Eutrichodesmus jianjia, Liu, Weixin & Wynne, J. Judson, 2019

Liu, Weixin & Wynne, J. Judson, 2019, Cave millipede diversity with the description of six new species from Guangxi, China, Subterranean Biology 30, pp. 57-94 : 70-73

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.30.35559

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:19205CA6-4680-45D4-A3A0-F1640752D41B

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/403323E4-C776-4DC8-8795-9C53C3B64E02

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:403323E4-C776-4DC8-8795-9C53C3B64E02

treatment provided by

Subterranean Biology by Pensoft

scientific name

Eutrichodesmus jianjia
status

sp. nov.

Eutrichodesmus jianjia sp. nov. Figs 3D View Figure 3 , 13 View Figure 13 , 14 View Figure 14

Type material.

Holotype male (SCAU), China, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Yangshuo County, Guanshan No. 4 Cave [24°56'58.34"N, 110°20'53.52"E], 186 m el., deep zone, direct intuitive search, 16 November 2016, J. J. Wynne leg. Paratypes, 4 females, 1 juv. (SCAU), same data as holotype; 1 male (SCAU), same data as holotype, but collected on mud bank.

Etymology.

The species name, jianjia (肩甲), is used as a noun in apposition. This phrase was used to denote the well-developed paraterga, which covers the millipede’s legs much like the pauldrons of body armor cover the shoulder of the warrior.

Diagnosis.

Adult males of E. jianjia sp. nov. is distinct from other Eutrichodesmus species based on the following combination of characters: (1) collum with five, and metaterga 2-19 with three transverse rows of round microvillose tubercles ( Fig. 13 View Figure 13 ). (2) gonopod acropodite with a dorsolateral tooth (t) at midway and apical with a large tube-shaped lobe (l) ( Fig. 14 View Figure 14 ). This new species is clearly distinguished from E. lipsae (a troglobiont from a cave in Guilin) by (1) metaterga without mid-dorsal projections vs. most metaterga with mid-dorsal projections; (2) gonopod acropodite with a triangular, ventral process (p) at about basal 1/3 ( Fig. 14 View Figure 14 ) vs. without this process in E. lipsae .

Description.

Based on type specimens. Lengths of adult body ca 6.0-7.0 mm, widths of mid-body pro- and metazonae 0.6-1.0 and 1.2-1.3 mm in both sexes. Coloration: generally light-yellowish to pallid ( Fig. 3D View Figure 3 ). Body: subcylindrical, conglobation complete, adults with 20 rings ( Fig. 10A View Figure 10 ). Head: frons densely setose, finely microgranulate on vertex, with a paramedian pair of rounded knobs above antennal sockets. Epicranial suture conspicuous. Antennae short, slightly clavate. Exoskeleton: Collum subtrapeziform, slightly broader than head, not covering the latter from above, with five transverse rows of round microvillose tubercles ( Fig. 13B View Figure 13 ). Metaterga 2-19 each with three transverse mixostictic rows of similar tubercles extending onto paraterga, about 6 –8+6– 8 per row. The middle row of tubercles slightly larger than others. Pre-anal ring short, with four transverse rows of small tubercles ( Fig. 13D, E View Figure 13 ). Paraterga with evident shoulders anteriorly, strongly declivous, broad and usually triobate laterally, evidently extending down below level of venter; caudolaterally at base with two distinct lobulations ( Fig. 13A View Figure 13 ). Paraterga 2 strongly enlarged. Tergal setae and ozopores invisible. Ozopores hardly visible. Prozonae finely alveolate; constriction between pro- and metazoan narrow and shallow. Epiproct apically with four spinnerets. Hypoproct subtrapeziform, with two long setae. Sterna narrow, but much broader between ♂ coxae 6-7 and 9. Gonopod aperture suboval. Legs long and slender, but hardly reaching tips of paraterga. Gonopods: ( Fig. 14 View Figure 14 ) Coxite large, abundantly setose and micropapillate ventrolaterally. Telopodite subfalcate, distinctly curved ventrad, setose in its basal part, with a prominent, denticulate, lateral, distofemoral process (dp) at midway. Acropodite with a triangular, ventral process (p) at about basal one-third and a dorsolateral tooth (t) at midway; apical with a large tube-shaped lobe (l). Seminal groove long, terminating without hair.

Habitat.

Specimens were collected in the same general location as H. xuxiakei sp. nov. specimens. Thus, refer to the H. xuxiakei sp. nov. habitat description.

Notes.

Based on the long slender legs and a depigmented cuticle, we consider this species a troglobiont.