Eutrichodesmus armatocaudatus Golovatch, Geoffroy, Mauriès & VandenSpiegel, 2009

Golovatch, Sergei, Geoffroy, Jean-Jacques, Mauriès, Jean-Paul & VandenSpiegel, Didier, 2009, Review of the millipede family Haplodesmidae Cook, 1895, with descriptions of some new or poorly-known species (Diplopoda, Polydesmida), ZooKeys 7 (7), pp. 1-53 : 13-16

Eutrichodesmus armatocaudatus Golovatch, Geoffroy, Mauriès & VandenSpiegel , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B2718568-A85A-4FDE-80E9-574F67AB90E9

Figs 5-8 .

Type material. Vietnam, Thanh Hoa Prov., Pu Luong, Lung Cao, Hang Lang Lua Cave , 11.XII.2003, leg. L. Deharveng & team ( Vn0312-05 ), holotype ♂ ( MNHN JC 310 ), paratypes: 1 ♂, 1 juv. ( MNHN JC 310 ), 1 ♂ ( ZMUM) ; Ha Nam Ninh Prov., Cuc Phuong National Park, Cave of Prehistoric Man , 10.X.1998, leg. L. Deharveng ( VIET-537 ), 1 ♂ ( MNHN JC 310 ) ; same locality, Water Fairy Cave , 11.X.1998, leg. L. Deharveng ( VIET-541 ), 1 ♂, 2 juv. ( MNHN JC 310 ) ; same locality, cave 4 ( Son Cung Cave ?), 21.VI.2003, leg. P. Trontelj & B. Sket, 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 3 juv. ( MNHN JC 310 ), 1 ♂, 1 juv. ( ZMUC), 1 ♂, 1 juv. ( NMNHS), 1 ♂ ( MCSNV), 1 ♂, 1 juv. ( OBBFUL), 1 ♀ ( SEM) ; Ha Nam Ninh Prov., outside Cuc Phuong National Park , cave 3, 20.VI.2003, leg. P. Trontelj & B. Sket, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( ZMUM) .

Name. To emphasize the obvious dorsal projections on body segments 17-19.

Diagnosis. Most similar to Parapauroplus monodentus Zhang in Zhang & Wang, 1993 , which also shows evident mid-dorsal projections only on body segments (16)17- 19, but differs by the presence of porosteles, the slightly lower metatergal tubercles devoid of microsetae near each of the main setae, and the slightly stouter gonopod telopodite showing a shorter midway process.

Description. Length of adults of both sexes ca 10-14 mm, width 2.3-2.6 mm, body broadest at segment 3 or 4; ♂♂ usually a little smaller than ♀♀. Holotype ca 11 mm long and 2.5 mm wide. Coloration uniformly pallid or light yellowish.

Adults with 20 segments, pattern of conglobation typical of “ Doratodesmidae ” ( Figs 5A ). Head ( Fig. 6A ) and tegument ( Figs 5B, C ; 6F, G ) as in preceding species, but antennae somewhat longer ( Fig. 6A ), collum slightly flattened mid-dorsally, not covering the head from above ( Fig. 6A ). Metaterga behind collum with three transverse, rather irregular rows of tubercles ( Figs 5 A-C), most of which still retain short, bisegmented setae ( Fig. 6G ), metaterga 17-19 each with an evident dorsal outgrowth ( Fig. 5C ). Paraterga mostly directed ventrolaterad, rather broad, slightly surpassing level of venter, clearly trisinuate caudolaterally at base, due to two lobulations ( Figs 5B, D ; 6B ); paraterga 2 strongly enlarged, subvertical, margin nearly entire, with only very faint traces of a series of small lobulations anterolaterally ( Fig. 6A ), both schism and hyposchism very small; paraterga 3 and 4 slightly shorter than others, overlap of following paraterga typical, latter broadly rounded and slightly 3- or 4-lobate. Limbus spiculate ( Fig. 6F ). Pore formula normal, ozopores located on top of a small porostele, slightly above ventrocaudal lobulation ( Figs 6 C-E). Pleurotergal carinae wanting. Epiproct elongated, also with tubercles, directed ventrocaudad, with the usual four cones just below tip; para- and hypoprocts as in Figs 5E, F .

Sterna usually with a deep, narrow depression between coxae ( Figs 5D ; 6B ), only sterna between coxae 6, 7 and 9 much wider ( Fig. 7A ). Gonopod aperture transverse-oval, relatively small, far from reaching lateral sides of segment 7. Legs relatively long; femoral and tarsal segments longest and equal; claw simple, very slightly curved ventrad; some setae very sparsely microdenticulate ( Figs 5D ; 6B ).

Gonopods ( Figs 7 ; 8 ) very simple. Coxae subquadrate, large, microtuberculate and abundantly setose ventrolaterally, with a conspicuous rounded lobe frontolaterally. Telopodite considerably longer than coxite, slightly stouter, setose in its basal half, with an inconspicuous, digitiform, simple, lateral, distofemoral process (dp) at about midway, more distally with a slightly folded and enlarged shaft (= solenomere) with dense pilosity and a hairpad; seminal groove terminating subapically, acropodite short.

Remarks. This species seems to be close to some of the “doratodesmids” showing evident mid-dorsal projections on some of the metaterga, e.g. Ascetophacus macclurei Hoffman, 1977 , Cerastelachys cavernicola ( Sinclair, 1901) , Pocillidorsus dorsiangulatus Zhang in Zhang & Wang, 1993 and Parapauroplus monodentus Zhang in Zhang & Wang, 1993 , etc. ( Hoffman 1977a, 1977b; Zhang and Wang 1993).

Cave 4 also supports another millipede, Glyphiulus mediobliteratus Golovatch, Geoffroy, Mauriès & VandenSpiegel, 2007 ( Golovatch et al. 2007b).

Figures

Figure 5. Eutrichodesmus armatocaudatus sp. n., ♂ paratype from cave 4; A, habitus, lateral view; B, midbody segments, lateral view; C, posterior part of body, lateral view; D, midbody segments, ventral view; E, posterior part of body, ventral view; F, telson, ventral view. − Scale bars: A, 1.0 mm, B, C, E, 0.2 mm, D, 0.5 mm & F, 0.1 mm.

Figure 6. Eutrichodesmus armatocaudatus sp. n., ♂ paratype from cave 4; A, anterior part of body, frontoventral view; B, cross-section of a midbody segment, caudal view; C, enlarged paraterga with ozopores, lateral view; D, paratergum with porostele, caudal view; E, porostele; F, texture of prozonite and limbus; G, cerotegument with a bisegmented seta. − Scale bars: A, B, 0.2 mm, C, D, 0.1 mm, E, G, 0.01 mm & F, 0.05 mm.

Figure 7. Eutrichodesmus armatocaudatus sp. n., ♂ paratype from cave 4; A, body segments 6 and 7, ventral view; B, gonopods, ventral view; C, same, ventral view; D, gonopod apices. − Scale bars: A, 0.5 mm, B, 0.2 mm, C, 0.05 mm & D, 0.02 mm.

Figure 8. Eutrichodesmus armatocaudatus sp. n., ♂ paratype from cave 4; A & B, right gonopod, mesal and lateral views, respectively (micropilosity not shown; dp = distofemoral process). − Scale bar: 0.2 mm.