A mountain of millipedes IX: Species of the family Gomphodesmidae from the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania (Diplopoda, Polydesmida)
Author
Olsen, Sissel Anna
4E58B96D-3B55-46AF-90A8-90C8EAF6570C
Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK- 2100 København Ø, Denmark
mfx548@alumni.ku.dk
Author
Rosenmejer, Trine
F9E1E73B-E6D8-46D7-B470-05E91142C98F
Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK- 2100 København Ø, Denmark
khf843@alumni.ku.dk
Author
Enghoff, Henrik
FB09A817-000D-43C3-BCC4-2BC1E5373635
Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK- 2100 København Ø, Denmark
henghoff@snm.ku.dk
text
European Journal of Taxonomy
2020
2020-06-29
675
1
35
journal article
21573
10.5852/ejt.2020.675
39cc6284-8ad7-47f0-bf5d-2122174905ed
3928326
88FFA67B-C2DE-43C6-ACB1-44EDCF119EBA
Pogoropsis prolixopes
Rosenmejer & Enghoff
gen. et sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:
D35FD14F-0709-4AF2-945F-AEDA96FF91E3
Figs 2
,
5D
,
12–13
Diagnosis
As for the genus. Differs conspicuously from other Udzungwan gomphodesmids species by the very long and slender gonopod telopodite.
Etymology
The name is a Latin noun in apposition meaning “long leg/foot” and refers to the unusually long gonopods.
Material examined
Holotype
TANZANIA
•
♂
;
Iringa region
/district,
West Kilombero Scarp Forest
;
07°45′34.2″ S
,
36°26′37.4″ E
;
1510 m
a.s.l.
;
7 Dec. 2000
;
Frontier Tanzania UMBS
leg.;
open woodland
, plot
Acacia
;
NHMD 621672
.
Paratypes
TANZANIA
•
19 ♂♂
,
2 ♀♀
;
same collecting data as for holotype
;
NHMD 621673
•
1 ♂
,
2 ♀♀
,
2 juv.
;
Iringa region
/district,
West Kilombero Scarp Forest
;
07°53′19.5″ S
,
36°23′11.6″ E
;
1111 m
a.s.l.
;
23 Nov. 2000
;
Frontier Tanzania UMBS
leg.;
montane forest
, plot 17, Ukami;
NHMD 621685
.
Fig. 12.
Pogoropsis prolixopes
Rosenmejer & Enghoff
gen. et sp. nov.
, holotype, ♂ (NHMD 621672).
A
. Habitus.
B
. Front end, showing gonopods, ventral view.
C
. Hind end, ventral view. Scale bars: A = 5 mm; B = 3 mm; C = 1 mm.
Fig. 13.
Pogoropsis prolixopes
Rosenmejer & Enghoff
gen. et sp. nov.
, paratype, ♂, left gonopod (NHMD 621673).
A–B
. Mesal view.
C
. Apex of solenomere.
D–E
. Lateral view.
F–G
. Dorsal view. Abbreviations:
M
= Process M;
stl
= slender triangular lobe;
tl
= triangular lobe. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.
Description
Males
SIZE AND SHAPE. Body length ca
32–37 mm
. Maximum width 6.0–
6.7 mm
. W/L ratio 20%. Height of body ring eight
4.5 mm
. H/W ratio= 68%.
COLOUR (
Fig. 12A
). Uniformly yellowish/light brown
STERNAL PROCESS ON BODY RING 6 (
Fig. 5D
). Longer than wide, triangular tip.
HYPOPROCT. Suboval in shape, without median projection (
Fig. 12C
). Paramedian tubercles of normal size, not projecting beyond edge of sclerite.
GONOPOD (
Fig. 13
). Gonocoxa without paracannular setae. Telopodite mesonodal. Nodus with few small triangular processes. Process M thin, narrow at base, and closely following postnodal telopodite. Process L absent. Postnodal teleopodite relatively long, curved dorsomesad, closely following prefemoral region. Solenomere with triangular lobe, followed by longer and more slender triangular lobe. Apex thin and curved, projecting at right angles before end of solenomere.
Distribution
Known only from the
type
locality and one further site in the Udzungwa Mts, West Kilombero Scarp, montane forest and open woodland (
Fig. 2
). The two sites are ca
12 km
apart and are situated in different forested areas (cf.
Frontier
Tanzania
2001: 26
, 174).
Remarks
The shape of the sternal process on the 6
th
body ring is more similar to that seen in species of the genus
Ngurubates
Hoffman, 2005
, than to that of species of
Pogoro
. In the key to genera of
Gomphodesmini,
Hoffman (2005)
actually uses this character to distinguish between
Pogoro
and
Ngurubates
. After examining both genus descriptions, however, it became clear that
Pogoropsis prolixopes
gen. et sp. nov.
fits into neither of these genera.
Ngurubates
species have subonychial pads only on legs 1–5 (
Pogoro
: 1–6), and ventral tubercles on anterior legs are present (
Pogoro
: absent). Almost all characteristics of the new species fit
Pogoro
. The only differences from the
Pogoro
species description are the absence of paracannular setae, the absence of gonopodal process L and in particular the very elongated, hairpinbent gonopod telopodite.