Maraplia Shear & Marek 2022, new genus
Creators: name: Shear, William A.
name: Marek, Paul E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Diplopoda
Chordeumatida
Striariidae
Maraplia

description: Genus Maraplia Shear & Mark, new genus
Type species: Maraplia napa Shear & Marek, new species
Etymology: The genus name is an arbitrary combination of letters, an anagram of the related genus name Amplaria forming a Latin neologism to be treated as feminine in gender.
Diagnosis: A genus of the subfamily Striariinae by virtue of having gonopods with a flagellocoxite and ninth legs with free telopodites. The gonopod flagellocoxite, while sheathed in a process from the posterior angiocoxite, is unusually short and stout, unlike other members of this subfamily. The anterior angiocoxites are erect (extending posteriorly) in other genera of striariines, but in species of Maraplia n. gen., they are reflexed anteriorly and dorsally. The gonopod coxae have prominent distal processes. The ninth legs are unique in that the teolopodites have a long, mesodistal apophysis that is tipped with ensiform setae.
Description: Small striariines, 4.5 mm or less in length. Twenty-eight (Fig. 7) or 30 postcephalic rings, including telson. Two ommatidia on each side of head. Head (Figs 8, 12) densely setose, with small tubercles. Labral hook lacking (Fig. 12, lab). Mandibular stipes (Fig. 12, m) with serrate margin, blunt triangular process. Collum with crests limited to posterior region, anterior region separated from posterior with distinct sulcus so that anterior region appears somewhat like a hat brim, studded with small tubercles. Metazonital crests (Figs 7, 15) subequal, C6 sometimes a little larger; metazonital setae long, acute. Telson (Fig. 15, tel) with lobes very shallowly demarcated, sulci shallow. Legpair 1 larger than legpairs 2 or 3, femora (Fig. 12, f 1) and tibiae with long, needle-like setae, tarsus with comb. Legpair 2 with short telopodites, vas deferens openings in coxae facing mesally, coxae notched so that when appressed, a single pore is formed (Fig. 11, vcp). Legpair 3 with relatively short or long flasks (Fig. 13, cf), heavily set with raised cuticular scales. Legpairs 4–7 crassate, legpair 7 with small coxal lobes.
Gonopods (Figs 10, 14, 52, 53, 55, 56, 58, 59) small; gonopod sternum massive, quadrate (Fig. 14, s).Coxa setose, with obvious distolateral process of varying form. Anterior angiocoxites short or long, deflexed anteriodorsally. Posterior angiocoxites with posterior process forming partial sheath for flagellocoxites. Flagellocoxites short, robust, curved near tip. Colpocoxites variable, but evidently moved anteriomesally, fimbriate or botrydial anteriorly.
Ninth legs (Figs 10, 14, 54, 57, 60) with coxosternite and free telopodites. Coxosternite with one or two processes on each side, probably one from sternal portion, one from coxal part. Telopodite small (Figs 10, 14, 60, t 9), with pebbled sculpture and setae; long apophysis extends mesally, with dense group of ensiform setae. Telopodite locks into deep notch in ventrolateral margin of pleurotergite 7 (Fig. 14, t 9, pt7).
Tenth leg with coxal pores, coxae enlarged.
Included species: In addition to the type, Maraplia schusteri Shear & Marek, n. sp., and M. chico Shear & Marek, n. sp.
Distribution: Northern California, including the counties of Napa, Lake, and Butte.
Note: The gonopods of these species are difficult to interpret in terms of the usual scheme adopted for other striariid genera and the various divisions may not be homologous to those with the same name in those previously described. In fact it may be that the subfamily distinctions are breaking down somewhat, but with numbers of new taxa yet to be described, we are holding onto the two subfamilies until a more complete picture of striariid diversity is achieved.
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 506-507, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5205.6.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7318605