Zehntnerobolus hoffmani Wesener
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.278635 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6192913 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03DE8797-FFDD-9553-67AE-FA18FC9AC588 |
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treatment provided by |
Plazi |
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scientific name |
Zehntnerobolus hoffmani Wesener |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Zehntnerobolus hoffmani Wesener new species
Etymology. hoffmani , adjective, to honour the 'Altmeister' of the Diplopoda, Dr. Richard L. Hoffman.
Material examined. Holotype: 1 M ( FMMC 4014), Madagascar, Province Fianarantsoa, Ihorombe, R. S. Ivohibe, 6.5 km ESE Ivohibe, camp III, 22°29' 48" S, 46°57'18" E, 1575 m, montane rainforest, coll. B. L. Fisher, mini-Winkler, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), 24–30.X.1997.
Paratype: 1 immature M ( FMMC 4014), same data as holotype.
Diagnosis: species of Zehntnerobolus differing from its congener in shape of posterior gonopods: (1) coxite separated by articulation into basis and process; (2) telopodite with apical membranous lamellae resembling a 'sail'. Z. hoffmani n. sp. differs also from Z. rubripes in the lack of sclerotized nodules on the telopodite of posterior gonopods, presence of a slender sternite of the anterior gonopods (massive in Z. rubripes ), and the only weakly developed coxal processes on male leg pairs 3–5 (strongly developed in Z. rubripes ).
Description. Measurements: male holotype with 40 rings, circa 36 mm long, 3.2 mm wide. Male paratype (immature) with 38+2 rings. Female unknown.
Coloration: decolorized after 13 years in ethanol. Head and antennae greyish-red ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 A), legs brown-yellow. Body rings laterally grey, except for red posterior margin ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 B), dorsally with thin red stripe. Preanal scale grey, anal valves orange-red ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 C).
Head: each eye with 22–24 ocelli arranged in 6 vertical rows ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 A). Incisura lateralis open ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 A). Labrum with standard three irregular teeth and a single row of 10–12 stout marginal setae. Clypeus with two setiferous foveolae on each side ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 D). Antennae protruding back to ring 5 in males ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 D). Relative lengths of antennomeres: 1<<2=3=4=5=6. Terminal antennomere with four large sensory cones located together inside a membranous area. Antennomere 5 and 6 latero-apically with sensilla basiconica.
Gnathochilarium: lamellae linguales each with two standard setae located behind one another. Stipites each with three apical setae. Basal part on mentum with transverse ridge. Mandible not dissected.
Collum: smooth, laterally not protruding as far as ring 2 ( Figs 2 View FIGURE 2 A, D).
Body rings: ozopores marked by reddish-brown color ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 B), starting at ring 6, located on suture between mesozona and metazona ( Figs 2 View FIGURE 2 B, C). Rings with smooth, but irregular coriaecous surface, ventrally on metazona with transverse ridges.
Telson: paraprocts with weak lips, little micropunctation towards edges ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 A). Epiproct sharp, but not protruding above paraproct ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 C). Hypoproct inconspicuous ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 A).
Legs: length of midbody legs circa 1.0 times body diameter in males ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 B). Coxa long and elongated, cylindrical ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 B). Each podomere ventrally with an apical seta, tarsus with a stout dorso-apical seta and three pairs of regular ventral spines.
Male sexual characters: tarsal pads absent ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 B). Coxae 3 and 4 with short, rod-shaped coxal process, protruding posteriorly only to adjacent coxa ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 D).
Anterior gonopod sternite neither slender nor massive ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 C), elongated into a wide, well-rounded lobe ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 C). Sternite in anterior view well-visible ( Figs 2 View FIGURE 2 E, 3D), without discernable apodemes. Coxite without processes ( Figs 2 View FIGURE 2 E, 3C). Telopodite with slender process arising mesally ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 E), process conspicuously curved laterally ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 C, D), short with a well-rounded tip, not reaching lateral margin of telopodite ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 E).
Posterior gonopods consisting of three parts, each separated by articulations ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 E): (1) basally a large, bulky coxite, followed by (2) a slender, elongated process of coxite, and (3) apically a telopodite with free sperm channel discharging laterally ( Figs 3 View FIGURE 3 F, G). Process of coxite and telopodite are standing in same axis ( Figs 2 View FIGURE 2 F, G). Pair of posterior gonopods located parallel to each other, connected by a small, sclerotized and visible sternite ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 E). Basal part of coxite wide, mesally with small sclerite located on lower level than remaining part ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 E). Coxite elongated in long, slender coxite process, coxite and coxite process separated by suture ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 E). Efferent duct running at mesal margin of coxite ( Figs 3 View FIGURE 3 E, F). Telopodite with torsion, moving discharge opening of efferent duct from mesally to laterally ( Figs 2 View FIGURE 2 F, G). Telopodite shorter than coxite process ( Figs 2 View FIGURE 2 E, F), latero-apically with a wide, conspicuous membranous fringe ( Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 F, G, 3E–G). Efferent duct running free starting at the apical part of process of coxite, protruding latero-apically above margins of telopodite ( Figs 3 View FIGURE 3 F, G).
Distribution and ecology. This species is only known from the type locality. Most likely living within the leaf litter (see genus description above), a cryptic lifestyle that explains the scarce records of this species despite largescale arthropod inventory programs conducted on Madagascar ( Fisher 2005).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.