Megaphyllum (Parancistrum) turcicum (Verhoeff, 1898)

Vagalinski, Boyan, Lazányi, Eszter & Golovatch, Sergei, 2013, Redescription of the subgenus Parancistrum Verhoeff, 1943, an eastern Mediterranean lineage of the millipede genus Megaphyllum Verhoeff, 1894 (Diplopoda: Julida: Julidae: Brachyiulini), Zootaxa 3734 (5), pp. 501-520 : 512-514

Megaphyllum (Parancistrum) turcicum (Verhoeff, 1898)

Figs 35–40

Brachyiulus turcicus Verhoeff, 1898: 301 , fig. 14. Brachyiulus turcicus: Verhoeff 1923: 131 .

Chromatoiulus turcicus: Attems 1927: 230 .

Chromatoiulus (Phauloiulus) turcicus: Attems 1940: 307 . Megaphyllum turcicum: Enghoff 2006: 184 .

Material examined. MNKB: ZMB 12379, syntype ♂ gonopods + 1st and 2nd leg-pairs as slide preparation, Cilicien. MHNG: 2 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀, 3 juv., Turkey, Mersin, road to Arslanköy, 5 km SE Aladag, Kerimler, 680 m, 36°54’45” N, 34°31’44” E, 10.V.2004, C. Besuchet leg., BV det.

Diagnosis. Differs from M. curvifolii , M. genezarethanum , M. tenenbaumi , and M. arcuatum sp. n. by the serrated, rather than smooth, anterior opisthomere process; and from M. serratum by the very broad posterior opisthomere process which is higher than the solenomere, as opposed to the same process being significantly narrower, slightly shorter than the solenomere in the latter species.

Descriptive notes. Measurements: males in developmental stadia X–XI, body ring number (52-53+2+T), body length 27–29 mm, height 1.6–1.7 mm; females in developmental stadia XI with 2 apodous body rings, 26–31 mm long, 2.1–2.3 mm high. 18 labral setae. Collum with 5–6 barely visible scratches near anterolateral corner. Metazonal setation rather short (ca. ½ or less of metazonal length), erect, not very dense. Pre-anal process very long and straight, exceeding the longest setae on anal valves; not roof-like, but narrow, with a sharp ventral keel. Subanal scale triangular, pointed, protruding by ca 1/3 of its length behind caudal contour of anal valves in males, blunt and barely protruding in females. Anal valves with moderately dense pilosity on surface and a distinct row of shorter setae along caudal margin of each valve.

Male mandibular stipites protruding more anteriad than ventrad, forming a distinct, rounded, anterior corner. Male pleurotergum 7 with weakly protruding, broadly rounded lobes lateral to gonopods. Penis ( Figs 35–36 ) somewhat longer than broad, with slightly converging sides; anterocaudally constricted just before apical lobes, the latter short, parallel, blunt pyramidal; terminal lamellae thin, rounded, directed entirely dorsad. Promereopisthomere connection stronger than promere-promere one.

Gonopods: Promere ( Fig. 38 , P in Fig. 37 ) ca 2.5 times longer than broad, slightly and gradually narrowing towards apex, the latter widely rounded; median ridge (r) and median groove (g) well-pronounced. Flagellum (fl) considerably longer than promere. Opisthomere ( Figs 37, 39 ) with a very large, shield-like, posterior process (pp), postero-mesally covered with short and stout spines; a slender, s-bent anterior process (ap) with a serrated distal part. Solenomere (s) turned distad, bearing a bifurcated, pointed, anterior protrusion (asp). Gonopods in situ: promere subequal to solenomere, both surpassed by posterior process; promere-opisthomere connection stronger than promere-promere one.

Vulvae ( Fig. 40 ) subcylindrical, compact, slightly higher than maximum width, mostly symmetric; lateral valve somewhat broader than mesal one. Bursa gently constricted before its distal 1/3, apical margin with weakly pronounced lateral and mesal humps (lh and mh); central hump absent. Bursal sidelobes ending with short, rounded, hyaline protrusions. Opening small and ellipsoid. Operculum subequal in height to bursa, without hyaline protrusions; setation on operculum denser than on bursa. Receptaculum seminis consisting of a rather narrow apodematic tube (at), a large, sac-like posterior ampulla (pa) joining the apodematic tube through a strongly folded, but not spirally twisted connecting tube (ct).

Distribution. Cilicien [between Mersin and Tarsus (cf. Hoffman & Lohmander 1964)] (type locality) (Verhoeff 1898).

Remarks. This is the second record of the species since its original description, again from the terra typica.

Figures

FIGURES 35 – 40. Megaphyllum turcicum male (35 – 39) and female (40) from near Aladağ, Turkey: (35) and (36) penis, caudal and lateral views, respectively; (37) right gonopods, mesal view; (38) left promere, posterior view; (39) left opisthomere, anterior, slightly mesal view; (40) right vulva, posterior, slightly mesal view (receptaculum seen by transparency, but drawn with solid lines for better emphasis). Abbreviations: ap: anterior process, asp: anterior protrusion of the solenomere, at: apodematic tube, bl: bursal lamellar protrusions, ct: connecting tube, fc: flagellum channel, fl: flagellum, g: median groove, lh: lateral hump, mh: mesal hump, opl: operculum’s lamellar protrusions, P: promere, pa: posterior ampulla, ph: posterior hump, pp: posterior process, r: median ridge, s: solenomere, sf: spine-like filaments. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.