Casuariverpa scarpa Enghoff 2016, gen. et sp. nov.

Casuariverpa scarpa gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: F7F88676- 2515 -47 A6-91EE-01FABFE43894

Figs 3–4

Diagnosis

( redundant, genus monotypic)

Etymology

The name is a noun in apposition and refers to the Udzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve.

Material studied (total: 12 ƋƋ)

Holotype

TANZANIA: Ƌ, Udzungwa Mts, Iringa Region, Udzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve above Chita village, 1050 m, 26–29 Oct. l984. Pitfall traps in intermediate rain forest, N. Scharff leg. (ZMUC00046998).

Paratypes

TANZANIA: 7 ƋƋ, same data as holotype (ZMUC00046999); 4 ƋƋ Udzungwa Mts, Kihansi, 8°24′ S, 36°21′ E, “forest site”, Jun.–Aug.1997, I. Zilihona leg. (ZMUC00047000).

Description (male)

SIZE. Length ca 2½– 3 cm, diameter 2.0– 2.4 mm, 52–55 podous rings, no apodous rings in front of telson.

COLOUR. Faded; traces of a broad, light dorsal stripe.

HEAD. Without peculiarities.

COLLUM. With a marginal and ~3 submarginal furrows.

BODY RINGS. Almost perfect cylinders, not vaulted; suture straight; ozopores ca three diameters behind suture.

ANAL VALVES (Fig. 3A, C). Surface, like that of preanal ring and subanal scale, coarsely rugose. Each valve with a long dorsal spine and an almost as long downwards curved ventral spine; marginal rim barely raised, setiferous tubercles strongly protruding in lateral view, but not protruding in a laterad direction.

OZOPORES. Starting from ring 6.

LIMBUS (Fig. 3B, E). Very broad, with simple, rounded-triangular lobes, surface densely microstriolate.

MALE LEGS. With postfemoral and tibial ventral pads in anterior body half, except on first few leg-pairs.

BODY RING 7 (Fig. 3D). With large ventral lobes, much larger than usual in the family.

GONOPOD COXA (Fig. 3 F–H). Slender in anterior view, almost parallel-sided except apically where it has a blunt-triangular lateral expansion (all), giving the coxal tip a sub-triangular outline. Proplica (pp) simple, proplical lobe (prl) not covered by metaplica. Metaplica (mp) with large flange (mf) reaching to level of arculus, distal to arculus closely appressed to proplica, subdistally with a long, slightly sinuous basad spine (msp).

GONOPOD TELOPODITE (Figs 3 F–H, 4). Arculus ca 90°. Torsotope (tt) simple, compact, without processes, partly hidden inside coxal cavity, i.e., the part of the telopodite between arculus and torsotope extremely short. Posttorsal narrowing (pn) without processes or spines. Telopodite just distal to posttorsal narrowing dividing into solenomere and telomere. Solenomere (slm) long, whiplike, longer than telomere, with a very long accessory spine (ps) branching off near its base; tip of solenomere with a curved, triangularpointed lobe giving the tip a profile somewhat similar to that of a cassowary (see etymology). Telomere (tlm) proximally enveloping base of solenomere, distally expanded, all in all forming a roughly triangular concave plate; concavity with a longitudinal ridge (tr) delimiting a broad furrow (tf) for accommodation of solenomere; distal margin of telomere straight, gently undulate. A micro-spinose field on basal external side of telomere basis (Figs 3G, 4E), another micro-spinose field (Figs 3H, 4F) on distal part of telomere concavity.

Distribution and habitat

Known only from the two sites in and adjacent to the Udzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve, Udzungwa Mts.

Coexisting species

Aquattuor stereosathe Enghoff, 2015 was found in the same sample from above Chita as C. scarpa gen. et sp. nov. In addition, A. udzungwensis Enghoff, 2015, Chaleponcus circumvallatus Enghoff, 2014, C. hamerae Enghoff, 2014, C. nikolajscharffi Enghoff, 2014 and Yia geminispina gen. et sp. nov. occur in the Udzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve. At Kihansi, Prionopetalum asperginis Enghoff, 2016 was found in the same sample as C. scarpa gen. et sp. nov.