Research Article |
Corresponding author: Somsak Panha ( somsak.pan@chula.ac.th ) Academic editor: Robert Mesibov
© 2017 Natdanai Likhitrakarn, Sergei I. Golovatch, Ruttapon Srisonchai, Somsak Panha.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Likhitrakarn N, Golovatch SI, Srisonchai R, Panha S (2017) A new species of Trichopeltis Pocock, 1894 from southern China, with a checklist and a distribution map of Trichopeltis species (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Cryptodesmidae). ZooKeys 725: 123-137. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.725.22014
|
The millipede genus Trichopeltis Pocock, 1894 contains 12 described species including a new species from southern China described here. Trichopeltis sutchariti sp. n. can be distinguished from congeners by its gonopods that are strongly caudolaterally curved and have a prominent, high, curved, densely setose process on each coxa. An updated checklist and a distribution map are provided for all species of the genus.
Millipede, Trichopeltis , new species, China, Cryptodesmidae
Trichopeltis Pocock, 1894 is the largest genus within the mainly tropical family Cryptodesmidae which currently contains only 12 genera (mostly monotypic) and 39 species (
Trichopeltis has recently been reviewed and a key provided (
Since a key to all hitherto known species of Trichopeltis is available (
The material was collected from a limestone mountain area in Yunnan, southern China in October 2016. Photographs of live animals were taken in the laboratory using a Nikon 700D digital camera with a Nikon AF-S VR 105 mm macro lens. Specimens were preserved in 75% ethanol, and morphological investigations were carried out in the laboratory with the help of an Olympus SZX7 stereo microscope. Scanning electron micrographs (SEM) were taken with a JEOL, JSM–5410 LV microscope with no metallic coating, and the material returned from stubs to alcohol upon examination. Images of one holotype gonopod were taken in the laboratory and assembled using the “CellD” automontage software of the Olympus Soft Imaging Solution package. The holotype and most of the paratypes are housed in the Museum of Zoology, Chulalongkorn University (
The collecting site was located by GPS using the WGS84 datum.
In the catalogue sections, D stands for the original description and/or subsequent descriptive notes, K for the appearance in a key, L for the appearance in a species list, R for a new subsequent record, and M for a mere mention.
Trichopeltis Pocock, 1894: 374 (D).
Trichopeltis
–
Otodesmus
Otodesmus
–
Superficially, a typical genus of Cryptodesmidae, distinguished from other genera in the following combination of characters, the gonopodal ones being the most important.
Body small- to medium-sized (ca 8–21 mm long, ca. 1.7–5.5 mm wide), with 20 segments. Collum flabellate, much broader than head, fully covering it from above; eleven radii at collum’s fore margin dividing it into 12 (sub)equal sectors; dorsal surface tuberculate to areate. Metaterga distinctly tuberculate to areate, usually setose, with at least two irregular transverse rows of tuberculations extending onto paraterga. The latter very short and very wide, subhorizontal, multilobulate at least at caudal and lateral margins. Ozopores highly variable, usually untraceable, when present then barely visible, located near base of paraterga either entirely dorsally or partly dorsally and mainly ventrally, or entirely ventrally. Only coxae 7 or both coxae 6 and 7 distinctly separated to accommodate tips of gonopods. Gonopod aperture usually subcordiform, edges with little or no elevation.
Gonopods ranging from rather simple to relatively complex (Fig.
Cryptodesmus bicolor Pocock, 1894, by original designation.
T. doriae Pocock, 1895, T. feae Pocock, 1895, T. watsoni Pocock, 1895, T. kometis (Attems, 1938), T. latellai Golovatch, Geoffroy, Mauriès & VandenSpiegel, 2010, T. cavernicola Golovatch, 2016, T. muratovi Golovatch & VandenSpiegel, 2017, T. bellus Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2017, T. intricatus Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2017 and T. reflexus Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2017.
Cryptodesmus bicolor Pocock, 1894: 373 (D).
Trichopeltis
bicolor
–
West Sumatra, Singkarah, 1,800 m a.s.l. (
Trichopeltis doriae Pocock, 1895: 792 (D).
Trichopeltis
Doriae
–
Trichopeltis
doriae
–
Yado, Carin Asciuii Cheba, 1,200–1,300 m a.s.l. (
Trichopeltis feae Pocock, 1895: 793 (D).
Trichopeltis
Feae
–
Trichopeltis
feae
–
Village of Chiala, Carin Asciuii Ghecù, 1,200–1,600 m (
Trichopeltis watsoni Pocock, 1895: 793 (D).
Trichopeltis
watsoni
–
Otodesmus
watsoni
–
Trichopeltis
Watsoni
–
Trichodesmus
(sic!) watsoni –
Chin Hill (upper Burma) (
Niponielle (sic!) kometis Attems, 1938: 244 (D).
Onomatoplanus
kometis
–
Pseudoniponiella
kometis
–
Niponia
kometis
–
Trichopeltis
deharvengi
Trichopeltis
kometis
–
Khanhhoa Province, Mt Hon Ba (Nhatrang); Lam Dong Province, Mt Diling, 1,000 m a.s.l. (S. Annam); Dalat (S. Annam), 1,500 m a.s.l.; Dalat, Camli, 1,500 m a.s.l.; Peak Langbian; Danang Province, Mt Bana, 1,400 m a.s.l. (
Trichopeltis
latellai
Trichopeltis
latellai
–
Guizhou Province, Qianxi County, Hong Lin Town, Cave Chang Tu Dong; Cave Tiao Shuz Dong (
Trichopeltis cavernicola Golovatch, 2016: 34 (D).
Trichopeltis
cavernicola
–
Khammouane Province, Ban Naden, Cave Tham Namlat, 17.504969°N, 105.385598°E, ca. 180 m a.s.l. (
Trichopeltis muratovi Golovatch & VandenSpiegel, 2017: 757 (D).
Trichopeltis
muratovi
–
Xieng Khoung Province, ca. 9 km northwest of Vieng Thong, secondary tropical forest, 20°08.466'N, 103°20.099'E, ca. 870–910 m a.s.l. (
Trichopeltis bellus Liu et al., 2017: 2, 12 (D).
Yunnan Province, Qujing City, Luoping County, Machang village, Cave Shuiyuan Dong, 24°49'33"N, 104°21'48"E, 1,530 m a.s.l. (
Trichopeltis intricatus Liu et al., 2017: 5, 12 (D).
Yunnan Province, Kunming City, Shilin County, Guishan Town, Cave Haiyi I Dong, 24°38'50"N, 103°32'49"E, 1,890 m a.s.l. (
Trichopeltis reflexus Liu et al., 2017: 8, 12 (D).
Hunan Province, Chenzhou City, Linwu County, Xianghualing Town, Cave II Dong (
Holotype ♂ (
2 ♂♂, 1 ♀ (
Honours Jirasak Sutcharit (
This new species seems to be particularly similar to T. bellus Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2017 and T. intricatus Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2017, both from caves in southern China (
Length 13.9–15.2 (♂) or 14.2–14.5 mm (♀), width of midbody pro- and metazona 1.7–1.9 and 4.8–5.1 mm (♂) or 1.8–2.0 and 4.4–5.2 mm (♀), respectively.
Colouration of live animals uniformly whitish yellow (Fig.
Clypeolabral region and vertex densely pilose, epicranial suture distinct. Antennae rather short and clavate (Figs
Trichopeltis sutchariti sp. n., ♂ paratype. A, D anterior part of body, ventral and dorsal views, respectively B antenna, ventral view C bacilliform sensilla on antennomere 5, lateral view E prozona of segment 2, dorsal view H limbus of collum, dorsal view F midbody segment, dorsal view G cross-section of a midbody segment, caudal view I enlarged prozona and stricture between pro- and metazona of a midbody segment, dorsal view.
Trichopeltis sutchariti sp. n., ♂ paratype. A segments 9–12, dorsal view B paraterga of segment 10, dorsal view C anterior edge of paraterga, dorsal view D paraterga, lateral view E metaterga of segment 9, dorsal view F setigerous tuberculations on metaterga, dorsal view G spherical knobs on metaterga, dorsal view H, I posterior part of body, dorsal and ventral views, respectively J, K gonopod, ventral and sublateral views, respectively L enlarged epiproct, dorsal view M enlarged prozona, dorsal view. SEM without metallic coating.
Tegument dull, prozonae finely shagreened (Figs
Collum completely covering the head from above, regularly convex at fore margin, concave caudally, tuberculations arranged in 8–9 irregular transverse rows of evident setigerous knobs with abundant spherical granulations (Fig.
Dorsum convex, postcollum paraterga flat, very broad and long, narrowly rounded laterally, evidently and regularly declivous and continuing the outline of dorsum; anterior edge straight, rib-shaped, forming a distinct shoulder, abundantly microgranulate and micropilose (Fig.
Limbus a row of simple, relatively short, tongue-shaped protuberances, abundantly microdenticulate apically (Fig.
Axial line absent. Stricture dividing pro- and metazonae broad, shallow and smooth, with abundant spherical granulations dorsally and microgranulate laterally (Fig.
Epiproct (Fig.
Sterna usual, sparsely setose, without modifications, cross-impressions evident (Fig.
Legs very long and slender, without modifications (Figs
Gonopods (Figs
All five specimens were taken from a rather large population found on limestone rocks, as well as on tree trunks during the rainy season. It seems noteworthy that the surface structures illustrated in the new species, such as the sculpture of the prozonae and the shape of the limbus (Fig.
At present, the genus Trichopeltis comprises 12 species ranging from the Himalayas of India (one species), through Bangladesh (one species), Myanmar (three species), to China (five species), Laos (three species), Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia (one species each) (Fig.
Distribution of 12 currently known species of Trichopeltis. Open diamonds: T. watsoni Pocock, 1895; crossed open square: T. latellai Golovatch, Geoffroy, Mauirès & VandenSpiegel, 2010; open triangle: T. doriae Pocock, 1895; filled circle: T. feae Pocock, 1895; inverted open triangle: T. intricatus Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2017; filled diamond: T. bellus Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2017; inverted filled triangle: T. reflexus Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2017; filled triangle: T. sutchariti sp. n.; crossed open diamond: T. muratovi Golovatch & VandenSpiegel, 2017; filled squares: T. cavernicola Golovatch, 2016; open squares: T. kometis (Attems, 1938); asterisk: T. bicolor (Pocock, 1984).
Most of the species seem to be highly localised endemics, this being especially true of the five presumed troglobionts. There are only three congeners, all epigean, which are relatively widespread: T. kometis, found in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia; T. feae, recorded from several localities in Myanmar; and T. watsoni, reported from Mynamar, Bangladesh and the Himalayas of India (Fig.
Such a distribution pattern of Trichopeltis clearly suggests its Indo-Malayan (= Oriental) roots and there is little doubt that more new and interesting species will be discovered and additional localities recorded in future.
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 The Thailand Research Fund, The TRF Senior Research Scholar RTA 5880002 (2015–2018) to SP. We thank the members of the Animal Systematics Research Unit for their invaluable assistance in the field. Last but not least, we extend our deep gratitude to Nathalie Yonow (U.K.) for polishing the English of the manuscript.