Paropiona gardneri Shear & Marek 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Shear, William A.
name: Marek, Paul E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Diplopoda
Chordeumatida
Caseyidae
Paropiona
Paropiona gardneri

description: Paropiona gardneri Shear & Marek, sp. nov.
Figs 1–12
Types: Male holotype from east of Frontage Road on Rose Valley Road, Cowlitz Co. Washington, 46.1692°N, - 122.7080°W, collected 29 April 2007 by W. Leonard and C. Richart (collection number CR1840). Two male and four female paratypes from Ellsworth Creek Preserve, 46.431°N, - 123.890°W, collected 23 November 2003 by W. Leonard et al. Parts of the paratype males are mounted on SEM stubs WS37-18 and WS38-6.
Etymology. We are pleased to name this unusual species for Michael R. Gardner, coauthor of the first comprehensive review of the family Caseyidae (Gardner & Shelley 1989).
Diagnosis. Distinct from Paropiona aenigma sp. nov., the only other known species in the genus, in having both anterior and posterior angiocoxites of the gonopods. Only a single angiocoxite is present in P. aenigma.
Description. Holotype male. 11.0 mm long, about 1.1 mm in diameter (Fig. 30). Triangular eyepatch of 21 ommatidia. Thoracic rings smooth, cylindrical, pale brownish gray irregularly marked with cream white. Ring macrosetae short, acute, in nearly straight row across posterior margin of metazonite.
First legpair (Fig. 1) short, stout, coxae fused in midline; postfemur, tibia with few elongate, slightly flattened setae.
Second legpair (Fig. 2) with coxae bearing long, curved gonapophyses (ga) sparsely setose on anterior surface; vas deferens (vd) and accessory pore (ap) both basal; telopodites (t2) reduced, femora long, postfemora and tibiae very short, tarsi button-like, clawless.
Third legpair (Fig. 3) with elongate coxae (cx3) extended into broad, flattened, sparsely setose lobes (cl); reduced telopodites (t3) of four podomeres attached at base of coxal lobes, femora not flattened or enlarged, tarsi with single, long, apical setae.
Fourth through seventh legpairs scarcely enlarged.
Gonopods (Figs 5–7) arising from and fused to coxosternum.Anterior angiocoxites (aac) broad, sigmoid, curved first posteriorly, then anteriorly; posterior angiocoxites (pac) extending anteriorly between anterior angiocoxites, with broad lateral lamella, curved, acute tip. Telopodites (t) large, robust, following curve of posterior angiocoxites, distally divided into many fine microfibers (Fig. 6). Possible vestigial flagellocoxite (f?, Fig. 7) attached to posterior surface of anterior angiocoxite.
Ninth legpair (Figs 8–10) coxae (cx9) elongate, with bifid coxal process; medial branch of process (mcp) shorter than telopodite, strongly hooked, with lateral groove or channel running to tip from pore at base of process; lateral branch (lcp) thin, flattened, appressed to mesal surface of telopodite, divided at tip into fine fibers. Telopodite (t9) narrow, elongate, with apicomedial cluster of many stout setae (Fig. 9).
Tenth legpair (Fig, 11, 12) with much enlarged glandular coxae (cx10) carrying long, posterior, curved process. Telopodite smaller than those of adjacent legs, trochanter (tr10) with small, bifid process (trp), prefemora (pf10) and femora (f10) with rows of short, acute tubercles.
Paratype female. 11 mm long, 1.2 mm in diameter. Nonsexual characters as in male. Vulvae not modified, sparsely setose.
Records. In addition to the holotype and paratype localities: WASHINGTON: Pacific Co.: Ellsworth Creek Preserve, 14 March 2003, W. Leonard, m, f; Same, 1 mile north on Parapala Road, 46.415°N, - 123.892°W, 20 June 2003, W. Leonard, m; North Nemah River, 46.492° N, - 123.824° W, 20 September 2008, C. Richart (collection number CHR3192), mm; 5.9 mi south of Rt. 6 on Trap Creek, 46.541°N, - 123.660°W, 334’ asl, 19 November 2005, W. Leonard, C. Richart, m.
description: Published as part of Shear, William A. & Marek, Paul E., 2025, Additions to the millipede family Caseyidae Verhoeff, 1909. IV. Two new genera and three new species (Chordeumatida, Striarioidea, Caseyidae), pp. 533-547 in Zootaxa 5631 (3) on pages 536-539, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5631.3.7, http://zenodo.org/record/15371308