Research Article |
Corresponding author: Per Djursvoll ( per.djursvoll@um.uib.no ) Academic editor: Didier Vanden Spiegel
© 2019 Per Djursvoll.
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:
Djursvoll P (2019) Two new species of Polydesmus Latreille, 1802/1803 from northern Spain with reinstatements of two species, and a key to the Iberian Polydesmus species (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Polydesmidae). ZooKeys 888: 51-65. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.888.37816
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Polydesmus biscayensis sp. nov. and P. asturiensis sp. nov. are described and figured based on material housed in the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales in Madrid. The specimens were collected in six localities in the Asturias and Cantabria provinces, including four caves. In addition, Polydesmus haroi Mauriès & Vicente, 1977 and Polydesmus racovitzai Brolemann, 1910 are transferred from Propolydesmus Verhoeff, 1895 to Polydesmus Latreille, 1802/1803 after examining the gonopod morphology. A key to the Iberian Polydesmus species is presented.
Asturias, Cantabria, cave, millipede, Propolydesmus, taxonomy
The Holarctic family Polydesmidae comprises of more than 240 occurring species, with 192 recorded in Europe (
Species of Polydesmidae in Portugal and Spain and its known distribution.
Species | Portugal | Spain | Province/region |
---|---|---|---|
Archipolydesmus altibaeticus Gilgado, Enghoff, Tinaut & Ortuño, 2015 | × | Granada | |
Archipolydesmus bedeli (Brolemann, 1902) | × | Segovia, Madrid and Guadalajara | |
Archipolydesmus cordubaensis Mauriès, 2013 | × | Córdoba | |
Archipolydesmus foliatus Gilgado, Enghoff, Tinaut & Ortuño, 2015 | × | Alicante | |
Archipolydesmus giennensis Mauriès, 2014 | × | Jaén | |
Archipolydesmus osellai Ceuca, 1968 | × | Huesca | |
Archipolydesmus panteli (Brolemann, 1900) | × | Cuenca, Tarragona and Lleida | |
Archipolydesmus ribauti (Brolemann, 1926) | × | Gerona | |
Archipolydesmus terreus (Attems, 1952) | × | Cádiz and Gipuzkoa | |
Brachydesmus proximus Latzel, 1889 | × | × | Madeira, Azores, Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Huesca, Malaga |
Brachydesmus superus Latzel, 1884 | × | × | Azores, Madeira, Lisbon, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Granada, Orense, Pontevedra, Zamora, Burgos, Madrid, Tarragona, La Rioja, Córdoba , Segovia, Navarra, Álava, Barcelona |
Polydesmus angustus Latzel, 1884 | × | Álava, Asturias | |
Polydesmus asturiensis sp. nov. | × | Asturias | |
Polydesmus biscayensis sp. nov. | × | Asturias, Cantabria | |
Polydesmus coriaceus Porat, 1871 | × | × | Widely distributed in northern Iberia and adjacent islands |
Polydesmus geochromus Attems, 1952 | × | Jaén, Sevilla | |
Polydesmus haroi (Mauriès & Vicente, 1977) | × | Zamora | |
Polydesmus incisus Brolemann, 1921 | × | Pyrenees, Girona, Huesca | |
Polydesmus inconstans Latzel, 1884 | × | × | Navarra, Huesca, Madrid, Orense, Pontevedra, Viana do Castelo |
Polydesmus minutulus Mauriès & Barraqueta, 1985 | × | Viscaya | |
Poydesmus racovitzai (Brolemann, 1910) | × | Gipuzkoa, Viscaya, Navarra | |
Propolydesmus dismilus (Berlese, 1891) | × | Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Valencia, Granada, Zamora, Huesca, Salamanca, Álava, Madrid, Segovia, Cuenca, Zaragoza, Toledo, Alicante, Guadalajara, Burgos | |
Propolydesmus heroldi (Schubart, 1931) | × | Sevilla | |
Propolydesmus laevidentatus (Loksa, 1967) | × | × | Canary Islands, Orense, Pontevedra, Minho, Azores, Madeira |
Propolydesmus miguelinus (Attems, 1908) | × | Beira Litoral, Azores, Madeira | |
Propolydesmus pectiniger (Verhoeff, 1893) | × | Beira Litoral | |
Schizomeritius phantasma (Verhoeff, 1925) | × | Madrid and Àvila | |
Schizomeritius andalusis Djursvoll, 2008 | × | Sevilla, Huelva and Cadis | |
Schizomeritius armatus (Machado, 1946) | × | Beira Litoral | |
Schizomeritius esgrimidor Djursvoll, 2008 | × | Àvila | |
Schizomeritius mauriesi (Vicente, 1979) | × | Caceres | |
Schizomeritius ortizi Djursvoll, 2008 | × | Toledo | |
Tolosanius parvus Attems, 1952 | × | Gipuzkoa |
Two new species of Polydesmus are described below, based on material housed in the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid. They were collected in northern Spain, from five localities in Asturias and one in Cantabria (Fig.
Both species have strongly bifurcate gonopods, with well-developed endomere (endm) and exomere (exm) (see terminology in
Preserved specimens were examined in 70 % ethanol using a Leica MZ Apo stereomicroscope. When making Scanning Electron Micrographs (SEM), structures such as gonopods and antennae were gently mounted on stubs using sticky tabs and the air-dried stubs were sputter coated with gold. A Zeiss Supra 55 UP field emission scanning electron microscope used for observation and photographs. Photographs of tergal structures were made with an Olympus SC 50 camera mounted on an Olympus SZX 10 stereomicroscope using Olympus software.
Morphological terminology for this studied group follows
The type material is stored in the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid (
Spain, Asturias province; holotype ♂; Llanes, Cueva de la Colluvina; 1 Nov. 1969; E. Ortiz leg.;
Named after the Bay of Biscay.
Differs from other Polydesmus species in having a well-developed twisted endomere together with the acropodites – a1 close to the solenophore and a hooked acropodite a2 at the distalmost end, a long, slender and curly exomere, together with the presence of a ventrolateral tooth t1 directed proximal just after main curvature point, and the placement of the distal t2 tooth distally.
With 20 body rings, total length 10–12 mm. Coloration whitish to pale yellow (longtime ethanol-preserved specimens only). Collum ovoid, narrower than head and the subsequent rectangular metatergum 2 which is approximately as wide as head, head > collum > metatergum 2 (Fig.
Gonopod strongly bifurcate, including endomere and exomere, both parts twisted (curved). Endomere turns mesally crossing beneath oppositely directed exomere (Figs
P. biscayensis sp. nov. 4 male paratype, right gonopod, dorsolateral view (
Female with marked apophysis (tubercle) supporting the orifice of the gonopore on second coxae. Epigynal ridge poorly modified but with pin-shaped median process, with crevice inside (Fig.
8 P. biscayensis sp. nov., paratype, female epigyne (
Spain, Asturias province; holotype ♂ (fragments); Teverga, Cueva de Huerta, 750 m a.s.l.; UTM 29TQH37; July. 1934; Bolivar col.;
Two specimens in fragments, same locality data as holotype (
Named after the province of Asturias.
Differs from other Polydesmus species in having a twisted endomere with a distinct cleavage basad to the solenophore-pulvillus, with acute a1 distally. Exomere subfalcate, long and slender, with a ventrolateral right-angled tooth t1 just after main curvature point and together with the placement of the distal second tooth t2 close to apex.
With 20 body rings, total length 7–10 mm. Coloration whitish to pale yellow (long-term ethanol-preserved specimens only). Tegument shiny. Collum ovoid, much narrower than head and metaterga 2, head >> collum << metatergum 2 (Fig.
Gonopod strongly bifurcate, including endomere and exomere (Figs
12 P. asturiensis sp. nov., male paratype, left gonopod, lateral view (
Female with marked apophysis (tubercle) supporting the orifice of the gonopore on second coxae (Fig.
Polydesmus haroi Mauriès & Vicente, 1977: 530.
Polydesmus (Hormobrachium) haroi Vicente, 1979: 23.
Propolydesmus haroi
(Mauriès & Vicente, 1977):
The species was figured and described in detail by
It has similarities with P. asturiensis sp. nov. and P. biscayensis sp. nov. but differ in having a shorter exomere, the solenophore-pulvillus placed dorsally on the endomere and directed towards the exomere (Fig.
Polydesmus racovitzai
Brolemann, 1910: 352:
Polydesmus (Hormobrachium) racovitzai
Brolemann, 1910:
Propolydesmus racovitzai
(Brolemann, 1910):
SPAIN – Viscaya province • 1 ♂; 4 km s of Arrazua; pinewood; Desmond Kime leg.; 4.4.1978;
Notes. The species was described by Brolemann (1910) and is distributed in the French Pyrenees, and in northern Spain. Body length is 13–16 mm, the gonopods may resemble those of Polydesmus inconstans Latzel, 1884 (see Demange 1981: 125, figs 170– 171). It differs from P. inconstans in having a row of teeth dorsally on the endomere and if this character was not observed, probably misidentified as P. inconstans (Fig.
17 Propolydesmus laevidentatus (Loksa, 1967), from Madeira, right gonopod, medial view (
1 | With 19 body rings in both sexes | P. minutulus Mauriès & Barraqueta, 1985 |
– | With 20 body rings in both sexes | 2 |
2 | Gonopod unipartite, as in Brachydesmus Heller, 1858 | P. geochromus Attems, 1952 |
– | Gonopod bifurcate – exomere and endomere distinct | 3 |
3 | Exomere with a lateral tooth (t1) at main curvature point (Figs |
4 |
– | Exomere with a ventrolateral tooth (t1) at main curvature point (Figs |
9 |
4 | T1-tooth at main curvature point on exomere quadrangular or blade-like (Fig. |
P. coriaceus Porat, 1871 |
– | T1-tooth at main curvature point on exomere almost absent or triangular (Figs |
5 |
5 | Endomere and exomere branches widely separated | P. haroi Mauriès & Vicente, 1977 |
– | Endomere and exomere branches not widely separated | 6 |
6 | Endomere apically stout and blunt, somewhat hooked (Figs |
7 |
– | Endomere apically pointed – a1, not hooked (Figs |
8 |
7 | With row of teeth dorsally on exomere (Fig. |
P. racovitzai Brolemann, 1910 |
– | Without row of teeth dorsally on exomere | P. inconstans Latzel, 1884 |
8 | Acropodite narrow and acute (Fig. |
P. angustus Latzel, 1884 |
– | Acropodite broad, leaf-shaped, with acute apex (Fig. |
P. incisus Brolemann, 1921 |
9 | Endomere with distinct cleavage, without acropodite a2 (Fig. |
P. asturiensis sp. nov. |
– | Endomere without distinct cleavage, with acropodites a1 and a2 (Fig. |
P. biscayensi s sp. nov. |
Both
I am indebted to Dra. Begoña Sánchez Chillón, curator of arthropod collection at the Museo Nacional de Ciensias Naturales, Madrid, for the loan of the polydesmid material, to Egil Severin Erichsen at the ELMIR lab (UiB) for assistance with operating the scanning electron microscope. Thanks are due to Gunnar Kvifte and Trond Andersen (UiB) for comments on previous drafts. Special thanks to the reviewers Nesrine Akkari and Henrik Enghoff for constructive suggestions and useful comments.