Anthroleucosomatidae Verhoeff, 1899

Ćurčić, Bo Ž Idar P. M., Makarov, Slobodan E., Tomić, Vladimir T., Mitić, Bojan M., Ćurčić, Srećko B., Dudić, Boris D., Lu, Luka R., Ić, Č & Jasnić, Nebojša, 2008, On a new genus of endemic millipedes (Diplopoda: Chordeumatida: Anthroleucosomatidae) from the Balkan Peninsula, Zootaxa 1743, pp. 1-16 : 2-7

Family Anthroleucosomatidae Verhoeff, 1899

Genus Belbogosoma B. P. M. Ć ur č i ć & Makarov, new genus

Type species: Belbogosoma bloweri B. P. M. Ćurčić & Makarov , new species

Etymology: The new genus is named after Belbog, one of the supreme gods in Slavic mythology.

Description: Adults with 29 pleurotergites + telson. Body length 15.39 mm. Lateral keels small and rounded. Macrosetae on first six somites pointed. From pleurotergite VII, setae PL become shorter. Head with two frontal excavations. Legs without tarsal papillae; leg-pairs I and II with tarsal combs. In adult male, legpairs III–VII incrassated. Claw VII short (13.7 times shorter than tarsus VII). Leg-pairs XII and XIII of adult males with strongly enlarged coxae; leg-pairs XIV–XVII with slightly expanded coxae. Modifications of the coxae of legs XIV–XVII are interesting; among anthroleucosomatidans, such modifications are registered only in the genus Alloiopus (legs 20–28; Shear 1988).

Gonopods: Anterior gonopods very complex. Syncoxite C-shaped, apically divided into two branches. Central lobe spinose and connected with syncoxite. Lateral parts of anterior gonopods with seven lamellae each. Posterior gonopods with two pairs of processes, generally similar to those in other genera of the family. Distribution: Southeast Serbia.

Diagnosis: With respect to a number of characteristics of the male gonopods, the new genus is closely related to the genera Bulgarosoma , Serbosoma , Perunosoma , and Svarogosoma . However, the degree of complexity of the syncoxite and lateral processes of the anterior gonopods and the presence of enlarged coxae XII–XVII clearly separate the new genus from all related genera. It is important to note that remnants of a once-continuous series of coxal glands on the postgonopodal legs are found in the orders Callipodida and Platydesmida ( Shear 1988). The presence of modifications of the coxae are plesiomorphic features in the new genus.

Belbogosoma bloweri B. P. M. Ć ur č i ć & Makarov, sp. n. Figs. 1–13 .

Material examined: Holotype male from the Gornja Pećina Cave, village of Lenovac, Mt. Tupiżnica, Eastern Serbia; collected on March 18, 2000 by S. Ognjenović (deposited in the collection of the Institute for Nature Conservation in Belgrade); paratype juvenile male from the Gornja Pećina Cave, village of Lenovac, Mt. Tupiżnica, Eastern Serbia; collected on October 31, 1998 by S. Ognjenović (deposited in the collection of the Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, IZB 1101).

Etymology: In honor of the late Dr. Gordon Blower, the distinguished British myriapodologist.

Description: Body with 29 pleurotergites + telson. Color brownish. Body length 15.39 mm. Vertical diameter of the largest pleurotergites 0.91 mm.

Head: with 10 ocellae arranged in four rows. Frontal side of head with two paramedian depressions; on both sides of the supralabral lamella, one long sensitive seta appears laterodorsally; above the frontal depressions, there are two long setae; one row of six long sensitive setae is present between the antennal sockets. Between the supralabral lamella and the apical row of sensilla is a field with numerous relatively long setae. Occipital part of head with scattered setae (9+9 setae), distributed irregularly. Labral teeth minute, nodiform. Labrum with four labral and seven supralabral setae; supralabral lamella with 10 setae.

Gnathochilarium: promentum triangular, without setae; stipites each with eight long apical setae, six shorter median setae, and 11–12 basal microsetae. Lingual plates with one row of three robust setae and four minute ones.

Antennal length 2.02 mm; antennomeres II and IV–VII with one, three, one, four (or three), and one long sensillum (sensilla), respectively. Sensillum on antennomere VII stalked, all other sensilla acuminate. Length of antennomeres I–VIII (in mm): 0.12 (I), 0.19 (II), 0.53 (III), 0.25 (IV), 0.59 (V), 0.20 (VI), 0.10 (VII), and 0.04 (VIII). Length/breadth ratios of antennomeres I–VII: 1.20 (I), 1.58 (II), 4.82 (III), 2.50 (IV), 3.93 (V), 1.67 (VI), and 1.11 (VII).

Collum narrower than head, with six macrosetae.

Pleurotergites: Lateral keels of metazonites small and rounded on anterior and median somites, gradually disappearing from somite 26. Prozonites with typical six-angled reticulations. Border between pro- and metazonites clear. Surface of metazonites gently rugose. Posterior edges of metazonites straight. On first seven pleurotergites, setae pointed, all macrosetae becoming rather short and bacilliform toward the telson. Maximal length of macrosetae on midbody pleurotergites 0.11 mm.

Macrochaetal index CIX (on pleurotergite 15), i.e., (distance between exterior and median macrochaetae) / (distance between interior and median macrochaetae) = 0.52. Median index MIX (on pleurotergite 15), i.e., (distance between interior macrochaetae and axial suture) / (distance between interior and median macrochaetae) = 1.11. The macrochaetal angle between the arm created by the median and exterior macrochaetae and the arm formed by the median and interior macrochaetae, MA (on pleurotergite 15) ≈ 83°.

Epiproct with a pair of spinnerets and six setae arranged in two rows on both sides: marginal row with two setae and dorsal row with one seta. Hypoproct subquadrangular, with two long apical setae. Paraprocts semicircular, with marginal rows of four setae.

Maximal length of midbody legs 1.16 mm. First and second leg-pairs with tarsal combs.

Male sexual characters. Leg-pair III with slightly enlarged podomeres ( Fig. 1 ); leg-pair IV with strongly enlarged coxa, prefemur, femur, postfemur, and tibia ( Fig. 2 ); leg-pair V with elongated prefemur and prominent basal lobe; femur V with lateral concavity; tarsus V C-shaped, expanded laterally, and reduced in length (length of tarsus V is almost as in normal walking legs) ( Fig. 3 ). All podomeres of leg-pair VI enlarged; apex of tarsus VI with numerous nipples ( Fig. 4 ). Leg-pair VII is the most enlongated; tarsus VII long (0.79 mm); length/breadth ratio of tarsus VII is 8.78; length of tarsal claw 0.06 mm; length of tarsus VII to length of claw VII ratio 13.17 ( Fig. 5 ). Leg-pairs X and XI with coxal glands; coxa X without basal lobe ( Fig. 6 ); coxa XI with recurved horn ( Fig. 7 ). Leg-pairs XII and XIII with greatly enlarged coxae; leg-pairs XIV–XVII with slightly expanded coxae.

Anterior gonopods. Syncoxite C-shaped ( Figs. 8–11 a); its basal part bottle-like, almost straight. Apical part of syncoxite divided into two branches; both parts more or less parallel-sided and recurved cephalically ( Figs. 10–11 ). In the base of both apical lobes, a small triangular hyaline membrane is present caudally ( Fig. 11 ). Unpaired central process spinose and clearly connected with basal part of syncoxite; apically, central lobe cruciform ( Figs. 8 and 9 b). Both lateral processes of the anterior gonopod complex apically carry seven processes (designated as c-i on Figs. 8–11 ). Anterior gonopods on oral side have four processes: the most basal lanceolate process ( Figs. 8 and 9 c), a lateral tuberculated process ( Figs. 8 and 9 f), a median finger-like process ( Figs. 8 and 9 e), and an inner C-shaped one ( Figs. 8 and 9 d). On lateral sides of anterior gonopods arise long three-lobed processes; all lobes are connected through a spinulate lamella ( Figs. 8–11 g). On caudal side almost all parts of gonopods are covered by a large foliaceous process ( Figs. 10 and 11 h); consequently, only a small part of the flagelliform process (i) is visible on Figures 10 and 11 .

Posterior gonopods. Colpocoxites lanceolate, apically lightly pilose. Angiocoxites sigmoid, basally with truncate hyaline lamellae, apically slightly rugose and pointed with simple finger-like apex ( Figs. 12–13 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Belbogosoma bloweri n. gen., n. sp., holotype male from the Gornja Peċina Cave, village of Lenovac, Mt. TupiŽnica, Eastern Serbia; 1 — leg III, lateral view; 2 — leg IV, lateral view; 3 — leg V, ventral view; 4 — leg VI, lateral view; 5 — leg VII, lateral view; 6 — coxa X, lateral view; 7 — leg XI, lateral view.

FIGURES 8 – 11. Belbogosoma bloweri n. gen., n. sp., holotype male from the Gornja Peċina Cave, village of Lenovac, Mt. TupiŽnica, Eastern Serbia; 8 — anterior gonopods, oral view; 9 — anterior gonopods, oral view; 10 – anterior gonopods, latero-caudal view; 11 – anterior gonopods, latero-caudal view. Designations: a—syncoxite; b—unpaired central process; c—basal lanceolate process; d—C-shaped process; e—median finger-like process; f—lateral tuberculated process; glateral three-lobed process; h—foliaceous process; i—flagelliform process.

FIGURES 12 – 13. Belbogosoma bloweri n. gen., n. sp., holotype male from the Gornja Peċina Cave, village of Lenovac, Mt. TupiŽnica, Eastern Serbia; 12 — posterior gonopods, oral view; 13 — posterior gonopods, caudal view.