Review of the Spirobolida on Madagascar, with descriptions of twelve new genera, including three genera of ' fire millipedes' (Diplopoda)
Wesener, Thomas
Enghoff, Henrik
Sierwald, Petra
ZooKeys
2009
2009-09-04
19
19
1
128
75CRX
Wesener
Wesener & Enghoff & Sierwald
2009
[140,550,166,193]
Diplopoda
Pachybolidae
Ostinobolus
Animalia
Spirobolida
94
95
Arthropoda
species
subterraneus
sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: F5D60255-4786-4DB3-BA0E-DC3A49AF18EA
Materialexamined: 2 ♂, 10 ♀, 21 imm. Holotype:1 ♂ ( 30 mmlong), FMMC 8215, Province Toliara, Petriky, 10 m, littoral subhumid forest on sandy soil; 25°3.73’ S, 46°52.16’ E, leg. B. L. Fisher, Winklerextraction, 22.IX.1998. Othermaterial examined: 1 ♂, 5 ♀, 8 imm., FMMC W010B, Ambatotsirongorongo Mountain, Forêt Petit Lavasoa, rainforest, 25°05.021’ S, 46°46.110’ E, leg. T. Weseneret al., 21.V.2007; 1 ♀, ZMH W010B, same data as previous; 4 ♀, 8 imm., W010B, same data as previous, voucher specimens deposited at the University Antananarivo; 3 imm., FMMC W099, Ambatotsirongorongo Mountain, Grand Lavasoa, rainforest, 25°5’10.23” S, 46°44’55.93” E, leg. Weseneret al., 14.VI.2007.
Differentialdiagnosis:until now, no other species of Spirobolidawith a reduced number of ocelli is known from Madagascar. Because of the unusual morphological adaptation to the special life style, the placement of O. subterraneusinside Ostinobolusis only tentative and less certain than in other Spirobolidaspecies.
Description. Measurements: males with 42–44 body rings, circa 30 mmlong (broken), 2.7–3.2 mmwide. Females of similar length and width. Colorationfaded in alcohol. Head, legs anal valves, median part of collum and posterior part of metazonites brownish-red. Mesozonites and anterior part of metazonites dark grey ( Figs 52A–C). Eyesreduced, with circa eight decolorized ocelli ( Fig. 52A). Antennaeprotruding back to ring 3 ( Fig. 52A). First leg pair elongated, larger than second pair ( Fig. 52A). Legs very short, length only 0.4 times body diameter ( Fig. 52B). Male coxal processesabsent ( Fig. 52B). Preanal processabsent, but anal valves not elongated posteriorly like in congeneric species ( Fig. 52C). Anterior gonopodsternite wide. Lobe short, triangular with a sharp tip ( Fig. 52E). Sternite tip protruding as high as coxite. Telopodite large, with a well-developed and well-rounded retrorse process, starting at midpoint of telopodite, retrorse part extending beyond telopodite but not coxite ( Fig. 52G). Posterior gonopods: short and wide ( Fig. 52F). Apical half of mesal margin filled by a swollen, membranous area. No trace of star-shaped membranous folds. Sperm canal protruding above telopodite margin mesally into a two-tipped lobe ( Fig. 52H).
Distributionand ecology: only known from a small area in the extreme southeast of Madagascar. The species is obviously microendemic to the subhumid forest of Petriky and five kilometers south of the isolated rainforest sites on the Ambatotsirongorongo Mountain ( Fig. 49). Unlike cave dwelling millipede species, Ostinobolus subterraneus sp. n.does not display elongated legs and antennae. The reduced number of ocelli and the elongation of the first leg pair are probably an adaptation to life inside the thick root horizon, the only place where this species was collected.
Etymology: subterraneus, adjective, refers to the life deep inside the soil to which this species is adapted.
2612160305
1998-09-22
FMMC
B. L. Fisher & Winkler
10
-25.062166
Petriky
12
46.869335
Province
94
95
FMMC 8215
31
10
Toliara
holotype
2612160317
2007-05-21
FMMC
T. Wesener
-25.083683
Foret Petit Lavasoa
1
46.7685
Ambatotsirongorongo Mountain
94
95
W010
13
5
2612160312
[586,1104,448,475]
2007-05-21
ZMH
T. Wesener
-25.083683
Foret Petit Lavasoa
1
46.7685
Ambatotsirongorongo Mountain
94
95
W010
1
1
2612160301
2007-05-21
ZMH
University
-25.083683
Foret Petit Lavasoa
1
46.7685
Ambatotsirongorongo Mountain
94
95
12
4
Antananarivo
2612160311
2007-06-14
FMMC
Wesener
-25.086176
Grand Lavasoa
1
46.74887
Ambatotsirongorongo Mountain
94
95
W099
3
Antananarivo