Ommatoiulus baileyi Akkari & Enghoff, 2012

Akkari, Nesrine & Enghoff, Henrik, 2012, Review of the genus Ommatoiulus in Andalusia, Spain (Diplopoda: Julida) with description of ten new species and notes on a remarkable gonopod structure, the fovea, Zootaxa 3538, pp. 1-53 : 8-10

Ommatoiulus baileyi Akkari & Enghoff n. sp.

Figs 7–9

Ommatoiulus SP. 1: Bailey and De Mendonça, 1990: 105

Material. Holotype: 1 ♂, Andalusia, South of Sevilla, in pine litter on coastal sand dunes, Donaña National Park , 13.x.1986, P. T. Bailey leg. ( ZMUC) . Paratypes: 1 intercalary ♂, 2 preadults, same data as holotype, P. T. Bailey leg. ( ZMUC) .

Etymology. The species epithet honours P.T. Bailey, collector of the species, in recognition of his work on millipedes and for his several donations which allowed part of this study.

Diagnosis. Similar to O. armatus ( Verhoeff, 1910) and O. dorsovittatus (Verhoeff, 1893) in the presence of a big mesomerite with an expanding apex, a voluminous solenomerite with an anterior lobe projecting over a posterior one, separated by a setose furrow and a reduced paracoxite, but outstanding by more simple lobes of the solenomerite, a much longer paracoxite and broader coxite showing an additional small process.

Description. Male: L: 23 mm; H: 2.2 mm, 46 PR+1 AR+T. General colour fade, after a long stay in alcohol, light brown to yellowish below the line of ozopores, darker brownish above. Prozonites with yellowish background, black, sputtered, fading on the lateral sides below the line of ozopores, metazonites purple grey, also sputterd with black and yellowish on the sides, dorsum with a thin black mid-dorsal line, legs yellowish. Head dominantly light brown on the frontal part and collum, yellowish toward the labral zone. Labral margin and mouthparts bright yellowish. Antennae dark brown.

Prozonites with scattered oblique striae; metazonites with regular striation, suture complete, rectilinear and sometimes curving at ozopore level, ozopores appearing as small rounded spots, opening in metazonites at a distance behind the suture about equal to their diameter.

Telson: Preanal ring dark brown with horizontal caudal projection, bearing 3–3 setae and an upturned hyaline tip; subanal scale with a protruding triangular apex and setose; anal valves with a marginal row of numerous short setae, a submarginal row of longer ones, and ca. 6 setae on disc.

Gonopods. Promerite ( Fig. 7) half as broad as long, with parallel margins, strongly narrowed distally into apical and lateral lobes separated by a deep notch. Apical lobe (Al), rounded, tapering into a blunt process bent anteriad; lateral lobe (Ll) lower and broader; mesal ridge (Mr) broad, fusing with the mesal margin; rudimentary telopodite (T) located basally. Posterior gonopod ( Figs 8–9): Mesomerite (Ms) large, extending beyond the rest of the processes, slightly narrowed distally; apically broadened and folded, bearing a broad and marginally serrated apical process (Ap), posteriorly protruding into a more slender process which is strongly curved and pointing laterad (Lp); solenomerite (S) voluminous, showing in mesal and posterior views a big anterior lobe (Al1) projecting over a broader posterior one (Pl). Both lobes furrowed and separated by a cavity (C) bearing on the surface and on the margin several pointed spikes. Anterior lobe apically with a linguiform process (l) emerging out of the median furrow. Seminal groove (g) running along the solenomerite from the fovea (F) to the cavity separating the lobes, opening at the distal margin of the posterior lobe in a folded cylindrical lamella (la) facing the linguiform process of the anterior lobe. Paracoxite (Px) longer than solenomerite; sinusoid, slightly broadened distally, apically tapering in a tip pointing laterad, emerging from a rounded coxite (Co), bearing an additional upturned triangular spike (Sp) ( Fig. 9).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality south of Sevilla, Andalusia.

Habitat. Found and locally abundant in leaf litter of the bush Halimium halimifolium at the mouth of the Rio Guadalquivir ( Bailey and De Mendonça 1990).

Comments. O. armatus and O. dorsovittatus share similar features with the new species. In fact, the three species show similar promerite structure, a large, distally curved mesomerite, and a voluminous solenomerite with two asymmetrical furrowed lobes separated by a deep cavity. The paracoxite appears as a curved stem emerging from a rounded lobe in all three species, however much more reduced and sinuous in O. dorsovittatus and O. armatus .