Research Article |
Corresponding author: Somsak Panha ( somsak.pan@chula.ac.th ) Academic editor: Robert Mesibov
© 2019 Natdanai Likhitrakarn, Sergei I. Golovatch, Ruttapon Srisonchai, Chirasak Sutcharit, 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, Sutcharit C, Panha S (2019) A new species of the millipede genus Cryptocorypha Attems, 1907, from northern Thailand (Polydesmida, Pyrgodesmidae). ZooKeys 833: 121-132. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.833.32413
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The millipede family Pyrgodesmidae and the genus Cryptocorypha are recorded from Thailand for the first time, being represented there by C. enghoffi sp. n. The new species is distinguished by the evident apicodorsal trichostele on the last tibia of both sexes and the gonopodal telopodite being particularly complex, quadripartite, consisting of the longest, mesal, suberect solenomere branch; a slightly shorter, similarly slender, acuminate endomere branch tightly appressed to the solenomere; a somewhat shorter, caudal, strongly curved, armed exomere process; and a very distinct, low, lateral, sac-shaped velum at their base. This situation strongly resembles the one observed in the geographically closest C. perplexa Golovatch & VandenSpiegel, 2015, from Myanmar, but the shapes and armament of all outgrowths of the gonopodal telopodite are clearly different. A key to all three Cryptocorypha pecies known from Indochina or Myanmar and an updated checklist of all 21 species of the genus are provided.
Chiang Mai, Diplopoda, Henrik Enghoff, Huai Hong Khrai Royal Development Study Centre
The genus Cryptocorypha Attems, 1907, is one of the few relatively speciose genera of the mainly tropical millipede family Pyrgodesmidae which is among the largest in the entire class Diplopoda. The family Pyrgodesmidae currently comprises more than 170 genera and nearly 400 species (
Most of the congeners tend to show very narrow distributions, with only a single species, C. ornata (Attems, 1938), being extremely widespread on tropical islands and archipelagos in the Indian and Pacific oceans, apparently due to anthropo- and/or ornithochory (
The present paper puts on record a new species of this genus, the first to be found in Thailand. An updated checklist of all 21 species of Cryptocorypha known to date and a key to all three congeners from Indochina or Myanmar are also provided.
Described Cryptocorypha arranged in alphabetic order and supplied with geographical details.
No. | Species | Locality or localities |
1 | C. areata (Carl, 1932) | India, Upper Palnis, Kodaikanal and environs, 2,200 m; Maryian-shola, 2,300 m; Kukkal-shola, 1,900 m; near Pumberai, 1,900 m; Lower Palnis, Thandikudi, 1,500 m; Travancore, between Palni and Anaimala Hills, 1,850 m ( |
2 | C. bocal Golovatch, Nzoko Fiemapong & VandenSpiegel, 2017 | Congo D.R., South Kivu Province, Itombwe, Uvira District, road-km 10 from Katobo to Kahololo, 03°12'S, 28°51'E, 2,400–2,800 m ( |
3 | C. chernovi Golovatch, Geoffroy & VandenSpiegel, 2013 | Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo Island, Rotal, near Rotal hole, 15°15'10.1"S 167°03'30.5"E, 250 m; Boutmas, near the entrance to Fapon Cave, 15°19'51.7"S 166°57'53.6"E, 380 m; Malo Island off Espiritu Santo, Avorani, 15°42'22.1"S 167°07'43.5"E, 110 m ( |
4 | C. diffusa (Brolemann, 1920) | East Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro, a small series near a forest, 2,700–2,800 m ( |
5 | C. dimorpha Golovatch, Nzoko Fiemapong & VandenSpiegel, 2017 | Congo D.R., Kivu, Maniema Province, Mwenga, 03°03'S, 28°26'E ( |
6 | C. enghoffi sp. n. | Thailand, Chiang Mai Province, Doi Saket District, Huai Hong Khrai Royal Development Study Centre, 18°52'47"N, 99°13'22"E, 445 m |
7 | C. hoffmani Golovatch, Semenyuk, VandenSpiegel & Anichkin, 2011 | Vietnam, Dong nai Province, Nam Cat Tien National Park, ca. 150 m ( |
8 | C. japonica (Miyosi, 1957) | Japan, Tokyo, Futako Tamagawa ( |
9 | C. kandyana (Carl, 1932) | Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Kandy ( |
10 | C. kumamotensis (Murakami, 1966) | Japan, Ehime Prefecture, Niihama, Oshima; Iyo-Mishima, Kinsha ( |
11 | C. leia Chamberlin, 1945 | Indonesia, Java, Goenong Malabar, 1,600 m ( |
12 | C. leleupi Golovatch, Nzoko Fiemapong & VandenSpiegel, 2017 | Congo D.R., South Kivu Province, Itombwe, Uvira District, road-km 10 from Katobo to Kahololo, 03°12'S, 28°51'E, 2,800 m ( |
13 | C. monomorpha Golovatch, Nzoko Fiemapong & VandenSpiegel, 2017 | Congo D.R., Kivu, Dorsale de Lubero, Mt Muleke, versant Sud, village Itala, 00°17'S, 29°15'E, 1,820 m ( |
14 | C. nympha Loksa, 1967 | Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), ORSTOM-Park ( |
15 | C. ornata (Attems, 1938) | Nearly pantropical anthropo- and/or ornithochore species ( |
The specimens were hand-collected from Huai Hong Khrai Royal Development Study Centre during the rainy season (during the months of April to October in 2015 and 2016). Live animals were photographed in their habitats and then taken for photography in the laboratory using a Canon 70D digital camera with a Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens. After that, the specimens were preserved in 75% ethanol. The morphological characters were studied in the laboratory using uncleaned specimens and an Olympus stereo microscope. The terminology used follows that accepted in the most recent publications (
The Animal Care and Use Protocol Review No. 1723018 was applied.
The geographical coordinates and elevation were recorded by means of a Garmin GPSMAP 60 CSx using the WGS84 datum and subsequently double-checked with Google Earth.
The genus is characterized within Pyrgodesmidae by an unusually flat body with 19 or 20 segments (either in both sexes or 19 solely in the male) and only a slightly convex dorsum, coupled with 6+6 faint lobulations or 11 radii at a regularly rounded anterior margin of a flabellate collum that fully covers the head from above; usually three or four (rarely five) more distinct lobulations at the lateral margins of poreless and pore-bearing paraterga, respectively; a normal pore formula (5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15–18(19)) with the ozopores not borne on porosteles, but opening flush on the dorsal surface at the base of the penultimate lobulation; the absence of anterior and the presence of only very few (1–2) caudal lobulations; the development of 2–3 transverse, often irregular rows of small and non-differentiated knobs/tuberculations on each postcollum metatergum; and a dorsally fully exposed epiproct. The last tibia in the male or even in both sexes is often, but not always, with a conspicuous, long, setigerous, apicodorsal cylinder (= trichostele). The gonopods are with relatively small coxae and a shallow gonocoel that leaves the telopodites very strongly exposed and in situ held (sub)parallel to each other; each telopodite is 2-, 3- or 4-partite, with a strongly developed, slender, often fimbriate, mesal solenomere branch (usually the longest) and a typically sac-shaped velum at its base, sometimes also with 1–2 adjacent processes (exo- and/or endomere, depending on position) (
♂ (
Honours Henrik Enghoff, a globally renowned specialist in Diplopoda and one of the pioneers of diplopodological research in Thailand.
Differs from other species of the genus by the presence of 20 body segments in both sexes, coupled with an evident apicodorsal trichostele on the last tibia of both sexes (Fig.
Length ca. 12.1 mm, width of midbody segments 2.95 and 1.55 mm on pro- and metazonae, respectively (holotype). Length of adults ca. 11.5–12.8 mm (♂ paratypes) and 14.5–15.2 mm (♀ paratypes), width of midbody pro- and metazonae 0.8–1.2 and 2.2–2.6 mm (♂ paratypes) or 1.2–1.8 and 2.8–3.4 mm (♀ paratypes), respectively.
Coloration of live animals uniformly reddish to purplish red (Fig.
Body robust, with 20 segments (♂, ♀). Pro- to metazonum width ratio close to 1:2. In width, head << collum < segment 3 = 4 < 2 < 5 < 6–14(15) (♂, ♀), thereafter body rapidly tapering towards telson (Figs
Antennae short and clavate (Figs
Cryptocorypha enghoffi sp. n., ♂ paratype. A–C anterior part of body, dorsal, ventral and lateral views, respectively D collum, dorsal view E head, ventral view F segments 8, 9, lateral view G antenna, ventral view H–K right antenna H bacilliform sensilla on antennomere 5, sublateral view J, I bacilliform sensilla on antennomere 6, subventral and sublateral views, respectively K tip of right antenna, sublateral view.
Collum flabellate (Figs
Tegument encrusted with a microspiculate cerotegument, dull, beset with microvilli (Figs
Cryptocorypha enghoffi sp. n., ♂ paratype. A, B segments 8, 9, dorsal and ventral views, respectively C cross-section of segment 8, caudal view D paraterga of segment 9, dorsal view E poriferous paratergum of segment 9 F tegument texture in the region of a stricture between pro- and metazonae, dorsal view G–L posterior part of body, dorsal, ventral, lateral, dorsal, ventral and lateral views, respectively.
Postcollum paraterga very broad, thin and slightly, but clearly lobulate laterally (Figs
Pore formula normal: 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15–19, ozopores being very small, round, discernible dorsally at base of 3rd lobulation (Figs
Limbus microspiculate, each caudal crenulation being very finely and sharply spinulose (Fig.
Epiproct readily visible from above, not hidden under 19th segment (Figs
Hypoproct subtriangular, caudal edge with 1+1 strong and widely separated setae on evident knobs (Fig.
Sterna wide, approximately twice as broad as diameter of coxal socket (Figs
Legs long and slender (Fig.
Gonopods (Fig.
This new species was found walking on a rock surface (Fig.
1 | Body larger, 10–15.2 mm long. Gonopods complex, telopodite clearly quadripartite (Fig. |
2 |
– | Body smaller, 4.0–4.5 mm long. Gonopods simple, telopodite bipartite, with only an evident solenomere branch protruding above a hypertrophied sac-shaped velum ( |
C. hoffmani |
2 | Body smaller, 10–11 mm long, width of midbody metazonae 1.9–2.0 mm. Velum shorter and smaller, exomere suberect, nearly as long as endomere, with an evident stump-shaped outgrowth caudally at base ( |
C. perplexa |
– | Body larger, 11.5–15.2 mm long, width of midbody metazonae 2.2–3.4 mm. Velum a prominent sac, exomere strongly curved, clearly shorter than endomere, without an outgrowth at base (Fig. |
C. enghoffi sp. n. |
The diplopod diversity in Thailand has hitherto been reported to total 228 species (
This project was partly funded by 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-PG2-161012 to SP. We thank the members of the Animal Systematics Research Unit for their technical assistance in the laboratory. We are most grateful to all reviewers who have provided constructive criticism and thus considerably improved our paper.