Nannaria rutherfordensis Shelley, 1975

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 rutherfordensis Shelley, 1975 Fig. 111 Vernacular name: "The Rutherfordton Twisted-Claw Millipede"

Nannaria rutherfordensis Shelley, 1975: 184, figs 7-9. Hoffman 1999: 367. Shelley 2000, 197. Marek et al. 2014: 38. Means et al. 2021: S72.

Material examined.

Holotype: United States - North Carolina • ♂; Rutherford County, Rutherfordton , Bus. 74, 0.2 W Byp. 74; [35.3108°N, - 81.9303°W]; 15 Oct. 1973; R. M. Shelley leg.; NMNH USNMENT 01491821. For detailed collection data see Suppl. material 7.

Diagnosis.

Adult males of Nannaria rutherfordensis are distinct from other Nannaria and the nearby N. minor based on the following combination of characters: Gonopods. Gonopodal acropodite simple, gently curving medially with extremely short, blunt distal zone, not with small, tooth-like medial flange near apex as in N. minor . Prefemur with long, thin, medially curving prefemoral process, not acicular slightly curving laterally as in N. minor . Prefemoral process arising from sharp, projected prefemoral spine (Fig. 111A , red arrow), not from small prefemoral spine which curves cephalically as in N. minor . Telopodite basal zone height <1/2 length of acropodite. Color. Shelley (1975) described N. rutherfordensis as having white paranota with a concolorous stripe along the anterior edge of the collum.

Measurements.

♂ holotype (NMNH, USNMENT 01491821): BL = 28.0, CW = 3.2, IW = 2.2, ISW = 0.9, B11W = 4.3, B11H = 2.8.

Variation.

No known variation.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (North Carolina: Rutherford County, Suppl. material 7, Fig. 126 ). Distribution area: N/A; status: MRE.

Ecology.

Shelley (1975, pp. 186) notes that the holotype was found under leaves by the side of a log in an "urban patch of hardwoods, a few feet from the pavement..." The authors JCM and DAH were unable to recollect N. rutherfordensis on multiple trips to the type locality and surrounding area. The type locality had unfortunately recently been cleared for development and was found dry and lacking vegetation on each visit. The authors infer this species may be locally extirpated.

Etymology.

Shelley (1975) provides no etymology for his naming in his description of the species; however, it is reasonable to assume that N. rutherfordensis is named after its type locality.

Note on clade membership.

No specimens of Nannaria rutherfordensis were collected for this study. While it shares the gonopodal character of a prefemoral process that parallels the curved acropodite with N. kassoni sp. nov. ( Nannaria minor clade), this character is also found in N. fowleri ( Nannaria fowleri clade) and N. tasskelsoae sp. nov. ( Nannaria tasskelsoae clade), which are 352 km and 266 km north, respectively. In combination with the relative geographic isolation of the species, being the most southern species in North Carolina, clade membership is uncertain.

Type locality.

United States, North Carolina, Rutherford County, Rutherfordton, Bus. 74, 0.2 W Byp. 74; [35.3108°N, - 81.9303°W].

Notes.

In the original publication, Shelley (1975: 184) designates a male holotype (NCSM 2053) which he collected on October 15, 1973. Interestingly, despite the type being deposited by Shelley at the NCSM, at some point before the writing of Hoffman’s (1999) checklist the specimen was moved to the NMNH and relabeled with the code USNMENT 01491821 by an unknown party.

Figures

Figure 111. Nannaria rutherfordensis holotype ♂ (NMNH, USNMENT 01491821) left gonopod A anterior view, red arrow indicates pronounced, sharp prefemoral spine B medial view C posterior view. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

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