Corresponding author: Anh D. Nguyen (
Academic editor: R. Mesibov
This paper describes a new species of the millipede genus
Nguyen AD, Jang K-H, Hwang U-W (2016) The first record of the millipede genus
The genus
Currently, the genus
Material examined was collected from the Ngoc Linh Mountain, the second highest mountain in Vietnam (ca. 2,600 m a.s.l.). All material was preserved in ethanol 80% and is housed in the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources
Gonopods were removed for morphological examination. Only the left gonopod of holotype was coated with gold for scanning electron microscopy
The genus can be separated into two small groups based on the absence or presence of paraterga. The former group contains
This species is recognised by the gonopod femorite grooved mesally, slightly curved and expanded distally, without processes; solenophore and solenomere coiled twice, equal in length. Solenophore with a small spine at ½ its length.
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Length 26.7–28.2 mm (male) and 30 mm (female). Width of midbody pro- and metazonae 2.3–2.5 mm (male), 2.8 mm (female) and 2.7–2.9 mm (male), 3.1 mm (female), respectively.
Coloration (Fig.
Head subequal to collum in width; clypeolabrum modestly setose. Epicranial suture distinct. Antennae slender and long, reaching the end of segment 4 when stretched posteriorly. Antennomere 2=3=4=5=6>1>7 in length.
Collum (Fig.
In width, segment 3<4<2=5–16, thereafter gradually tapering towards telson (Figs
Paraterga (
Epiproct (
Sterna (Figs
Legs (Figs
Gonopods relatively simple (Figs Solenophore solenomere small spine Seminal groove
This new species could be assigned to the second group characterised by modestly developed paraterga. However, it differs from three its congeners,
(based on the keys compiled by
1 | Paraterga strongly reduced, even totally missing |
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– | Paraterga poorly to modestly developed |
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2 | Body coloration yellowish. Body surface wrinkled and dull. India |
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– | Body coloration marble brown. Body surface smooth and somewhat shining. Thailand |
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3 | Midbody width large, more than 2 mm. Asia |
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– | Midbody width small, less than 2 mm. Africa (Eritrea) |
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4 | Solenophore and solenomere strongly coiled twice; solenophore with a small spine at its middle. Vietnam |
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– | Solenophore and solenomere not coiled twice; solenophore without a small spine at its middle. South Asia |
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5 | Pleurosternal carinae caudally sharp and dentiform |
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– | Pleurosternal carinae caudally rounded and lobiform |
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The genus is known to occur in Eritrea, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Thailand (
The new species was found at a high elevation (ca. 1,800–2,100 m a.s.l.) on Ngoc Linh Mountain (Kon Tum Province), the second highest mountain, in Vietnam and is thus unlikely to be an introduction due to human activities. The relatively few records for the genus indicates that there are likely to be more
Being located in the Burmese-Indochinese Biodiversity Hotspot (
The first author thanks the Vietnamese-Russian Joint Tropical Center (Vietnam Ministry of Defense) for organizing the field surveys in Ngoc Linh Mountain, and Dr. Nicholas Porch (Deakin University, Australia) for kindly correcting and improving the English. This research is funded by Vietnam National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED) under grant number 106-NN.05-2015.22, and the National Research Foundation of Korea for the fellowship to Korea granted to A.D. Nguyen. Two reviewers are acknowledged for their invaluable comments which improved the paper.