Zephronia viridisoma Rosenmejer & Enghoff & Moritz & Wesener 2021, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Rosenmejer, Trine
name: Enghoff, Henrik
name: Moritz, Leif
name: Wesener, Thomas
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Diplopoda
Sphaerotheriida
Zephroniidae
Zephronia
Zephronia viridisoma

description: Zephronia viridisoma Rosenmejer & Wesener sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 272E06C8-2DE5-4722-A7D5-D85002D68424
Figs 2B, 6B – 12
Diagnosis
Posterior telopod typical for the genus, not differing from those of other Zephronia species. Small (25– 28 mm long) green species (Fig. 2B), surface appearing glabrous, dull, with a single medium sized locking carina at the anal shield and a strongly projecting pleurite 1 (Fig. 9A). One of the few Zephronia species with just a single apical spine on the legs (Fig. 9B), differing in this character from all other described Thai Zephronia species which have 2–5 apical tarsal spines. Male antennomere 6 swollen (Fig. 7A) but not axe-shaped, with <50 apical cones. Endotergum with three dense rows of long marginal setae (Fig. 6B). Palpi of gnathochilarium with sensory cones arranged in clusters (Fig. 8C–D). Anterior telopod podomere 3 with an elevated process at posterior side carrying sclerotized teeth. Podomere 4 short and narrow.
Derivatio nominis
Named after the overall green colour of living individuals of the species, noun in apposition.
Material examined
Holotype THAILAND • ♂; Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Sichon District, Khao Lark Waterfall; 9°03′6″ N, 99°47′24″ E; 25 Aug. 2007; Chulalongkorn University expedition of millipede workshop leg.; dense jungle on limestone; NHMD 621695.
Paratypes THAILAND • 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; NHMD 621696 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; ZFMK MYR8786 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; CT scan voucher; ZFMK MYR8787.
Description (based on holotype)
SIZE. Length 25.6 mm. Width of thoracic shield 12.1 mm, of widest segment (8) 13 mm. Height of thoracic shield 7.1 mm, of highest segment (8) 7.7 mm.
COLOUR. Head medium brown, faded from green. Antennae medium brown. Legs medium brown, tarsal claws apically dark brown. Tergites light brown, faded green medially, with darker brown posterior margin. Paratergite tips medium brown with darker edges. Anal shield dark green, edges faded to brown (Fig. 2B).
HEAD (Fig. 7A–C). Number of ommatidia 50 (Fig. 7B). Organ of Tömösváry placed midway between ocelli and antennal groove (Fig. 7A), with its typical coral-like inner structure (Fig. 7C).
ANTENNAE (Fig.7A,D). Reaching leg pair3,6visible antennomeres.Antennomere lengths:6>1>2=3>4=5. Antennomere 6 apically swollen, number of apical cones 32/44.
EPIPHARYNX (Fig. 8A). With an extraordinarily large inner tooth.
MANDIBLE (Fig. 8E–F). Inner tooth 3-cusped. Pectinate lamellae with 6 or 7 rows of teeth. Condylus at anterior margin with two ridges.
GNATHOCHILARIUM (Fig. 8B–D). Lamellae linguales with numerous long setae, medially glabrous. Stipes and mentum with numerous long setae in a regular patter. Sensory cones on gnathochilarium palps in clusters (Fig. 8D).
COLLUM. With short setation, evenly distributed across surface.
THORACIC SHIELD. Thoracic shield grooves wide and deep, with 9 sclerotized ledges along inner ridge of grooves.
TERGITES (Fig. 9D). Tergites glabrous, with dull orange skin like surface. At high magnification tiny setae and knobs become visible. Paratergite tips on posterior half projecting backwards (Fig. 12A–B).
ENDOTERGUM (Fig. 6B). With a regular flat margin. Outer zone with three dense rows of irregular marginal setae, some of them extending beyond posterior margin. A single row of rounded cuticular impressions present next to marginal ridge. Intersegmental membrane smooth, without cones and with very few setae.
STIGMATIC PLATE (Fig. 10A). First plate with a rounded sub-triangular apex. More posterior plates similar to those of other representatives of the family, half-covered by the pleurites (Fig. 12C).
PLEURITES (Figs 9A, 12D). Pleurite 1 projecting strongly, with sharp apex. Pleurite 2 projecting slightly less than 1 and with more rounded apex (Fig. 12D). Projection absent from pleurite 3 (Fig. 12D).
LEGS. Ventral spines on leg 1 1/1, on leg 2 3/2, on leg 3 4/4. Apical spine on leg 3 absent. A single apical spine and 5 or 6 ventral spines on midbody legs (Fig. 9B). Femur regularly shaped, 2.2 times longer than wide, sclerotized ledge of medium length, inner margin apically with 5 or 6 small rounded triangular spines on ventral side (Fig. 9B–C). Tarsus 4.2 times longer than wide.
ANAL SHIELD. Well-rounded and glabrous. Ventral side with dark coloured. A medium-sized locking carina placed slightly closer to pleurite than margin (Fig. 12D).
MALE GONOPORE (Fig. 10B). Inconspicuous, consisting of large membranous opening located directly at mesal margin.
ANTERIOR TELOPODS (Fig. 10C–E). With long setae medially on the first 2 podomeres, covering posterior part on podomere 2. Podomere 1 rectangular, as long as wide. Podomere 2 in anterior view as wide as but slightly narrower than podomere 1. Immovable finger barely visible in anterior view (Fig. 10D), short, not protruding up to podomere 4 (Fig. 10C). Podomere 3 long and wide, with rounded projection on posterior side, bearing 3 crenulated teeth. Podomere 4 very narrow and short, with 3 large spines near apex, and a smaller spine near edge to podomere 3.
POSTERIOR TELOPODS (Fig. 10F–G). Podomere 2 setose, immovable finger straight, apically tapering, with rows of small circular sclerotized spots. Membranous lobe between podomere 3 and 4 bearing 2 elongated processes, fused at base. Podomere 3 with 8 or 9 small crenulated teeth on posterior side. Membranous lobe on podomere 3 with single spine. Podomere 4 slightly curved towards immovable finger, membranous lobe with 2 spines. Setation on podomere 2 primarily on anterior side.
Description of female paratype
Length 25.6 mm. Width of thoracic shield 12.3 mm, of widest tergite (8) 13.7 mm. Height of thoracic shield: 8.4 mm, of highest tergite (8) 9.3 mm. Antennae reaching leg pair 3. Apical cones left/right:
25/25. Subanal plate well rounded. Vulvae (Fig. 11): with a large pointed operculum (Op). External lateral plate (EP) and inner mesal plate (IP) fused at bottom.
Another female paratype was used for microcomputed tomography. The resulting volume rendering is shown in Fig. 12. While this approach revaled no significant additional details it serves to illustrate morphology of the specimen in an excellent way, much better than any photograph.
description: Published as part of Rosenmejer, Trine, Enghoff, Henrik, Moritz, Leif & Wesener, Thomas, 2021, Integrative description of new giant pill-millipedes from southern Thailand (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Zephroniidae), pp. 108-132 in European Journal of Taxonomy 762 (1) on pages 121-127, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2021.762.1457, http://zenodo.org/record/5211725