Nepalella jinfoshan Liu, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Liu, Weixin
name: Wesener, Thomas
name: Golovatch, Sergei
name: Tian, Mingyi
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Diplopoda
Chordeumatida
Lankasomatidae
Nepalella
Nepalella jinfoshan

description: Nepalella jinfoshan Liu, sp. nov.
Figs 2 C & 14–17
Material examined. Holotype male (SCAU n8), China, Chongqin, Jinfoshan, Cave Houshan Dong, 28°58’44’’N, 107°11’20’’E, 1500 m a.s.l., 2015-VI-26, leg. Mingyi Tian, Weixin Liu, Xinhui Wang & Mingruo Tang.
Paratypes: 2 males, 1 female (SCAU n9), same locality and collecting data as in the holotype. 2 males, 4 females (SCAU n10), same locality, Cave Lingguan Dong, 29°01’10’’N, 107°10’28’’E, 2100 m a.s.l., 2015-VI-27, leg. Mingyi Tian, Weixin Liu, Xinhui Wang & Mingruo Tang.
Etymology. To emphasize the localities of the new species lying within the Jinfoshan National Geopark. Noun in apposition.
Diagnosis. Differs from congeners by the very large body, distinctly incrassate male legs 3–7 and prefemur 10 with a strong basal process; the anterior gonopod sternum with a large median lobe, and short, spine-like coxites; as well as special structure of the posterior gonopods.
Description. Length of both sexes ca 36.5–38 mm, midbody width 2.6–2.8 mm. Color in life (Figs 2 C, 14) rather pale, some samples with light yellow metaterga, eye patches brownish.
Body with 30 segments. In width, collum = segment 2–3 <4 <5 = head <8–20 <6 <7; posterior to segment 21, body very gradually tapering towards telson (Fig. 14 A).
Head: vertex sparsely setose; eye patches triangular, each composed of 8–11 convex ocelli.
Antennae (Fig. 14) very long and slender, reaching posterior to body segment 6 (♂) or 5 (♀) when stretched posteriorly; antennomere 7 with four apical cones on stalks.
Mandible with an external tooth, and an internal tooth with nine cusps.
Collum with rudimentary paraterga (Fig. 14 A). Integument smooth and shining (Fig. 14 A). Metatergal setation 3 + 3, typical, macrochaetae rather short, reduced on midbody segments, placed on minute knobs (Fig. 14 A); stricture between pro- and metazona shallow, inconspicuous. Paraterga with very small dorsolateral bulges, poorly developed in anterior part of body (Fig. 14 A).
CIX (15) = 1.10; MIX (15) = 0.70; MA (15) = 130°; PIX (15) = 0.17 (Fig. 19 A). Axial suture distinct, pallid, usual (Fig. 14 A).
Legs long and slender (Fig. 14), about 2.5 (♂) or 2.1 (♀) times as long as midbody height. Legs 1 and 2 slightly reduced, tarsi with usual ventral brushes, but without papillae. Other male tarsi conspicuously papillate (p) ventrally (Fig. 15). Male legs 3–7 distinctly incrassate (Fig. 15 A–B). Male prefemur 7 with a small parabasal process (n) ventrally (Fig. 15 B). Male legs 10 and 11 with coxal glands (cg); conspicuously enlarged on leg 10 (Fig. 15 C). Male prefemur 10 with a strong basal process (t) ventrally; prefemur 11 with a large, basal, digitiform outgrowth (d) ventrally (Fig. 15 D). Claws simple, long.
Male segment 7 slightly broader than adjacent ones, pleural arches ridge-like.
Anterior gonopods (Figs 16 A–B, 17C) reduced, sternum with a large median lobe (ml) distally in caudal view, ml hinging into posterior gonopods; coxites (cxi) short, spine-like. Posterior gonopods (Figs 16 C–D, 17D–E) hypertophied, with a large rounded bulge (r) at base on frontal face of colpocoxite (c) and an ear-shaped structure (e) at base on caudal face; colpocoxite prominent, about as high as telopodite, with a large, irregularly shaped structure (i) at midway on caudal face. Telopoditomere 1 (t1) rather large, particularly strongly setose; with a vestigial segment apically.
Vulva (Fig. 17 B) as usual, with a relatively large process on operculum (op).
Remark. Because of the pallid body and reduced ocelli, as well as the very long appendages, N. jinfoshan sp. nov. may be a troglobite.
description: Published as part of Liu, Weixin, Wesener, Thomas, Golovatch, Sergei & Tian, Mingyi, 2017, Contributions to the millipede genus Nepalella Shear, 1979 from China, with four new species and first results on phylogeny based on DNA-barcoding (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Megalotylidae), pp. 455-482 in Zootaxa 4243 (3) on pages 465-467, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4243.3.3, http://zenodo.org/record/400124