A mountain of millipedes I: An endemic species-group of the genus Chaleponcus Attems, 1914, from the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Odontopygidae) Enghoff, Henrik European Journal of Taxonomy 2014 2014-10-24 100 100 1 75 TH76 Enghoff, 2014 Enghoff 2014 [573,917,526,553] Diplopoda Odontopygidae Chaleponcus Animalia Spirostreptida 29 30 Arthropoda species nikolajscharffi sp. nov.   urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: FA4BA44E-0547-4E9C-A4A4-781E2298A650  Figs 9, 16, 34    Diagnosis Medium-sized. Differs from all other group members by the profile of the gonopod coxal tip ( Fig. 9). Very similar to  C. scopus sp. nov., sharing, i.a., a non-transverse metaplical shelf and a groove for accommodating the solenomere formed by two telomere lobes; differing from  C. scopus sp. nov.by apparently having the solenomere-conducting groove formed by the anterior and the posterior telomeral lamellae, instead of by the anterior lamella and a process from the latter, as well as by having a differently shaped lateral coxal process.    Etymology The name honours my colleague, arachnologist Nikolaj Scharff (ZMUC), collector of this and numerous other Tanzanian millipedes.   Material studied(total: 11 ♂♂)    Holotype  TANZANIA: ♂, Iringa Region, Udzungwa Mts, Udzungwa Scarp FR, above Chita village,  1500 m,  2–13 Nov. l984, pitfall traps, montane rain forest. N. Scharffleg. ( ZMUC).    Paratypes All from TANZANIA, Iringa Region, Udzungwa Mts, Udzungwa Scarp FR: 1 ♂, above Chita village,  1450–1650 m,  4–9 Nov. l984, pitfall traps, montane rain forest, N. Scharffleg. ( ZMUC);  2 ♂♂, above Chita village,  1600–1650 m,  8–13 Nov. l984, pitfall traps, montane rain forest, N. Scharffleg. ( ZMUC);  2 ♂♂, above Chita village,  1400 m,  4–5 Nov. l984, pitfall traps, montane rain forest, N. Scharffleg. ( ZMUC);  1 ♂, above Chita village,  1500 m,  2–13 Nov. l984, pitfall traps, montane rain forest, N. Scharffleg. ( ZMUC);  2 ♂♂,  11 kmSE of Masisiwe village, Kihanga Stream,  1800 m, 08°22’ 05.7” S, 35°58’ 41.6” E,  17–27 May 1997, ZMUC& SI Exp. leg. ( ZMUC);  2 ♂♂, nr. Masisiwe, 08°20’ 32” S, 35°58’03” E,  12–15 Jul. 2004, A. Sforzi& L. Bartolozzileg. ( MZF, no Mag. 2695).   Type locality  TANZANIA: Iringa Region, Udzungwa Mts, Udzungwa Scarp FR, above Chita village, 1500 m, montane rain forest.   Description(male) DIAMETER. 2.2–2.4 mm, 48–49 podous rings. COLOUR. After 10 years in alcohol with a broad light middorsal stripe formed by an hourglass-shaped spot on each body ring; stripe flanked by brownish paramedian bands; older specimens unicolourous light brown/pinkish. ANAL VALVES. Each with a long, slightly curving spine and a well-developed, triangular ventral one; marginal rim raised, setiferous tubercles well developed, on ‘ravelins’.   Fig. 16.  Chaleponcus nikolajscharffi sp. nov., right gonopod. A. Mesal view. B. Anterior view. C. Ventral view. D. Posterior view. al= anterior lamella of telomere, cu= cucullus, lp= lateral coxal process, mf= metaplical flange, mp= mesal metaplical process, msl= metaplical shelf-forming lobe, mss= metaplical shelf-spine, pl= posterior lamella of telomere, ps= proximal spine of solenomere. Scales 0.1 mm. LIMBUS. With long, slender triangular lobes; lobes ca. 2½ × as long as broad, almost meeting at base, striate on external surface. TARSAL SETATION. Normal. GONOPOD COXA ( Figs 9, 16). About 4 × as long as wide. Lateral margin basally slightly convex, curving strongly laterad ca.at level of prl, forming semicircular incision, and meeting apical margin in irregularly knobbed laterad process ( lp); apical margin sloping apico-mesad from process, irregularly undulate; cucullus ( cu) transverse, mesally projecting as rounded lobe with irregularly undulate margin. Metaplical flange ( mf) ending in low, rounded process; metaplical mesal margin basally straight, further distally overlaid by lamelloid process ( mp) covering arculus. Metaplical shelf not transverse as in most other species: posterior surface of metaplica with large lobe ( msl) roofing arculus; lobe concave on posterior face, folded anteriad and on anterior face giving rise to metaplical shelf-spine ( mss). mmsof medium length, curving first anteriad, then mesad, then basad, reaching level of torsus. GONOPOD TELOPODITE ( Fig. 16). Solenomere with a long, straight, mesad proximal spine ( ps) originating from a wrinkled area. Telomere distally with two branches, aland pl, both curving anteriad, both broad, in part with irregularly serrate edges, lying closely together and accommodating solenomere.    Distribution and habitat Known only from Udzungwa Scarp FR. Altitudinal rang: 1400–1800 masl. Habitat: montane rain forest.    Coexisting species   C. hamerae sp. nov.was found in the same samples as  C. nikolajscharffi sp. nov.In addition,  C. circumvallatus sp. nov.was found in Udzungwa Scarp FR.   Notes Very similar and probably closely related to  C. scopus sp. nov.from Kigogo FR. Very peculiar, mushroom-like inter-cytoscutal structures were observed with the scanning electron microscope in this species; see “Two notes on general morphology” and Fig. 34. 2626747304 1984-11-02 1984-11-13 1984-11-02 pitfall traps ZMUC N. Scharff Tanzania Udzungwa Mts 1500 Udzungwa Scarp FR Udzungwa Scarp 29 30 1 1 Iringa Region holotype 5003826356 1984-11-04 1984-11-09 1984-11-04 pitfall traps ZMUC N. Scharff Tanzania 1550 Udzungwa Scarp FR Udzungwa Mts 29 30 1 1 Iringa Region paratype 5003826309 1984-11-04 1984-11-09 1984-11-04 pitfall traps ZMUC N. Scharff Tanzania 1625 Chita village Udzungwa Mts 29 30 2 2 Iringa Region paratype 5003826344 1984-11-04 1984-11-05 1984-11-04 pitfall traps ZMUC N. Scharff Tanzania 1400 Chita village Udzungwa Mts 29 30 2 2 Iringa Region paratype 5003826368 1984-11-02 1984-11-13 1984-11-02 pitfall traps ZMUC N. Scharff Tanzania 1500 Chita village Udzungwa Mts 29 30 1 1 Iringa Region paratype 5003826353 1997-05-17 1997-05-27 1997-05-17 pitfall traps ZMUC ZMUC & SI Exp Tanzania 1800 -8.36825 Masisiwe village 1 35.97822 Udzungwa Mts 29 30 2 2 Iringa Region paratype 5003826360 2004-07-12 2004-07-15 2004-07-12 pitfall traps MZF A. Sforzi & L. Bartolozzi Tanzania 1800 -8.342222 Masisiwe 21 35.9675 Udzungwa Mts 29 30 Mag. 2695 2 2 Iringa Region paratype