Nannaria serpens, Means & Hennen & Marek, 2021

Means, Jackson C., Hennen, Derek A. & Marek, Paul E., 2021, A revision of the minor species group in the millipede genus Nannaria Chamberlin, 1918 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Xystodesmidae), ZooKeys 1030, pp. 1-180 : 1

Nannaria serpens sp. nov. Figs 30 , 31 Vernacular name: "The Serpentine Twisted-Claw Millipede"

Material examined.

Holotype: United States - Virginia • ♂; Carroll County, Dugspur, side of hill southeast of Blacksnake Meadery ; 36.7747°N, - 80.5420°W; elev. 822 m; 17 Sep. 2014; hand collected; J. Means leg.; VTEC MPE00202 .

Paratypes: United States - Virginia • 1 ♂; same collection data as holotype; VMNH MPE00210 .

Other material.

United States - North Carolina • 1 ♂; Ashe County, Three-Top Mtn. , 2 miles SE of Creston; 36.4144°N, - 81.6003°W; elev. 1219 m; 23 July 1963; R. Hoffman, Carico leg.; VMNH NAN0206 • 2 ♂♂; Avery County, Grandfather Mtn. ; 36.1096°N, - 81.8114°W; C. M. leg.; VMNH NAN0205; SCAU - Virginia • 1 ♂; Carroll County, Blacksnake Meadery , bottomland near creek at entrance; 36.7760°N, - 80.5446°W; elev. 767 m; 14 Sep. 2014; hand collected; J. Means leg.; VTEC MPE00274 • 1 ♀; same collection data as preceding; VTEC MPE00204 • 1 ♂; Floyd County, on hill edge by side of road across from Rocky Knob Picnic Area ; 36.8132°N, - 80.3495°W; elev. 970 m; 18 Sep. 2015; hand collected; J. Means, P. Marek, K. Lawler, P. Shorter, V. Wong leg.; VTEC MPE00817 • 1 ♀; same collection data as preceding; VTEC MPE03717 • 6 ♂♂; Floyd County, 6 mi SE Willis, Felker’s property, Rt. 726, Sorex study; 36.8009°N, - 80.3988°W; 7 June 1995; J. Anderson leg.; VMNH NAN0083 • 3 ♂♂; same collection data as preceding; 20 June 1995; VMNH survey leg.; VMNH NAN0087 • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as preceding; 7 June 1995; J. Anderson leg.; VMNH, NAN0089 • 12 ♂♂; same collection data as preceding; 4 June 1993; VMNH NAN0207 • 4 ♂♂; Floyd County, Buffalo Mountain N.A.P. south slope site, berleseate; 36.7958°N, - 80.4772°W; elev. 1067 m; 9 Aug. - 6 Sep. 2000; berlese; Joint Survey leg.; VMNH NAN0084 • 1 ♂; same collection data as preceding; 23 Oct. 1996; VMNH survey leg.; VMNH NAN0088 • 1 ♂; same collection data as preceding; 18 Aug.1991; VMNH NAN0090 • 6 ♂♂; same collection data as preceding; 6 Sep.- 3 Oct. 2000; VMNH NAN0091 • 1 ♂♂; same collection data as preceding; 12 Jan. 1986; R. Hoffman leg.; VMNH NAN0092 • 6 ♂♂; same collection data as preceding; 10 Oct. - 8 Nov.; VMNH survey leg.; VMNH NAN0093 • 30 ♂♂; same collection data as preceding; 23 June - 15 July 2001; VMNH NAN0094, 95 • 9 ♂♂; same collection data as preceding; 23 Nov. 2000; Joint Survey; VMNH NAN0096 • 24 ♂♂; same collection data as preceding; 23 Aug. - 29 Sep. 2001; VMNH survey leg.; VMNH NAN0097 • 15 ♂♂; same collection data as preceding; 31 Oct. 2001; VMNH NAN0098 • 5 ♂♂; same collection data as preceding; 19 Aug. 1992; VMNH NAN0208 • 3 ♂♂; same collection data as preceding; 1 Apr. 1993; VMNH NAN0209 • 1 ♂; same collection data as preceding; 3 Sep. 1967; R. Hoffman leg.; VMNH NAN0296 • 1 ♂; Lee County, Powell Mountain at Va. Hy. 70, near crest; 36.6211°N, - 83.1062°W; 5 June 1986; R. Hoffman leg.; VMNH NAN0153 • 2 ♂♂; Patrick County, Rock Castle Creek, Rock Castle Gorge Trail , Rocky Knob Recreation Center; 36.7858°N, - 80.3717°W; elev. 839 m; 21 Sep. 2015; hand collected; J. Means, P. Marek leg.; VTEC MPE00830 , 833 • 1 ♂; Patrick County, side of hill by Fred Clifton Park ; 36.7181°N, - 80.3246°W; elev; 869 m; hand collected; J. Means, P. Shorter; leg.; VTEC MPE02610 • 2 ♀; same collection data as preceding; VTEC MPE02629 , 2630 • 3 ♂♂; Rockbridge County, vicinity of Natural Bridge , in dry limestone woods; 37.63°N, - 79.5433°W; 14 May 1989; R. Hoffman leg.; VMNH NAN0193. For detailed collection data see Suppl. material 7 .

Diagnosis.

Adult males of Nannaria serpens sp. nov. are distinct from other Nannaria and the sympatric N. wilsoni , based on the following combination of characters: Gonopods. Gonopodal acropodite gently curving medially, not strongly curving medially as in N. wilsoni . Telopodite basal zone height <1/2 length of acropodite, not heavily reduced as in N. wilsoni . Acropodite with slightly swollen medial area (Fig. 30C , red triangle) and small lobed medial flange (Fig. 30A , red arrow) basal to apex. Tip directed medially, blunt and simple, not with folds, grooves, flanges as in N. wilsoni . Distal zone greatly reduced, not enlarged and curving caudomedially as in N. wilsoni . Prefemur with sinuous, cephalically-directed prefemoral process, not curving medially as in N. wilsoni . Prefemoral spine enlarged, cephalically directed, lacking secondary hump as in N. mcelroyorum sp. nov. Color. Tergites with bright orange paranotal spots (Fig. 31 ). Dark brown background. Dorsum of collum smooth with orange margin.

Measurements.

♂ holotype (VTEC, MPE00202): BL = 30.9, IW = 2.4, ISW = 0.8, B11W = 4.7, B11H = 2.9; ♀ paratype (VTEC, MPE00204): BL = 29.4, CW = 3.4, IW = 1.8, ISW = 0.8, B11W = 4.4, B11H = 3.0.

Variation.

No known variation.

Distribution.

Known from southwestern Virginia and northwestern North Carolina, with disjunct populations ca. 112 km northeast at Natural Bridge State Park, and ca. 230 km southwest at Powell Mountain (North Carolina: Ashe and Avery counties; Virginia: Carroll, Floyd, Lee, Patrick and Rockbridge counties, Suppl. material 7; Fig. 126 ). Distribution area: 2,280 km2; status: SRE.

Ecology.

Individuals of N. serpens sp. nov. have been collected from mesic hardwood forests composed of oak, maple, tuliptree, sassafras, and rhododendron, often found under leaves on wooded hillsides.

Etymology.

This species is named for both the serpentine nature of its prefemoral process, and for its type locality, Blacksnake Meadery. The specific name is derived from the Latin serpens meaning snake, and is a noun in apposition.

Type locality.

United States, Virginia, Carroll County, Dugspur, side of hill southeast of Blacksnake Meadery, 36.7747°N, - 80.5420°W.

Figures

Figure 30. Nannaria serpens sp. nov. holotype ♂ (VTEC, MPE 00202) left gonopod A anterior view; red arrow indicates medial flange B medial view C posterior view; red triangle indicates slight medial acropodite swelling. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Figure 31. Nannaria serpens sp. nov. holotype ♂ (VTEC, MPE 00202) coloration. Scale bar: 4.0 mm.

Figure 126. Distribution map of Nannaria minor species group collection localities in the central Appalachians.