Sphaeromimus kalambatritra Moritz & Wesener 2017, sp. nov.

Sphaeromimus kalambatritra sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:620 CAD 6B-DAB4-4FFC-8556-61357C75AF40 Figs 1–6, 11 Diagnosis

Large, massive, brown Sphaeromimus,> 50 mm long. Differing from all other species of Sphaeromimus in having five stridulation ribs on the male harp (as in S. musicus (Saussure & Zehntner, 1897) and S. vatovavy Wesener, 2014) in the following characters: tarsus of leg 3 without an apical spine, coxal process almost absent, posterior telopod with two membranous lobes.>80 ocelli.

The specific epithet ‘kalambatritra’, noun in apposition, refers to the type-locality, the Réserve Spéciale de Kalambatritra (Fig. 11).

Material examined (3 ♂♂, 1 ♀)

Holotype

MADAGASCAR: ♂, Toliaria, Réserve Spéciale Kalambatritra, Befarara, BLF21330, 23°25′04″ S, 46°26′52″ E,alt. 1390m, montane rainforest, 7 Feb.2009, B.L. Fisher et al. leg., general collecting (CASENT 9068297-A).

Paratypes

MADAGASCAR: 1 ♂, same collection data as for holotype (ZFMK MYR06125); 1 ♂, same collection data as for holotype (CASENT 9068297-C); 1 ♀, Toliaria, Réserve Spéciale Kalambatritra, Ampanihy, BLF21565, 23°27′49″S, 46°27′47″ E,alt. 1270m, montane rainforest, 9–10 Feb.2009, B.L. Fisher et al. leg., general collecting (CASENT 9058301).

Description

MEASUREMENTS. Male holotype ca 51.5 mm long, 24.4 mm (2nd segment) up to 28.2 mm (10th segment = widest) wide, 14 mm (2nd segment) high. Female ca 52 mm long, 24.7 mm (2nd segment) wide, 15.1 mm (2nd segment) high (Fig. 1A).

COLORATION OF PRESERVED SPECIMEN (Fig. 1A). Tergites in anterior half dark brown, posterior half light brown, posterior margin with thin dark brown band. Paratergites light brown with dark brown to blackish tips. Paratergite impressions and groove of thoracic shield light brown. Antennae brown, and legs and pleurites light brown to grey. Head laterally around eyes and at posterior margin dark brown, frontally light brown. Collum dark brown. Eyes green.

HEAD. Eyes with>80 ocelli, median ocelli small and increasing in size towards lateral and posterior part of eyes (Fig. 1A), several larger ocelli on lateral margin clearly separated from eye. Organ of Tömösváry positioned in antennal-groove (Fig. 1B). Antennae short, protruding to coxa of third leg, not reaching margin of thoracic shield. Antennomere 1 as long as 2+3; antennomeres 2–5 of similar length; antennomere 6 as long as 4+5, but shorter than 1. Antennomeres 1–6 and antennal groove densely pubescent (Fig. 2A). Antennomere 6 towards disc with single row of sensilla basiconica (Fig. 2B–C). Disc in female with 33/31, in male with 53/55 apical cones, as well as several setae shorter, or as long as, apical cones (Fig. 2B). Margin of labrum with setae.

GNATHOCHILARIUM. Gnathochilarium typical for members of the order Sphaerotheriida, stipes and lamellamentum densely pubescent (Figs 1B, 3A, E). Lateral palpi rudimentary, not distinctly projecting over level of surrounding cuticle, consisting of four sensillae (Fig.3C). Inner palpi well developed, with field of sensory-cones and scale-like structures (Fig. 3D). Central pads (protuberance of endochilarium) with field of sensory-cones and smaller scale-like structures (Fig.3E). Endochilarium with deep triangular incision between central pads, central pads projecting lamella-mentum nearly to base of inner palpi.

Lateral endochilarium with densely packed median-pointing setae. Hypopharynx with single row of teeth lateral on both sides, anterior distinctly separated row of 8 teeth (Fig. 3B).

MANDIBLE. Mandible with typical shape of Sphaerotheriida (Fig. 3F), inner tooth 3-combed, with 6 long pectinate lamellae (Fig. 3G), condylus with a single, lower step at its apex (Fig. 3F). Condylus of mandible mounted against cuticular thickening on lateral margin of labrum, anteriorly of antennae (Fig. 1C). Tentorium lacking connection to head capsule via transverse bar. Posterior process triangular and plate-like, laying parallel to plate-like gnathal lobe sclerite. Epipharyngeal bar broad and laminar, running within epipahryngeal wall in direction of mandible condylus, broadening distally. Epipharyngeal bar with short lateral offshoot. Hypopharyngeal bar rod-like, curved within hypopharyngeal wall. Distal tip of hypopharyngeal bar reaches plate-like nebententorium. Nebententorium oriented at right angle to hypopharyngeal bar (Fig. 1E).

COLLUM. Collum glabrous except for few setae at margins.

THORACIC SHIELD. Thoracic shield glabrous, with a chagrinated (leather-like) surface, few setae in grooves. Grooves deep (Fig. 1A).

BODY RINGS. Tergites 3–12 with a chagrinated surface, small hair only present at posterior margin and in grooves, paratergite tips of mid-body tergites strongly projecting posteriorly (Fig. 1A). Tergites with single black locking carina.

ANAL SHIELD. Anal shield large, with a steep edge, entirely glabrous, with lighter and darker patches (Fig. 1A). Underside with single black locking carina, located closer to tergite margins than to pleurite.

ENDOTERGUM. Endotergum inner section with loose field of short, cone-shaped spines and long setae (Fig. 4A). Externally 2–3 dense rows of long marginal bristles, slightly protruding above margin of tergite. Bristles covered with small, triangular spines, apically increasing in density (Fig. 4B).

STIGMATIC PLATES. First stigma-carrying plate with a well-rounded projecting apex, apex covered with tiny spines and setae (Fig. 5A). Second plate (Fig. 5B) without apex and spines.

FIRST PLEURITE. First pleurite laterally well-rounded, without extensions.

LEGS. Leg 1 with 2, 2 with 4, 3 with 10 ventral spines and no apical spine. Leg pairs 4–21 with 12–16 ventral spines and an apical spine. Small coxa process developed, covered with field of spines (Fig.5C). Femur 2.0, tarsus 3.3 times as long as wide. All podomeres with few setae (Fig. 5C). Toothed ridge (cleaning comb?) of femur with>40 teeth, reaching ca. 0.8 times length of femur. Coxa in anterior aspect basally with a row of teeth, similar to “cleaning comb” on femur. Pronounced coxal process absent.

MALE GONOPORE. Male gonopore typical for genus, plate glabrous, surrounded by relative large membranous area, few small spines basally of gonopore (Fig. 5B).

ANTERIOR TELOPOD. Harp carrying five well-developed stridulation ribs (Fig. 5D). Shape usual for genus, with setae and tiny teeth at apical margin. Telopoditomere 4 with one large, triangular, apically weakly sclerotized spine and 2 smaller ones (Fig. 5E–F); basally on its anterior side with several tiny teeth. Telopoditomere 3 with triangular hump laterally, located close to border to telopoditomere 4 and juxtaposed to process of telopoditomere 2 (Fig. 5E).

POSTERIOR TELOPOD. Podomere 3 slightly curved, 3.3 times as long as wide, slightly longer than immovable finger (Fig.5G–H). Hollowed-out inner margin with two lobes and two spines, posterior aspect with ca 30 small crenulated teeth. Immovable finger straight, basally wide, apically tapering, only apical tip strongly curved towards podomere 3. Podomere 1 with few setae on lateral margin (Fig. 5H), podomere 2 only with few setae at anterior side, posterior side glabrous (Fig. 5G–H). Podomere 3 with only few marginal setae.

FEMALE SEXUAL CHARACTERS. Vulva massive. Operculum well-rounded, protruding up to apical third of prefemur, with few marginal setae (Fig. 6A). Subanal plate large, with shallow invagination at apical margin (shape typical for genus). Washboard with ten stridulation ribs on each side, median in anterior half with black triangular field (Fig.6B). The female carried several hundred eggs with a diameter of 1.5–1.6 mm.

Only known from the type-locality, the Réserve Spéciale de Kalambatritra, which is a mountainous rainforest (Fig. 11). In the same habitat, two undetermined giant pill-millipede species of the genus Zoosphaerium occur sympatrically.