Plusioglyphiulus grandicollis Hoffman, 1977

Golovatch, Sergei I., Geoffroy, Jean-Jacques, Mauriès, Jean-Paul & Den Spiegel, Didier Van, 2009, Review of the millipede genusPlusioglyphiulusSilvestri, 1923, with descriptions of new species from southeast Asia (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Cambalopsidae), Zoosystema 31 (1), pp. 71-116 : 75-79

Plusioglyphiulus grandicollis Hoffman, 1977 ( Figs 1-3)

Plusioglyphiulus grandicollis Hoffman, 1977: 715 . — Mauriès 1983: 272. — Jeekel 2004: 57.

NEW MATERIAL. — Malaysia. Selangor State, Kuala Lumpur, Batu Cave massif, 03.171°N, 101.703°E, Cave Gua Pandan, 28.I.2001, leg. H. Steiner, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( VMNH); 1 ♀ ( SEM, MNHN GA012).

REDESCRIPTION

Male about 32 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, with 58p+3a+T, collum being broadest; females about 35 and 38 mm long, 1.6 and 1.9 mm wide, with 63p+3a+T and 78p+2a+T, respectively, segments of posterior third of body being broadest. Coloration, including that of collum and segment 2, uniformly grey-brown to brown, dorsal crests and ozoporiferous tubercles usually dark brown.

Surface smooth and polished on frons, very delicately shagreened above.Antennae short and clavate ( Fig. 3A), antennomeres 6 and 7 each with a large group of bacilliform sensilla distodorsally ( Fig. 2C). Ocellaria transversely subreniform,with 9-12 blackish ocelli in5 or 6longitudinal rows, but without adjacent darker spots dorsally.Gnathochilarium oligotrichous, each lamella lingualis with 3 or 4 setae.

Postcollar constriction very evident, due to especially enlarged collum and segment 2 ( Fig. 1B). Carinotaxy formula of collum:1p/t+2p/t+3p/t+(ta)/ (t)+4p/t/t+(ta)/(t)+5p/t/t+(ta)/(t)+pp/t/t+ma/t ( Fig. 1A, B). Carinotaxy of metatergum 2, 7/7+m/ m+7/7; of metaterga 3 and 4, 7/7+M(m/m)+7/7; of metatergum 5 and subsequent metaterga, except last few, 3/3+I/i+3/3+m/m+3/3+I/i+3/3; of apodous segments, usually 7+m+7 ( Fig. 1); all crests and tubercles, including poriferous cones, rather low; poriferous tubercles (I) only slightly higher, broader than high, but median ones (m) slightly lower than others ( Figs 1C, D; 2B). Dorsal crests on several posteriormost segments considerably higher than others ( Fig. 1E). Midbody segments circular in cross-section ( Fig. 2B). Pleural regions of segments 2-4 conspicuously expanded, flap-shaped, especially so on segment 3 ( Fig. 1A). An evident, transverse pleural ridge behind gonopod aperture on male segment 7, with rounded flaps bent abruptly caudad. Tegument of metazona delicately alveolate-areolate and dull throughout, stricture between pro- and metazona striolate longitudinally, other parts of prozona very finely shagreened. Metatergal setae absent. Limbus extremely finely and more or less regularly denticulate. Epiproct broadly rounded and cariniform apically, with 2+m+2 tubercles dorsally at midway, of which the lateralmost and, especially, the median can be very low; paraprocts regularly convex, devoid of an elevation at midline; hypoproct emarginate at caudal margin ( Fig. 2A).

Legs rather short, about 2/3 as long as body diameter ( Fig. 2B), claws with an evident spine near base ( Figs 2D; 3B).Tarsi very delicately fringed apically; most of distal setae with scattered denticles.

Male legs 1 with elongate, conical, setose coxites and a single, very large, falcate, median sternal process with several long setae at base on frontal face. Male legs 2 evidently enlarged, coxae deeply emarginate distally on caudal face, telopodite densely hirsute on frontal face; penes conical, elongated, bare, fused at base. Male legs 3 with particularly elongate and slender coxae, but with compact telopodites.

Anterior gonopods ( Fig. 3C, D) with a long, slender, median sternal process (st); coxite with a paramedian pair of low inner processes (cxp1) and another pair of long, slender, outer, distally beak-shaped processes (cxp2) with a short uncus at base; telopodites (te) slender, curved, attached to coxal region caudolaterally, capable of movement, almost non-setose even subapically. Posterior gonopods small, rather simple, coxites well separated from sternum, at least on caudal face ( Fig. 3E), each with a spiniform structure medio-subapically and a complex fringed apex.

REMARKS

Hoffman (1977) described this species from Batu Caves, so the above material can be considered as near-topotypic. It agrees well with the original description, but differs slightly in showing only 7/7+m/m+7/7, not 8/8+m/m+8/8, tubercles on segments 2-4, sometimes a lower number of dorsal tubercles (4 or 5, not 7) on the epiproct, and the presence on the legs of a strong spine at the base of the claw.

Any obvious troglomorphic traits in this species seem to be absent.