Praludivera paralellamella, Enghoff, 2022

Enghoff, Henrik, 2022, Mountains of millipedes. The family Odontopygidae in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida), European Journal of Taxonomy 803, pp. 1-136 : 79-82

Praludivera paralellamella gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:832256AE-9496-4350-B5C1-E09348DB8B40

Figs 50–51

Diagnosis

Redundant, genus monotypic.

Etymology

The species epithet, a noun in apposition, refers to the set of parallel lamellae distally on the gonopodal telomere.

Material examined (total 1 ♂)

Holotype TANZANIA • ♂; Rubeho Mts , Mangalisa Mt.; 2100 m a.s.l.; 23 Feb. 1984; J. Kielland leg.; open grassland; retrieved from jar labelled “Kielland rehabs”, seems to have been dried out; VMNH110633 .

Description (male)

SIZE. Length 58 mm, diameter 3.5 mm, 65 podous ring, no apodous rings in front of telson.

COLOUR. After 37 years in alcohol, and possibly temporal drying, head, collum and telson black, but head becoming brownish towards anterior margin. Rings blackish with amber posterior zone and large whitish patches (obviously artefacts) and traces of a longitudinal pale stripe. Legs medium brown.

SUPRALABRAL SETAE. 4.

MANDIBULAR STIPES. Produced ventrad in triangular process, distal margin very shallowly concave.

ANAL VALVES. With a medium-sized dorsal spine and a slightly smaller ventral spine; margins raised, 3 setae on ravelins.

LIMBUS ( Fig. 50F ). With short, rounded (worn?), faintly striate lobes.

LEGS. Postfemoral and tibial pads present but indistinct (due to shrinkage?).

FIRST PAIR OF LEGS ( Fig. 50G–I ). Prefemoral lobes relatively slender, triangular in ventral view. Two coxosternal seta (CXS) close to lateral margin of coxosternum, well separated from prefemoral lobes. Prefemora with two short mesapical setae (indistinct, not seen on Fig. 50G–I ), apparently no lateral prefemoral setae.

STERNUM 9. Not retrievable.

GONOPOD COXA ( Fig. 50A–E ). Proplica (PP) simple, ending in proplical lobe (PPL) situated at very tip of coxa; distal part of proplica covered by metaplica. Metaplica (MP) folded around proplica, distally forming subcircular opening in which the proplical lobe is visible. Lateral coxal spine (LCS) originating close to tip of metaplica, directed basad; metaplica in addition with a stout mesad-basad spine (mbs) originating ca at half-height of mesal margin.

GONOPOD TELOPODITE ( Fig. 51 ). Arculus 90°. Torsotope (TT) extended; post-torsal spine (PTS) stout, making a half turn around distal part of torsotope, overall direction laterad. Solenomere (SLM) slightly shorter than telomere, simple, slender, distally striate, with a long, stout basal spine (BSS). Telomere (TM) in basal part with a small perpendicular lobe (( tpl), distally exped into large, roughly triangular recurved sheet; internal surface of sheet near dorsal corner of telomere with ca 5 parallel lamellae (tml).

Figures

Fig. 50. Praludivera paralellamella gen. et sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (VMNH110633), A–E. Left gonopod coxa. A. Anterior view. B. Posterior view. C. Lateral view. D. Mesal view. E. Oblique apical view. F. Midbody dorsal limbus. G–I. First pair of legs (right prefemoral lobe broken). Abbreviations: CXS = coxosternal setae; LCS= lateral coxal spine;mbs =metaplical mesad-basal spine; MP= metaplica; PP = proplica; PPL =proplical lobe. Scale bars: A–D, G–I =0.2 mm; E =0.05 mm; F =0.01 mm.

Fig. 51. Praludivera paralellamella gen. et sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (VMNH110633), left gonopod telopodite. A. Anterior view. B. Posterior view. C. Detail of part of interior surface of telomere (area indicated with large arrow in E). D. Ventral view. E. Dorsal view. F. Tip of solenomere. G. Sublateraldorsal view. H. Submesal view. I. Basal part of telomere with solenomere (highlighted in yellow) and basal solenomeral spine (highlighted in green).Abbreviations:BSS =basal solenomeral spine;PTS =posttorsal spine; SLM =solenomere; TM =telomere;tpl =telomeral perpendicular lobe; TT =torsotope. Scale bars: A–B, D–E, G–H =0.2 mm; C, I =0.1 mm; F =0.02 mm.