Corresponding author: Didier VandenSpiegel (
Academic editor: Pavel Stoev
The first species of the small Afrotropical family
VandenSpiegel D, Golovatch SI (2015) A new millipede of the family Ammodesmidae found in central Africa (Diplopoda, Polydesmida). ZooKeys 483: 1–7. doi:
The Afrotropical millipede family
At the moment,
Examination of some old material from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly, first Belgian Congo, then Zaire) revealed the first ammodesmid samples. These represent a new species of
The material examined belongs to the collection of the Royal Museum for Central Africa (MRAC), Tervuren, Belgium, with only a few duplicates shared with the collection of the Zoological Museum, State University of Moscow (ZMUM), Russia, as indicated hereafter. All samples are stored in 70% ethanol. Specimens for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were air-dried, mounted on aluminium stubs, coated with gold and studied using a JEOL JSM-6480LV scanning electron microscope.
Holotype ♂ (MRAC 20150), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Parque National Albert, secteur Sud, Berlese extraction, 1956, leg. R.P. Celis. Paratypes: 3 ♂ (MRAC 20150), same data, together with holotype; 5 ♀ (MRAC 20151), same data; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (ZMUM p2441), same data; 2 ♀ (MRAC 20171), same data; 4 ♂, 2 ♀ (MRAC 20149), same data; 1 ♂, 1 subadult ♀ (MRAC 20274), same data; 1 ♂ (MRAC 20201), same data; 5 ♂, 16 subadult & earlier instar ♂, 1 ♀ (MRAC 20294), same data.
To emphasize the provenance of the new species from Congo.
Minute polydesmidans (length 1.5–2.1 mm, width 0.6–0.8 mm) with 18 or 19 body segments in both sexes, missing ozopores, simple biramous gonopods, and evident sexual dimorphism in tergal structure: metaterga in ♂ very densely pilose all over, with only few longer setae, devoid of a median transverse gutter, whereas ♀ metaterga with a deep transverse gutter in anterior third supporting a single row of ca 10–18 long setae positioned at gutter’s bottom.
Length of adults 1. 5–2.1 mm, width 0.6–0.9 mm, ♂ usually a little smaller than ♀. Adult body with 18 or 19 segments (17+1+T) (♂, ♀). Entire dorsal surface covered with a thin layer of secretions (= cerategument) borne by microvilli, often also a dirt crust, under which the body integument is uniformly yellowish. Body shape as in Figs
Legs rather slender, but short, barely reaching tips of paraterga (Fig.
Gonopods (Figs
Gonopods of a 18- (
The total absence of ozopores in
Variation in adults of both sexes showing either 18 or 19 segments is another piece of evidence bringing
1 | Metaterga smooth, either densely pilose and/or sparsely setose (Figs |
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– | A transverse row of large, flat, low bosses or high tubercles located in caudal 1/3 of metaterga, the latter neither setose nor pilose. Gonopods different. Western Africa |
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2 | No sexual dimorphism in tergal sculpture. Gonopods complex, with extremely large coxae concealing telopodites inside a deep gonocoel |
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– | Drastic sexual dimorphism in tergal sculpture: ♂ with, ♀ without, high tubercles across metaterga. Gonopods simple, telopodites uniramous, mostly represented by solenomeres |
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Fig.
Updated distribution of the family
Sergei Golovatch is most obliged to the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium for the invitation to work on this project. Thanks are also due to Jean-Pierre Michiels for his technical assistance.