, W. Mhagawale, H. Mnendendo, A. Marshall leg.; FoRCE plot 94, open canopy; NHMD 621887 • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; Sonjo; 07°47′55.6″ S, 36°52′43.6″ E; 541 m a.s.l.; 18 Aug. 2021; A. Ngute, E. Kivambe, W. Mhagawale, H. Mnendendo, A. Mwakisoma, A. Marshall leg.; FoRCE plot 95, open canopy; NHMD 621888 • 1 juv. ♂; same collection data as for preceding; Gologolo; 07°43′37.2″ S, 36°55′03.7″ E; 675 m a.s.l.; 16 Sep. 2021; A. Ngute, R. Malanda, W. Mhagawale, A. Mpoto, A. Marshall leg.: FoRCE plot 46, closed canopy; NHMD 621889 .

Description (males)

SIZE. Length 27–34 mm; diameter 1.8–2.1 mm; 42–44 podous rings, no apodous rings in front of telson. See Fig. 18.

COLOUR (Fig. 3G). After 11 months in alcohol: head, antennae, collum, rings 2–6 and telson blackish; rings 7–8 transitory; from ring 9 light brownish yellow, keels above ozopore level with narrow brown stripe, at hind end of keel more extensively brown, resulting in narrow brown band across dorsal half of each ring. Legs light yellowish.

HEAD (Fig. 19A). Vertex very densely and rather coarsely punctuate, with a clearly demarcated parietal furrow. Eyes not reaching mesal of antennal socket, ca 35 ommatidia in 5–6 horizontal and ca 10 vertical rows. Antennae reaching 3 rd body ring. Antennomeres 3–5 strongly narrowed at base.

COLLUM (Fig. 19A). Not modified for accommodation of antennae, coarsely punctate; along posterior margin a row of quite short, week furrows and carinae which towards the sides gradually reach further forwards. Lateral lobes much narrower than dorsal part, not expanded, traversed by 3 or 4 anteriorly strongly ascending carinae/furrows of which uppermost is strongest and almost straight, reaching anterior margin above eye level, anterior corner rectangular, posterior corner more rounded, margins straight.

BODY RINGS (Fig. 19B–E). Prozonites (pz) in anterior part (ca half) with very fine ring furrows which further back give place to a cell structure; posterior part (ca 20%) delimited by clear line, with a regular pattern of larger, rectangular cells. The cuticular scutes (“cytoscutes”) of the anterior part of the prozonite are remarkable in being rounded rather than polygonal and being arranged in an imbricate pattern, as in Attemsostreptus leptoptilos sp. nov. (Fig. 12G, left inset). Suture between pro- and metazonites straight, simple. Metazonites (mz) with clear constriction a little behind suture, with numerous simple keels which at least dorsally reach from suture, across constriction and until posterior ring margin; ca 15 keels between dorsal midline and ozopore in a male of 2.0 mm diameter. Ozopores (oz) small, ca in middle of metazonite. A row of large sigilla.

TELSON (Fig. 19F–H). As in L. tersus: preanal ring (pr) regularly and densely grainy-rugose. Anal valves (av) overall with same sculpture, strongly vaulted, their mesal margins slightly raised as low rims, smooth, meeting in midline, paralleled more laterally by much higher lips with smooth edge; distance between lips and mesal margin equal to or larger than height of lips; area between mesal margin and lip with weaker sculpture than main part of valve.

LEGS. Short, length ca 0.7 ×body diameter. No ventral pads. First pair (Fig. 20A–C): coxosternum with lateral groups of a few long setae (cxs) and more mesally with large groups of numerous long setae (cxs) next to prefemoral lobes. Prefemoral lobes (pfl) rounded-rectangular, with a few apicomesal setae (aps) and a diagonal field of long setae (dps).

GONOPOD COXA (Fig. 20D–E). Proplica (pp) parallel-sided, apically rounded. Metaplica (mp) with straight mesal margin and oblique lateral margin, hence broadest at base; apically turning smoothly laterad at right angles and forming a long, stout, somewhat duck-head-shaped lateroapical process (lap); no trace of a mesapical process.

GONOPOD TELOPODITE (Fig. 20D–G). Slender, simple, with a semicircular flange (sf) shortly after the emergence of the telopodite from the gonocoel. Solenomere (slm) flanked by two tongue-shaped processes (tp).

Descriptive notes (females)

Length up to 41 mm, diameter up to 3.3 mm; 42–45 podous rings, no apodous rings in front of telson.

Distribution and habitat

An Udzungwa endemic, known from the Mwanihana area in Udzungwa Mountains National Park and from Magombera Nature Reserve. There are approximately the same number of samples from plots with open (5) and closed (3) canopy. Altitudinal range 283–675 m a.s.l.

Remarks

The new species bears a remarkable resemblance to Lophostreptus similis Attems, 1934, described from Angola. Not only are the gonopods, including the unusually shaped lateral metaplical process, largely identical; the body size of L. similis (adult male diameter 2.8 mm, 45 “Segmente”, i.e., 44 podous rings + telson) is only slightly larger than in of L. magombera sp. nov. (adult male diameter 1.8–2.1 mm, 42–44 podous rings). Non-gonopodal characters of L. similis as described by Attems (1934) are fully compatible with L. magombera . However, the new species lacks the small, digitiform mesal coxal process “c” and the elongate telopodite lobe “b” described for L. similis by Attems (1938), and the semicircular flange on the gonopod telopodite of L. magombera (Fig. 20D, F) is lacking in L. similis .