Leucogeorgia mystax Antić & Reip 2020, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Antić, Dragan Ž.
name: Reip, Hans S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Diplopoda
Julida
Julidae
Leucogeorgia
Leucogeorgia mystax

description: Leucogeorgia mystax sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 9AE0998A-E021-4120-B1CA-DC5A021D20D0
Figs 39–41, 56–57
Diagnosis
This species belongs to the group of Leucogeorgia spp. with modified mouthparts and teeth on the mesomeral claw (vs teeth absent in L. longipes). Leucogeorgia mystax sp. nov. clearly differs from all congeners by its highly modified mouthparts, viz., two rounded labral lobes with a deep incision in between, and by having a unique gnathochilarium with a distolateral bundle of long setae on the stipites and distal (anterior) rows of long setae on both stipites and lamellae linguales (vs such structures absent in all other congeners).
Etymology
From the Latin ʻ mystax ʼ (= ʻmoustacheʼ), reflecting the presence of long setae laterally on the gnathochilarium, resembling moustaches. Noun in apposition.
Material examined
Holotype
ABKHAZIA – Gagry District • ♂; Gagra Mt Ridge, Arabika karst Massif, Lastochkino Krylo area, Nytshka Cave, depth - 7 m; 43.45° N, 40.31° E; 27 Aug. 2014; I.S. Turbanov leg.; ZMUM.
Paratypes
ABKHAZIA – Gagry District • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; ZMUM • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; IZB.
Description
SIZE AND NUMBER OF BODY RINGS. Holotype male 15 mm long, vertical diameter of largest body ring 1 mm, body with 29 podous rings + 1 apodous ring + telson. Paratype females 15–16 mm long, vertical diameter of largest body ring 1.1–1.2 mm, body with 30 podous rings + 0–1 apodous ring + telson.
COLOUR (Fig. 39). Yellowish white in alcohol.
HEAD (Figs 39 B–D, 40A–G). Without ommatidia. Frontal setae absent. Labrum without labral teeth, but with two rounded lobes with a deep incision in between; each lobe with ca 7–8 long labral setae. Gnathochilarium (holotype male) with rhomboid promentum; lamellae linguales each with two irregular, transverse, distal rows of 9+11 long setae and one longitudinal row of 4+6 shorter setae; stipites with two irregular, transverse, distal rows of 9–10 long setae and a distolateral bundle of long setae. Antennae long, 1.8 mm long in holotype male, their length 180% of vertical diameter of largest body ring. Lengths of antennomeres I–VIII (in mm): 0.09 (I), 0.39 (II), 0.40 (III), 0.26 (IV), 0.32 (V), 0.23 (VI), 0.07 (VII) and 0.04 (VIII). Length/width ratio of antennomeres I–VII: 0.8 (I), 3 (II), 3.3 (III), 2 (IV), 2.1 (V), 1.6 (VI) and 0.6 (VII). Antennomeres V and VI each with a terminal corolla of large sensilla basiconica bacilliformia; antennomere VII with a terminal corolla of small sensilla basiconica bacilliformia.
BODY RINGS (Fig. 39E). Ventral side of metazonal area with longitudinal striations. Dorsal side of metazonal area smooth. Metazonal setae abraded from midbody rings. Length of body ring 7 setae ca 6% of vertical diameter of ring.
TELSON (Fig. 39 F–G). Epiproct with a very short and blunt caudal process, covered with dorsal and lateral setae. Paraprocts rounded, setose, mesal edges slightly bulging. Hypoproct lanceolate, most probably with two apical setae. Setae on telson mainly abraded.
LEGS IN MALES. First pair of legs modified, hook-shaped (Figs 40 H–I, 41C), with three podomeres; coxa with one seta; prefemur with four setae; femora, postfemora and tibiotarsi coalesced; femur with two setae; postfemur with one seta. Tibiotarsal part with a small distal lobe. Tip slightly tuberculate. Postfemoral and tibial ventral pads developed on pregonopodal legs, then gradually disappearing on postgonopodal legs.
VENTRAL MARGIN OF MALE BODY RING 7 (Fig. 39H). Strongly developed, rounded in lateral view.
PENES (Fig. 41D). Short, apically with two small subtriangular lobes.
GONOPODS (Figs 40J, 41 A–B). Promere (p) long and slender, slightly curved anteriad, with a flagellum (f); apical part spatulate, with denticulate margins; basal half with two developed ridges. Mesomere (m) with a robust and denticulate mesomeral claw (mc), mesomeral lamella (ml) with a serrate posterodistal margin, posterior part smooth. Opisthomere (o) bipartite. Anterior branch of o with a solenomere (s), with a medium-sized tip, and a well-developed velum (v), fimbriate at anterior margin. Posterior branch of o in form of a shield-like protective lamella (pl). Mesomere and opisthomere connected basally with an accessory membrane (am).
Distribution
Known only from its type locality (Fig. 57, red square).
Remarks
This species, with the most bizarre mouthpart modifications, lives in syntopy with L. turbanovi sp. nov., also with modified mouthparts.
description: Published as part of Antić, Dragan Ž. & Reip, Hans S., 2020, The millipede genus Leucogeorgia Verhoeff, 1930 in the Caucasus, with descriptions of eleven new species, erection of a new monotypic genus and notes on the tribe Leucogeorgiini (Diplopoda: Julida: Julidae), pp. 1-106 in European Journal of Taxonomy 713 on pages 63-67, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2020.713, http://zenodo.org/record/4020752