Rampalia cheathamensis Shear & Marek 2022, n. sp.
Creators: name: Shear, William A.
name: Marek, Paul E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Diplopoda
Chordeumatida
Striariidae
Rampalia
Rampalia cheathamensis

description: Rampalia cheathamensis Shear & Marek, n. sp.
Figs 33–36, 72–75
Types: Male holotype and paratype from Owen R. Cheatham Redwood Grove, along Rt. 36 and Van Duzen River, 40.4829°N, - 123.9630°W, 270’ asl, Humboldt Co., California, collected 18 December 1977 by A. K. Johnson. Parts of male paratype on SEM stub WS35-5. Deposited in FSCA. Male paratype from Along Rt. 101, 1.5 mi by road south of Scotia, 40.4626°N, - 124.0871°W, 120’ asl, Humboldt Co., California, collected 3 January 1977 by A. K. Johnson, deposited in FSCA.
Etymology: The name is derived from the type locality.
Diagnosis: As for the genus, see above.
Description: Male holotype. 30 rings. Length, 5.0 mm, width 0.45 mm. Three black ommatidia on each side of head (Fig. 33, om). Sixth crests well extended as broad paranota. Telson lobes clearly divided. Metazonital setae not seen, absent or concealed by heavy cerotegument. Color after long preservation pale whitish tan with slight purplish brown markings on crests. First legs enlarged, with needle-like setae. Second legpair smaller, when coxae apposite, appearing to have common seminal opening. Flasks of third coxae long (Fig. 34, cf), when extended posteriorly reaching to posterior margin of sixth coxae; telopodites with broad, flattened prefemora (Fig. 34, pf3). Fourth through sixth legs encrassate, podomeres flattened, with prominent characteristic modified setae. Seventh coxae with large, flattened lobes covering bases of gonopods (Fig. 35, cx7). Other characters as described for genus.
Gonopods (Figs 36, 72, 73) moderately large. Sternum massive, short (Fig. 36, s). Coxae (Figs 72, 72, cx) with 3–4 setae on mesal side, 2 setae laterally, extended into long, twisted and apically flattened processes bearing short, recurved subterminal branch (Figs 72, 73, cp). Anterior angiocoxites projecting anteriorly between coxae, fused in midline, simple (Figs 36, 72, 73, aac). Posterior angiocoxites reduced to sheath for single flagellocoxite (Fig. 72, fc) Colpocoxites (Fig. 73, cc) pushed anteriorly, with many small finger-like extensions. Ninth legs with median, apically bifurcate coxosternal process (Figs 74, 75, cxp); telopodites free, small, narrow, with subapical lobe densely setose in posterior view, fitting into locking notch in pleurotergite 7 (Fig. 36, pt7). Tenth coxae not much swollen, gland openings anteriodorsal.
Females not collected.
Distribution: Known only from two localities in Humboldt Co., California.
Note: The gonopods of this species presented difficulties in interpretation and we cannot be entirely sure that the homologies we have suggested are correct. Alternatively, the fused median structure we have called the anterior angiocoxites could be a process from the sternum, but Fig. 36 shows them quite separate from the sternum and basically as a double structure. The coxal processes in this interpretation might be the anterior angiocoxites, but they are continuous with the coxae and the coxal setae are set more distally than we have seen in other striariids. The collection of additional material and further study with SEM should resolve the question. The unique ninth legs seem to set this species well apart from the others described here.
description: Published as part of Shear, William A. & Marek, Paul E., 2022, The millipede family Striariidae Bollman, 1893. VI. Six new genera and thirteen new species from western North America (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Striarioidea), pp. 501-531 in Zootaxa 5205 (6) on pages 517-519, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5205.6.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7318605