Koponenius biramus, Golovatch, Sergei I. & Vandenspiegel, Didier, 2014

Golovatch, Sergei I. & Vandenspiegel, Didier, 2014, Koponenius gen. nov., a new genus of the millipede family Haplodesmidae from the Himalayas of India and Nepal (Diplopoda: Polydesmida), Zootaxa 3894 (1), pp. 141-151 : 148-149

Koponenius biramus sp. nov.

Figs 5–8

Material examined: Holotype male ( SMF), Nepal, Lalitpur District, Godawari, 27°36´N, 85°24´E, foot of Mount Phulchoki, ca 1750 m, secondary broadleaved forest, 9 August 1970, leg. J. Martens. Paratypes: 12 males, 1 female ( SMF), 2 males ( ZMUM), 1 male (SEM), same data, together with holotype.

Name: To emphasize the biramous gonopod telopodite; adjective.

Diagnosis: Differs from the sole congener, the type species K. unicornis sp. nov., in the lack of a fore projection on the collum, as well as by the biramous gonopod telopodite.

Description: Length in both sexes ca 11–12 mm, width of pro- and metazonae 1.2–1.3 and 1.6–1.8 mm, respectively. Holotype ca 11 mm long, 1.2 and 1.6 mm wide on pro- and metazonae, respectively. Coloration in alcohol rather uniformly grey-brown to dark bown ( Fig. 5 ).

All characters as in K. unicornis sp. nov., except as follows.

Collum’s fore margin regularly rounded, faintly lobulated, but covering the head from above, totally devoid of a fore protuberance ( Figs 5 & 6 A, D, G, J). Paraterga more wing-shaped and their caudolateral corners usually more acute ( Fig. 6 A–F, H, I). Metatergal bosses usually more strongly obliterated ( Figs 5 & 6 A–F, J, K). Limbus not crenulate, but long, dense, sharp blades ( Figs 6 L & 7A).

Gonopods (Figs 7C–F & 8B) with two conspicuous, oblique, mesal, prefemoral ribs basal to main sulcus (s) demarcating a slender, biramous, equally long acropodite consisting of a subflagelliform solenomere (sl) and a similarly slender and long process (p).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Habitus of Koponenius biramus sp. nov., male paratype, lateral view. Picture by K. Makarov, not taken to scale.

FIGURE 6. Koponenius biramus sp. nov., male paratype. A, D, G, J: anterior body part, dorsal, lateral, ventral and frontoventral views, respectively. B, E, H: midbody segments, dorsal, lateral and ventral views, respectively. C, F, I: posterior body part, dorsal, lateral and ventral views, respectively. K: cross-section of a midbody segment. L: tergal texture, dorsal view. M: ozopore region, dorsolateral view. Scale bars: H, 0.5 mm; A – G, I – L, 0.2 mm; N, 0.05 mm; L, 0.02 mm.

FIGURE 8. Koponenius biramus sp. nov., male paratype. A: leg 6, lateral view. B: left gonopod, submesal view. Scale bar: 0.2 mm. Designations explained in text.