Lithobius (Monotarsobius) franciscorum Dányi & Tuf, 2012, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Dányi, László
name: Tuf, Ivan H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Chilopoda
Lithobiomorpha
Lithobiidae
Lithobius
Lithobius franciscorum

description: Lithobius (Monotarsobius) franciscorum sp. nov.
Diagnosis. A Lithobius Leach, 1814 species (subgenus Monotarsobius Verhoeff, 1905) with 19+19 antennal articles; 4–5 ocelli in one row on either side, the second most posterior one being the biggest; Tömösváry organ similar in size to the second ocellus; two teeth on each dental margin of maxillipede coxosternum; tergites with rounded posterior angles; tarsus 1–2 articulation fused on legs 1–13, well-defined on legs 14 and 15; leg 15 with accessory apical claw and without VaC; female gonopods with 3+3 (4+4) spurs, gonopodal claw simple; last pair of legs swollen in the male, with a group of about 27–30 club-like setae dorsodistally on femurs and about 8–10 lance-like setae on the posterior third of the dorsal side of the tibiae.
Types. Holotype: 3 (HNHM chilo-2633): Kazakhstan, Altai Mts., woods on the bank of river Berel, N 49°26´33´´, E 86°22´02´´, 1200 m a.s.l., 28-IV-2006, lgt. I.H.Tuf.
Paratypes: 13 (HNHM chilo-2635): same data as holotype; 23 (NHMW No. 8012, HNHM chilo-3021) and 3ƤƤ (NHMW No. 8013, HNHM chilo-3049, HNHM chilo-3050): Kazakhstan, Altai Mts., near Berel village, dead birch wood, near small stream, N 49°17´42´´, E 86°19´35´´, 1062 m a.s.l., 12-VII-2007, lgt. I.H.Tuf.
Non types: Kazakhstan, Altai Mts., Zhambul, wood on the river bank, N 49°14´16´´, E 86°19´13´´, 1000 m a.s.l., 19-VI-2007, lgt. I.H.Tuf: 23 (HNHM chilo-3023), 1Ƥ (HNHM chilo-3024, HNHM chilopr-183 (gp.)), 13 (HNHM chilo-3025), 23 (HNHM chilo-3027), 1Ƥ (HNHM chilo-3026, HNHM chilopr-175 (gp.)). Kazakhstan, Altai Mts., near Berel village, dead birch wood, near small stream, N 49°17´42´´, E 86°19´35´´, 1062 m a.s.l., 12- VII-2007, lgt. I.H.Tuf: 4ƤƤ (HNHM chilo-2759), 23 (HNHM chilo-3031), 13 1Ƥ (HNHM chilo-3032), 1Ƥ (HNHM chilo-3033, HNHM chilopr-182 (gp)), 4 ad. ƤƤ (HNHM chilo-2595), 1 ad. 3 (HNHM chilopr-186).
Kazakhstan, Altai Mts., Uryl, wood near village, N 49°13´26´´, E 86°21´32´´, 1322 m a.s.l., 28-VI-2007, lgt. I.H.Tuf: 1Ƥ (HNHM chilo-2741), 1Ƥ (HNHM chilo-2748), 3 ad. ƤƤ (HNHM chilo-2760), 43 (HNHM chilo- 3022). Kazakhstan, Altai Mts., woods on the bank of river Berel, N 49°26´33´´, E 86°22´02´´, 1200 m a.s.l., 28-IV- 2006, lgt. I.H.Tuf: 13 1ad. 3 1Ƥ 1ad. Ƥ (HNHM chilo-2577), 13 3ƤƤ 16 juv. 2 larvae (HNHM chilo-2579), 1 juv. (HNHM chilopr-176), 13 (HNHM chilo-2584), 2 juv. (HNHM chilo-2589), 13 (HNHM chilo-2593), 4ƤƤ 8 juv. (HNHM chilo-2594), 43 (HNHM chilo-2610), 13 1ad. 3 7ad. ƤƤ 1 juv. (HNHM chilo-3020), 1ad. Ƥ (HNHM chilo-2615, HNHM chilopr-180 (gp)), 13 (HNHM chilopr-181), 33 (HNHM chilo-2622), 13 (HNHM chilo- 3048), 23 (HNHM chilo-3019), 23 (HNHM chilo-2642), 1Ƥ 6 juv. (HNHM chilo-2647), 13 (HNHM chilo- 2725). Kazakhstan, Altai Mts., Arshaty, slope, N 49°18´25´´, E 86°32´15´´, 1320 m a.s.l., 2-VIII-2007, lgt. F.Pĕček & F.Kuda: 2ƤƤ 6 juv. (HNHM chilo-2612), 13 1 ad. 3 1Ƥ 2 ad. ƤƤ (HNHM chilo-2607), 13 (HNHM chilopr- 184). Kazakhstan, Altai Mts., Arshaty, slope, N 49°18´26´´, E 86°32´55´´, 1250 m a.s.l., 2-VIII-2007, lgt. F.Pĕček & F.Kuda: 13 1Ƥ 3 ad. ƤƤ (HNHM chilo-3029), 1Ƥ (HNHM chilo-3030). Kazakhstan, Altai Mts., Arshaty, wood near village, N 49°17´57´´, E 86°33´07´´, 1200 m a.s.l., 30-VI-2007, lgt. I.H.Tuf: 13 (HNHM chilo-2734), 5ƤƤ (HNHM chilo-2735), 63 (HNHM chilo-2737), 1Ƥ (HNHM chilopr-177), 13 3ƤƤ (HNHM chilo-2597), 1 juv. (HNHM chilopr-178), 1Ƥ (HNHM chilo-2739). Kazakhstan, Altai Mts., Arshaty, alluvium of Buchtarma river, N 49°17´35´´, E 86°35´36´´, 1250 m a.s.l., 31-VII-2007, lgt. F.Pĕček & F.Kuda: 1Ƥ 2ad. ƤƤ (HNHM chilo-3028). Kazakhstan, Altai Mts., Chindagatuy, N 49°16´41´´, E 86°58´38´´, 2097 m a.s.l., 23-VI-2007, lgt. I.H.Tuf: 1ad. 3 (HNHM chilopr-188).
Etymology. The new species is named in honour of two of the new species’ collectors, František Kuda and František Pĕček, colleagues and friends of the senior author.
Distribution, ecology. The species was collected in different kinds of habitats, like in birch and birch-sprucemountain ash forests, in river alluvium, and in mountain slopes with alpine meadows, between 1000 and 2097 m above sea level. Although it has been recorded only in the Western part of the Altai Mountains till now (Fig. 35), its occurrence in such different habitat types suggests a much wider area including perhaps most of the still uninvestigated regions of the Altai Mountains.
Description. Length (anterior margin of head shield to posterior end of the postpedal tergite) 7–10.5 mm in males (holotype 8 mm), 8.2– 12 mm in females; width of cephalic capsule 0.80–0.95 mm.
Colour of specimens in ethanol (Fig. 1) pale orange, head, forcipules, antennae and posterior end of the body with the two last pairs of legs a bit darker.
Cephalic plate smooth, broader than long; as broad as T 5 or slightly broader. Posterior margin concave, a bit thinner in middle part (Figs 1 and 3).
Antennae (Figs 1 and 3) with 19+19 articles, usually extending back to the half of T 3. Four ocelli in a single but middle broken line, with dark pigment underneath; the third ocellus slightly larger than the others; rarely (and usually asymmetrically) a small fifth ocellus is also present.
Tömösváry’s organ about the size of the second ocellus, approximatively rounded, ventral to anterolateral margin of cephalic pleurite (Fig. 2).
Coxosternite (Fig. 5) approximately trapezoidal, anterior margin with 2+2 moderately large, triangular coxosternal teeth, median diastema relatively deep, U-shaped (Fig. 4); coxosternal shoulder lacking; porodonts posterolateral to the lateral tooth, relatively long and slender (Fig. 4); coxosternal setation as in Fig. 5.
Tergites relatively smooth, without wrinkles (Fig. 1). T 1 trapeziform, narrower than head shield (Figs 1 and 3), about 77–87% width of widest (tenth) tergite; lateral marginations of all tergites continuous; posterior angles of all tergites rounded, without posterior triangular projections, posterior margin straight or slightly convex in TT 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11 and 13, slightly concave in TT 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11 and 14 (Figs 1, 3, 22 and 23).
All sternites smooth, generally trapeziform, posterolaterally narrower than anterolaterally.
Legs relatively strong, tarsus 1 fused to tarsus 2 on legs 1–13 (Figs 1, 3 and 6), but articulated on legs 14 and 15 (Figs 1, 3 and 25); claw moderately long in all legs; on legs 1–14 accessory spur on both anterior and posterior sides, about 40–45% the length of the claw (Fig. 6); accessory claw (Fig. 7) and anterior spur (Fig. 24) on leg 15 present, about 50% and 9% length of main claw respectively; short to moderately long setae scattered over the surface of legs 1–13, tarsi generally more setose (Fig. 6); also legs 14–15 with numerous, relatively long setae (Figs 8–9 and 25–27). Legs 14 and 15 slightly thickened in females, strongly swollen in males (Figs 1, 3 and 25–26). In males, 15F with a group of about 27–30 club-like setae on the posteromedial corner (Figs 3, 8, 25–28 and 31); 15T slightly flattened dorsally on the posterior third with about 8–10 lance-like setae (Figs 9, 25–26, 29 and 32); tarsus of leg 15 slightly flattened dorsally (Figs 25 and 30).
Leg plectrotaxy as in Tabs 1–3, with the following remarks on variability: VpF of legs 2 and 5–7 in one specimen only (chilo-2635). VpP of legs 3–9 and VpF of leg 14 missing in only one specimen (chilo-3021). VpP of leg 12 missing only asymmetrically in only one specimen (chilo-2613). VaT and DaP of leg 14 present only asymmetrically in three specimens each (chilo-3049, chilo-2613, chilo-3025 and chilo-2734, chilo-2613, chilo-3025 respectively). VpF of leg 15 present only asymmetrically in only one specimen (chilo-2738).
Coxal pores moderately small, round, arranged in a row as 3(4)4(3–5)4(3)2(4); males: maximum 3433 (chilo- 3021) and 3442 (chilopr-184), minimum 2332 (chilo-2642); females: maximum 44(5)44 (chilo-3030), minimum 3443(4) (chilo-3029); in holotype: 33(4)32.
Female S 15 posterolaterally narrower than anterolaterally, generally trapeziform, straight posteromedially; short to long setae scattered sparsely over its surface and lateral margins. Female first genital sternite usually well sclerotised, longer than wide, with 50–60 evenly scattered setae; posterior border moderately concave between condyles of gonopods. Female gonopods: first articles with 3+3 (in two specimens 4+4 (chilo-2612, chilopr-180)) elongate, bullet-shaped spurs, the medial spur being the smallest and the lateral one the largest (Figs 10–17 and 33– 34). Lateral side of female gonopods with 15–20 moderate to long setae on first article, 4–5 setae on second and 2– 3 setae on third article, arranged as in Figs 11 and 34; dorsal side of gonopod with 4–8 weak spines on second article and 3–6 minute spines on third article (Figs 18–21); medial side of female gonopods without setae, only one exception with one minor seta has been found (chilopr-182, Fig. 16) occurring asymmetrically; female gonopodal claw simple, characteristically curved but with different levels of sharpness (variation illustrated in Figs 10–11, 15– 17 and 33–34).
Male S 15 posterolaterally narrower than anterolaterally, generally trapeziform, straight posteromedially; short to long setae scattered sparsely over its surface and lateral margins. Males first genital sternite well sclerotised, wider than long, with 10–22 setae, posterior margin straight between the gonopods; second genital sternite without setae; male gonopods of a single article with 1–3 short to moderately long setae.
Discussion. Lithobius franciscorum sp. nov. is easily distinguished from all previously named species in subgenus Monotarsobius by the presence of the group of club-like setae on the males 15F. Similar setae occur in some other species, e.g. Lithobius alticus Loksa, 1965 and Lithobius muminabadicus (Zalesskaja, 1978), but only on the last legs’ tibiae and never on femurs. Among the species with simple gonopodal claw in females, L. franciscorum sp. nov. is the most similar to L. nordenskioldii Stuxberg, 1876 from which it is separated by the number of gonopodal spurs (2+ 2 in L. nordenskioldii and 3(4)+3(4) in L. franciscorum sp. nov.).
description: Published as part of Dányi, László & Tuf, Ivan H., 2012, Lithobius (Monotarsobius) franciscorum sp. nov., a new lithobiid species from the Altai, with a key to the Central Asian species of the subgenus (Chilopoda: Lithobiomorpha), pp. 16-28 in Zootaxa 3182 on pages 17-25, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.209915