Nannaria hokie Means, Hennen & Marek, 2021

Means, Jackson C., Hennen, Derek A. & Marek, Paul E., 2021, A revision of the minor species group in the millipede genus Nannaria Chamberlin, 1918 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Xystodesmidae), ZooKeys 1030, pp. 1-180 : 1

Nannaria hokie Means, Hennen & Marek, 2021 Figs 35 , 36 , 37 Vernacular name: "The Virginia Tech Twisted-Claw Millipede"

Nannaria hokie Means, Hennen & Marek, in Means et al. 2021: 4, 5, 7, 10, 17-19, 24, S70.

Material examined.

Holotype: United States - Virginia • ♂; Montgomery County, Blacksburg, Virginia Tech campus, Stadium Woods ; 37.2216°N, - 80.4159°W; elev. 637 m; 17 Apr. 2019; hand collected; P. Marek leg.; VTEC MPE04803 .

Paratypes: United States - Virginia • 5 ♂♂; Montgomery County, Blacksburg, Virginia Tech campus, south side of Duck Pond ; 37.2250°N, - 80.4276°W; elev. 625 m; 13 Oct. 2015; hand collected; D. Hennen leg.; VTEC MPE00880 , 882, 883, VMNH, MPE00884 , 886 • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as preceding; VTEC MPE00881 , 885.

Other material.

United States - Virginia • 4 ♂♂; Floyd County, along Goose Creek, ca. 3 mi. N of Simpsons, 1850 ft.; 37.0815°N, - 80.2055°W; 9 Oct. 1971; R. Hoffman, Knight leg.; VMNH NAN0005, 0244 • 10 ♂♂; Montgomery County , Golden Hills Disc Golf course, in gully; 37.1729°N, - 80.4078°W; elev. 628 m; 8 Nov. 2014; hand collected; J. Means, D. Hennen, P. Marek leg.; VTEC MPE00266 , 275, 280, 283-89 • 5 ♂♂; Montgomery County , Blacksburg, Virginia Tech, patch of woods between Grove Ln. and Duck Pond; 37.2247°N, - 80.4260°W, elev. 628 m; 9 Nov. 2017; hand collected; J. Means, D. Hennen, G. Schiermeyer leg.; VTEC MPE03464 -68 • 1 ♂; Montgomery County , Blacksburg, end of Valley View Drive near quarry; 37.2218°N, - 80.3894°W; elev. 671 m; 13 Sep. 2019; hand collected; J. Means, D. Hennen, P. Marek, F. Vasquez, I. Huerta leg.; VTEC MPE04998 • 2 ♂♂; Montgomery County , Gateway Trail, 0.5 mi in from main trail by stream; 37.2506°N, - 80.4610°W; elev. 642 m; 26 Sep. 2014; hand collected; J. Means, P. Marek, E. Francis, K. Lawler, N. Zegler leg.; VTEC MPE00227 , 229 • 4 ♂♂; Montgomery County , Blacksburg, 803 Airport Rd. ; 37.2125°N, - 80.4053°W; elev. 581 m; 3 Mar. 2018; hand collected; J. Means, P. Marek, G. Schiermeyer, C. Hall leg.; VTEC MPE03829 , 3830, 3833, 3835 • 4 ♀♀; same collection data as preceding; VTEC MPE03831 , 3832, 3834, 3836 • 1 ♂; Montgomery County , Blacksburg, 505 Fairview Ave., ex puddle of water at base of driveway in neighborhood; 37.212°N, - 80.40663°W; elev. 640 m; 13 Mar. 2020; hand collected; P. Marek leg.; VTEC MPE05027 • 1 ♂; Montgomery County , Blacksburg, jct. Airport and Fairview Rds.; 37.2122°N, - 80.4060°W; elev. 634 m; 19 Feb. 2018; hand collected; P. Marek leg.; VTEC MPE03808 • 1 ♀; Montgomery County , Blacksburg, Virginia Tech campus, southern end of Duck Pond ; 37.2251°N, - 80.4272°W; elev. 623 m; 8 June 2017; G. Scheirmeyer leg.; VTEC MPE03705 • 1 ♂; Montgomery County , Blacksburg; 37.1849°N, - 80.4087°W; 28 Oct. 1956; R. Hoffman leg.; VMNH NAN0234 • 20 ♂♂; Montgomery County , south Blacksburg , nr jct. Rt. 775 and US 460, under stones in grassy field; 37.1849°N, - 80.4087°W; 3 Nov. 1956; R. Hoffman leg.; VMNH NAN0320, 321 • 1 ♂; Montgomery County; Oct. 1950; R. Hoffman leg.; VMNH NAN0235 • 5 ♂♂; Montgomery County, Blacksburg, Trillium Vale; 37.2294°N, - 80.4141°W; 10 Oct. 1950; R. Hoffman leg.; VMNH NAN0243 • 6 ♂♂; Pulaski County , Highland Farm, bottom of hill in dry stream bed; 37.1775°N, - 80.6456°W; elev. 574 m; 27 Dec. 2014; hand collected; J. Means, K. Lawler leg.; VTEC MPE00253 -55, 259-61 • 3 ♀♀; same collection data as preceding; MPE00262 -64 • 1 ♂; Smyth County , 7 mi SE of Chilhowie, NW slope of Iron Mtn.; 36.7100°N, - 81.6188°W; 4 May 1964; R. Hoffman leg.; VMNH NAN0003. For detailed collection data see Suppl. material 7 .

Diagnosis.

Adult males of Nannaria hokie are distinct from other Nannaria and the sympatric N. ericacea , based on the following combination of characters: Gonopods. Gonopodal acropodite long and curving ventromedially before apex, not medially as in N. castanea or straight as in N. ericacea . Distal zone bent ventroposteriorly, with laminate flange encircling tip forming a hood-like structure around dorso-posteriorly projected. Acropodite solenomere laminate, partially obscuring solenomere when viewed laterally (Fig. 35A , red arrow). Distal zone lacking flat laminate flange, at 90° angle to solenomere as in N. castanea or laminate, sinuous, directed ventro-cephalically as in N. ericacea . Acropodite with small medial flange near apex (Fig. 35C , red triangle), not with lateral projection as in N. ericacea . Telopodite basal zone height ca. 1/3 length of acropodite, not ca. 1/2 length as in N. castanea , or <1/5 as in N. ericacea . Prefemoral process small, thin, curving medially, arising from top of projected acuminate prefemoral spine, not large, laminate as in N. ericacea or straight as in N. castanea . Color. Tergites with orange paranotal spots (Fig. 36 ). Dark brown background. Dorsum of collum smooth with orange margin.

Measurements.

♂ paratype (VTEC, MPE00880): BL = 18.0, CW = 2.9, IW = 2.3, ISW = 0.8, B11W = 3.5, B11H = 2.2; ♀ paratype (VTEC, MPE00881): BL = 22.9, CW = 3.1, IW = 1.6, ISW = 0.8, B11W = 3.9, B11H = 2.4.

Variation.

Little morphological variation exists between individuals collected from Montgomery County, Virginia; however, populations in Floyd and Pulaski counties, Virginia display a level of variation that suggests a closer comparison of these populations may be warranted. Both the Floyd and Pulaski County specimens have a much reduced acropodite “hood” (Fig. 37A , red arrow), and the Pulaski County specimens have highly variable prefemoral processes, including forms with and without a prefemoral spine (Fig. 37B , red triangle).

Distribution.

Known only from southwestern Virginia, primarily in the vicinity of Blacksburg, though a single specimen collected from Smyth County, Virginia extends the distribution of the species considerably (Virginia: Floyd, Montgomery, Pulaski, and Smyth counties; Suppl. material 7, Fig. 126 ). Distribution area: 1,668 km2; status: SRE.

Ecology.

Individuals of N. hokie have been collected from mesic hardwood forests, composed of maple, oak, tuliptree, beech, spicebush, and witch hazel, under deciduous leaf litter, logs, and fallen bark. The Pulaski County specimens were all collected from a 1 m2 section of a dry creek, taken from under 1-2 cm hard packed soil on the bank of the creek.

Etymology.

Means et al. (2021) named N. hokie for its type locality, the campus of Virginia Tech. A hokie is a popular term for a member of the Virginia Tech community.

Type locality.

United States, Virginia, Montgomery County, Blacksburg, Virginia Tech campus, Stadium Woods, 37.2216°N, - 80.4159°W.

Notes.

In the original publication Means et al. (2021: 17) designated a male holotype (VTEC MPE04803), five male paratypes (VTEC MPE00880, 882, 883; VMNH MPE00884, 886) and two female paratypes (VTEC MPE00881, 885) from the multiple locations on the campus of Virginia Tech collected by the authors from various dates in 2015 and 2019.

Figures

Figure 35. Nannaria hokie Means, Hennen & Marek in Means et al. 2021, paratype ♂ (VTEC, MPE 00880) left gonopod. A anterior view; red arrow indicates hood-like flange partially obscuring view of projected solenomere B medial view C posterior view; red triangle indicates medial flange. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Figure 36. Nannaria hokie Means, Hennen & Marek in Means et al. 2021, holotype ♂ (VTEC, MPE 04803) coloration. Scale bar: 4.0 mm.

Figure 37. Nannaria hokie Means, Hennen & Marek, 2021 variation A Floyd County, Virginia non-type ♂ (VMNH, NAN 0003; red arrow indicates reduced lateral and medial flanges) B Pulaski County, Virginia non-type ♂ (VTEC, MPE 00253); red triangle indicates prefemoral process lacking prefemoral spine. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Figure 126. Distribution map of Nannaria minor species group collection localities in the central Appalachians.