Miniaria Shear & Marek 2023, new genus
Creators: name: Shear, William A.
name: Marek, Paul E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Diplopoda
Chordeumatida
Striariidae
Miniaria

description: Miniaria Shear & Marek, new genus
Type species: Miniaria ramifera Shear & Marek, new species
Diagnosis. A genus of Striariinae consisting of two species, distinct from other small striariids in the form of the male labrum, which is convex distally and with sharp lateral corners, but lacking curved processes (lab, Figs 1, 12). Additional distinguishing characters of the males: first legpair (Fig. 2) lacks needle setae; flasks of coxae 3 very short, with subterminal processes; fourth legpair largest but with short, wide podomeres (L4, Fig. 4); gonopod colpocoxites strongly reduced (Figs 9, 19); ninth legpair with coxal pores and curved coxal processes (cxp, Figs 10, 25).
Etymology. The genus name is feminine in gender and is an arbitrary combination of letters.
Description. Small species of Striariinae with 28 postcephalic rings. Length 3–4 mm, width about 0.25–0.30 mm. Color white, with single black ommatidium on each side of head. Antennae relatively short, robust, clavate. Head, except for labrum, covered with fine setae and small tubercles (Fig. 1). Collum ornamented by closely set small tubercles, coalescing into vague crests in posterior fifth of collum length. Metazonites with twelve subequal crests (Figs 13, 14); metazonital setae long, prominent, with longitudinal grooves and feathered tips (Figs 15). Telson with three lobes only shallowly separated, not prominent; spinnerets directed posteriad (sp, Fig. 16). Legs with specialized flattened setae with median ridges and long, filamentous extensions (Fig. 6).
The following secondary sexual characters occur in males. Head frontally flattened with slight swellings below antennal sockets. Labrum flat and smooth, slightly concave, distal corners distinctly angular, not rounded (lab, Fig. 1). Mandibular stipes with serrate anteriodistal margin, prominent distal tooth (m, Fig 1). First legpair (Fig. 2) enlarged, femora curved, lacking needle setae, distal podomeres with few long, flattened setae ventrally. Second legpair larger than first; openings of vas deferentia separate, subtended by long, flattened, ribbon-like setae (vd, Figs 3, 5). Third legpair robust, coxal flasks short, with subterminal process (Fig. 5); tarsi with special sensory array including comb setae and recessed pore plate (Fig. 6; see Discussion section below for further details). Fourth legpair the largest; prefemora and femora nearly as wide as long (L4, Figs 4, 8). Fifth, sixth and seventh legpairs enlarged; seventh coxae unmodified. Tenth coxae with glands, not modified or enlarged (cx10, Fig. 10).
Gonopods (Figs 9, 11, 19–24, 39–44, 46–53), separate from prominent, transverse sternum, coxae large, with two or three setae. Anterior angiocoxites curved, with fimbriate posterior margin distally. Posterior angiocoxites smaller than anterior ones, fimbriate, sheathing single flagellum or flagellocoxite. Colpocoxites membranous-fimbriate, much reduced. Ninth legs (Figs 10, 25, 45), variably free or partially fused to sternum; coxae and telopodites fused, coxae with prominent anterior lobe bearing gland pore, also with strongly curved single process; telopodites strongly flattened, setose, with ornament of pointed tubercles (as on other legs).
description: Published as part of Shear, William A. & Marek, Paul E., 2023, The millipede family Striariidae Bollman, 1893. VIII. Three new genera and four new species of minute millipedes from Oregon and Washington, USA (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Striarioidea), pp. 323-340 in Zootaxa 5264 (3) on page 325, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5264.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/7836674