Corresponding author: Somsak Panha (
Academic editor: Robert Mesibov
Likhitrakarn N, Golovatch SI, Semenyuk I, Panha S (2019) A new species and a new record of the Southeast Asian millipede genus
The Southeast Asian millipede genus
It was
The present paper adds to the record another new species of this genus from Vietnam, the fifth to be found in that country. This brings the diversity of
The material documented below was collected by one of us (Irina Semenyuk abbreviated IS), according to Agreements 432/TCLN-BTTN and 142/SNgV-VP between the Kon Ka Kinh National Park and the Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Center, as part of IS’s research project on the diversity, biology, and ecology of millipedes in Vietnam.
Live animals were photographed in their habitats using a Canon 70D digital camera with a Canon PowerShot A4000IS 16.0 MP Digital Camera. Specimens were preserved in 75% ethanol, and morphological investigations were carried out in the laboratory using an Olympus stereo microscope. Scanning electron micrographs (
In the synonomy section given below,
a.s.l. above sea level
ca. approximately, around (circa)
The Animal Care and Use Protocol Review No. 1723018 was applied.
Coordinates and elevation were recorded by Garmin GPSMAP 60 CSx and Garmin eTrex 30 using the WGS84 datum and subsequently double-checked with Google Earth.
3 ♂ (
The new specimens fully agree with the detailed and beautifully illustrated redescriptions of the species as given by
Swarming later instars of
Holotype. ♂ (
To honour Nguyen Duc Anh, the leading Vietnamese myriapologist.
Differs from congeners mainly in the colour pattern (a uniformly black-brown body with contrasting yellow-brown paraterga and epiproct), as well as in gonopod process
Length of holotype 41.5 mm, width of midbody pro- and metazonae 3.2 and 4.7 mm, respectively. Paratypes 39.5–42.5 mm long, 2.9–3.8 and 4.5–5.1 mm wide on midbody pro- and metazonae, respectively (♂).
Colouration of live animals blackish (Fig.
Clypeolabral region sparsely setose; epicranial suture distinct. Antennae long (Fig.
Tegument generally smooth and poorly shining, prozonae finely shagreened, metaterga leathery and rugulose (Fig.
Sterna sparsely setose, shining, cross-impressions shallow, without modifications; but with two rounded, low, fully separated, setose cones between ♂ coxae 4 (Fig.
Gonopods (Figs
Adults of the new species were found in May during a short expedition to a small area within Kon Ka Kinh National Park near its headquarters. A prospected forest with a similar forest structure within the same park near the village of Krong (
Although our new species is superficially very similar to
1 | Colour pattern of metaterga: yellowish paramedian spots in front of transverse sulcus, the latter visible starting with segment 2 |
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– | Colour pattern of metaterga otherwise. Transverse sulcus present starting with segment 4 or 5 |
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2 | Colour pattern of metaterga: yellowish or brownish paramedian stripes |
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– | Colour pattern of metaterga otherwise |
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3 | Gonopod femorite relatively short |
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– | Gonopod femorite long (Figs |
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4 | Midbody metazonae ca. 2.0 mm wide. Pleurosternal carinae poorly-developed, in ♂ slightly projecting caudad behind rear tergal margin only until segment 5 |
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– | Midbody metazonae ≥ 2.9 mm wide. Pleurosternal carinae well-developed, in ♂ slightly projecting caudad behind rear tergal margin at least until segment 10 |
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5 | Sternal lamina between ♂ coxae 4 with a paramedian pair of evident, high, nearly pointed, fully separated, setose cones. Gonopod process |
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– | Sternal lamina between ♂ coxae 4 with only a single small cone. Gonopod process |
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6 | Sternal lamina between ♂ coxae 4 with a paramedian pair of separated lobes |
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– | Sternal lamina between ♂ coxae 4 a simple, rounded, conical knob |
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7 | Paraterga narrow. Sternal lamina between ♂ coxae 4 a large, cordiform, ventrally evidently concave lobe. Gonopod solenophore clearly curved |
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– | Paraterga broad. Sternal lamina between ♂ coxae 4 a median pair of rather small and rounded lobes. Gonopod solenophore suberect and nearly straight |
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8 | Metazonae ca. 2.6 mm (♂) or ca. 3.0 mm wide (♀). Gonopod femorite nearly straight, process |
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– | Metazonae 3.2–3.7 mm (♂) or 3.6–4.6 mm wide (♀). Gonopod femorite strongly curved caudad, process |
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9 | Sternum between ♂ coxae 4 with a single lamina or cone |
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– | Sternum between ♂ coxae 4 with a paramedian pair of separated cones |
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10 | Colour pattern: a light axial stripe flanked on each side by a dark stripe on collum to epiproct. Epiproct simple, not particularly large, with two small, but evident apical papillae. Tip of gonopod split rather deeply, but process |
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– | Colour pattern indistinct, with a pale yellowish median stripe against a uniformly brown background. Epiproct particularly large, with two apical papillae curved remarkably ventrad, claw-shaped. Tip of gonopod split deeper, process |
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11 | Colour pattern: uniform with contrasting yellow or yellow-brown paraterga and epiproct (Fig. |
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– | Colour pattern: a dark band present only on pinkish or pale yellowish posterior halves of proterga and posterior halves of metaterga. Gonopod process |
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12 | Sternum between ♂ coxae 4 with a pair of evident, high, separated cones. ♂ tarsal brushes present until legs of segment 8. Gonopod process |
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– | Sternum between ♂ coxae 4 with a pair of small, low, separated cones. ♂ tarsal brushes present until segment 18. Gonopod process |
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The genus
Distribution of
This project was partly funded through grants received from the Office of the Royal Development Projects Board (RDPB), while most of the financial support was obtained from TRF Strategic Basic Research BDG 6080011 (2017–2019) to CS and NL, and TRF Senior Research Scholar RTA 5880002 (2015–2018) and BDC-PG2-160012 to SP. We thank the members of the Animal Systematics Research Unit for their technical assistance in the laboratory. IS is much obliged to the administrations of Kon Ka Kinh and Cat Tien national parks for the logistic help rendered on-the-spot to promote her research. We are also most grateful to all reviewers who have provided constructive criticism and thus considerably improved our paper.