Protosiphonorhinus patrickmuelleri Moritz, Wipfler & Wesener, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Moritz, Leif
name: Wipfler, Benjamin
name: Wesener, Thomas
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Diplopoda
Siphonophorida
Siphonorhinidae
Protosiphonorhinus
Protosiphonorhinus patrickmuelleri

description: †Protosiphonorhinus patrickmuellerisp. nov.
Material examined.
1 ♂ holotype, ZFMK MYR 13870, preserved in amber from the Burmese Kachin region, Hukawng valley. Exported before 2017, donated from the vast amber collection of Patrick Müller (Käshofen, Germany, BuB 1991).
Derivation of name.
Adjective, after the collector and donator.
Diagnosis.
As the genus is monotypic, the genus diagnosis is the same as the species diagnosis.
In case additional species are discovered in Myanmar amber in the future, the surface of the prozonites and metazonites, the location of the ozopores starting at tergite 6 (Figs 2 C, 3 G), and the pear-shape of the head necessitate examination (Figs 2 D, 3 A – C). The gonopods of Protosiphonorhinus patrickmuelleri gen. et sp. nov. are peculiar, with both anterior and posterior gonopods consisting of seven podomeres (Fig. 4 A – E). Apical-most podomere of posterior gonopod, often carrying species-specific characters in extant species of the family, is unfortunately only partly preserved (Fig. 4 B).
Taphonomic notes.
The holotype is preserved in a piece of amber whose shape is round and which measures 10.02 mm in width, 12.25 mm in length, and 2.42 mm in thickness. The color is light orange, with good transparency. Syninclusions present in our amber piece are an insect leg, a mite, and vegetal fragments (Fig. 2 A, B).
Description.
Body: elongated (Figs 2 A, B, 3 D), 18 times longer than wide, half-cylindrical. Measuring around 6.9 mm in length, with 38 + 1 body rings plus telson (Fig. 3 D). Each tergite approximately 0.38 mm wide. Setation of the head not visible (Fig. 2 C). Color between dark orange and yellow, in light-orange colored amber (Figs 2 A, B).
Head: pear-shaped, tapering anteriorly. Longer than wide, length of 0.3 mm (Fig. 3 A, B). Epicranium and forehead smoothly rounded, without delimitation. Epicranium partially arching above the antennal socket. Labrum triangular, visibly delimited in the anterior part of the head, encompassing approximately one-fifth of the head length, with a lighter color and slightly extending ventrally (Figs 2 D, 3 A, B). Genae (area laterally below antennae) almost straight, extending below the lateral extension of the collum. Head below antennae (at genae) ca. three-quarters of the width of the epicranium above antennae. Ventral margin of head capsule apically slightly concave (Fig. 3 B, C). No eyes (Fig. 3 A). No organ of Tömösváry visible.
Gnathochilarium triangular, tightly appressed to the head capsule, with at least five well-distinguishable plates (proximal part obscured by legs) (Fig. 3 E): two lateral stipites, two apical mesal lamellae linguales, and a central mentum. The apical-most part (lamellae linguales) is difficult to observe. Mandibular cardo visible in ventral view, mandibular stipes and gnathal lobe internalized, not visible externally (Fig. 3 E).
Antennae laterally inserted on the posterior part of the head, in antennal socket, which opens fronto-lateral (ca. 45 ° angle) (Fig. 3 C). Antennae consisting of seven antennomeres plus an apical disc, protruding if stretched out up to the posterior margin of segment 4. Elbowed between antennomeres 3 and 4 (Figs 2 D, 3 A – C). Antennomere 1 cylindrical, wider but shorter than antennomere 2. Antennomere 2 slender, almost as long as antennomeres 3 and 4 combined. Antennomeres 3 and 4 of equal width and length. Antennomere 5 slightly wider and longer. Antennomere 6 massive, swollen, with a lemon shape reaching its widest point at ca. one-third of its length, tapering towards antennomere 7, wider and as long as combined antennomeres 3, 4, and 5. Antennomere 7 very small, as large as one-fifth of antennomere 6 and terminated by an apical disc (Figs 2 D, 3 A – C). Relative lengths of antennomeres: 7 <1 <3 = 4 <2 <5 <6. Each antennomere is covered by numerous small setae, the length of setae ca. 0.05 times the diameter of the antennomere (Fig. 2 C). Sensilla basiconica not visible, but two sensory pits are situated latero-apically on antennomeres 5 and 6 (Fig. 2 E, F). The pit on antennomere 6 is significantly large, as large as one-quarter to one-third of the antennomere length (Fig. 2 F, E). The terminal disk with the usual four large apical cones, smaller sensillae not observable (Fig. 3 B).
Body rings: Anterior margin of collum straight. Collum at least twice as long but not extending as far ventrally as following tergites, and only slightly overlapping head (Fig. 3 B, C). Each mid-body ring composed of one tergite, two pleurites, and two sternites, well differentiated and not fused. Tergites without paranota or paraterga. Tergites divided into prozonite and metazonite (Figs 2 C, 3 G). Metazonite wider and almost twice as long as prozonite, strongly arched, colored in a light orange color. Metazonite surface smooth, dirty, covered with some small setae, more concentrated at the posterior margin (Fig. 2 C). Prozonites covered with longitudinally 16–19 and latitudinally three or four round protuberances, lacking setae, and colored in a darker orange (Figs 2 C, 3 G). Posterior margin of metazonite (limbus) with rectangular projections whose posterior margin is toothed (Fig. 2 C). Tergites decreasing in width in the posterior part of the body (Fig. 3 D). Starting at the fifth tergite, ozopores are laterally posteriorly situated on metazonite, close to the posterior margin (Figs 2 C, 3 G). Ozopores not marked and not surrounded by visible setae or sensillae, difficult to distinguish on some tergites. Ozopore at least on some tergites slightly projecting posteriorly on the posterior tergite margin (Fig. 3 G).
Pleurite surfaces are covered with around eight rows of round protuberances, similar to those of prozonite (Fig. 3 H). Legs attached to the sternite portions of body rings (Figs 3 G, H). Large paired spiracles present on the sternites, posteriorly to legs (Fig. 3 F). Sternites without a projection between the coxae, surface irregular, with some protuberances not well discernible (Fig. 3 H). One apodous ring and telson at the posterior end of the body, covered by numerous small setae (Fig. 3 I, J). Anal valves of telson well-developed, also covered by protuberances (Fig. 3 I, J). Subanal scale (epiproct) small.
Legs: Six podomeres, coxa, prefemur, femur, postfemur, tibia, and tarsus, terminated by a claw (Fig. 3 E, H). First legs shorter than the head and comparing to mid-body leg (Fig. 3 E). Elongated tarsus with no visible claw. First prefemur, femur, and tibia of similar length. Prefemur and femur wider than longer. Tibia longer than wider. Shorter postfemur, wider than long. First sternite with a smooth surface. Second leg pair with wider than longer prefemur and femur, smaller postfemur, and an elongated tibia. Tarsus elongated and terminated by an apical claw. Lobe posteriorly on the coxa of the second leg pair inferred to be male gonopores (Fig. 3 F). Midbody legs with elongated tarsus and claw (Fig. 3 H). Tarsus slenderer, less than half as wide as other podomeres, apically tapering. Triangular and wide coxa. Relative size of podomeres in midbody legs: postfemur <tibia <prefemur <femur <coxa <tarsus (Fig. 3 H). Elongated apical claw with no visible apical spine / accessory claw. Long spines present on each podomere. Tarsus shorter in anterior and posterior legs than on midbody legs. General mid-body leg length equal to half the body width of the ventral side (Fig. 3 H). Posterior legs comparatively shorter, measuring only one-third of the body width (Fig. 3 I). Five anterior-most legs curved and ventrally oriented (Fig. 3 C). Other legs extended and laterally oriented (Fig. 3 C, D). Coxal sacs visible and weakly everted on some legs. Leg pairs 9 and 10 modified into gonopods (Fig. 3 C).
Gonopods: Two pairs of gonopods situated posteriorly to the eighth leg pair and curved anteriorly (Fig. 3 C). Anterior pair (leg 8) consisting of seven podomeres without fusion (Fig. 4 A – E). Podomeres 1 to 6 cylindrical, each carrying setae, especially well developed on anterior side (massive, almost spine-like appearance of these setae is probably a preservation artefact). Podomere 4 at posterior margin apparently with wide, well-rounded process projecting as far as apical end of podomere 5. Podomere 7 elongated with apical tip curved laterally (Fig. 4 A). Podomeres 5–7 ventrally projecting and apically curved, forming protection sheath for posterior gonopods (Fig. 4 A, B).
Posterior gonopod (leg 9) consisting of seven podomeres, without fusion and with podomeres 1 to 6 cylindrical (Fig. 4 A, B, D, E). Ultimate podomere elongated and expanded into filamentous process, resting in mesal sheath formed by apical podomeres of anterior gonopod. Apex of ultimate podomere not visible. Process protruding at least as far as the sixth anterior podomere (Fig. 4 B). Posterior gonopod with short setae.
description: Published as part of Moritz, Leif, Wipfler, Benjamin & Wesener, Thomas, 2025, Protosiphonorhinus patrickmuelleri gen. et sp. nov., the first fossil member of the sucking millipede family Siphonorhinidae (Colobognatha, Siphonophorida) described from Cretaceous Myanmar amber, pp. 77-86 in Evolutionary Systematics 9 (1) on pages 77-86, DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.147291