[Diplopoda • 2019] The Genus Jeekelosoma Mauriès, 1985 – Moroccan Cave Millipedes (Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae)

Jeekelosoma abadi (Mauriès, 1985)

in Enghoff & Reboleira, 2019. 

DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2019.523
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Abstract

Jeekelosoma Mauriès, 1985, is upgraded from subgenus status under Eviulisoma Silvestri, 1910 to full genus status. The type species, Jeekelosoma abadi (Mauriès, 1985) is redescribed based on topotypical material from a cave in Morocco. Jeekelosoma heptarachne sp. nov. and J. viginti sp. nov. are described from two further Moroccan caves.

Keywords: taxonomy; Eviulisoma; troglobiont; caves; North Africa

Class Diplopoda de Blainville in Gervais, 1844

Order Polydesmida Leach, 1815

Family Paradoxosomatidae Daday, 1889

Subfamily Paradoxosomatinae Daday, 1889

Tribe Eviulisomatini Brölemann, 1916

Genus Jeekelosoma Mauriès, 1985 stat. nov

Diagnosis: A genus of small, depigmented species (Fig. 1) of the tribe Eviulisomatini sensu Enghoff (2018). Differs from contribal genera by the strongly modified peritremata bearing the ozopores and by the horizontal or oblique row of denticles on each side of each podous body ring. Further differs from contribal genera except Boreviulisoma Brolemann, 1928, by having three transverse rows of setae on postcollar rings.

 Included species: Jeekelosoma abadi (Mauriès, 1985) comb. nov., Jeekelosoma heptarachne sp. nov. & Jeekelosoma viginti sp. nov. 

Distribution: Morocco, in caves.

Fig. 1. Jeekelosoma abadi (Mauriès, 1985) comb. nov.,
 living specimen from the type locality.

Courtesy of Carles Hernando.

Jeekelosoma abadi (Mauriès, 1985)

 Diagnosis: A species of Jeekelosoma with 17 podous rings, with the ozopores borne on mushroomlike peritremata each provided with one macroseta, with a horizontal row of tubercles on podous rings 5‑17, and with a terminal curved appendage on the gonopod solenophore.

Known only from the type locality, the Kef Aziza cave, .., near Tazzouguert. ...

Jeekelosoma heptarachne sp. nov. 

Diagnosis: A species of Jeekelosoma with 17 podous rings, with the ozopores borne on chimney‑like outgrowths each provided with several macrosetae, with extremely long legs, and without a horizontal row of tubercles on podous rings 5–17. 

Etymology: The name is a noun in apposition, composed of Greek ‘hepta’ (= seven) and ‘arachne’ (= spider). A male of the new species has 28 pairs of long, thin walking legs and thus (somewhat) resembles a row of seven spiders.

Known only from “Tazentout, cave Wit Tamdoun”. ....

Jeekelosoma viginti sp. nov.  

 Diagnosis: A species of Jeekelosoma with 18 podous rings, with the ozopores borne on mushroom‑like outgrowths each provided with two macrosetae, and without a horizontal row of tubercles on podous rings 5–17. 

Etymology: The name means ‘twenty’ in Latin and refers to the presence of 20 ‘segments’ (18 podous rings + 1 apodous ring + telson), vs 19 ‘rings’ in the two other species.

Known only from the type locality which is also known as “Kef Tovna” and is located in a wide sinkhole near the village of Douar Tahyannt.  ...

Henrik Enghoff and Ana Sofia P.S. Reboleira. 2019. The Genus Jeekelosoma Mauriès, 1985 – Moroccan Cave Millipedes (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae). European Journal of Taxonomy. 523; 1–16.  DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2019.523

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[Diplopoda • 2018] Pelmatojulus tectus • A Giant African Millipede (Spirobolida, Pachybolidae) Re-discovered, Re-located and Re-classified After 120 Years

Pelmatojulus tectus (Cook, 1897)

in Fiemapong & Enghoff, 2018. 

 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4527.3.9 

Abstract

The giant millipede Pachybolus tectus Cook, 1897, described from Zanzibar, East Africa, and never re-collected till now, is re-described based on newly collected specimens from Cameroon, West Africa. The species is transferred to the genus Pelmatojulus Saussure, 1860, and compared with the most similar congener, P. togoensis (Cook, 1897). The type specimen of P. tectus, which no longer exists, probably was mis-labelled. An overview of the distribution of Pelmatojulus species and records of the genus from Cameroon are given, including P. brachysternus (Cook, 1897) as new to the fauna of Cameroon. Pelmatojulus insignis (Saussure, 1859) and P. togoensis are recorded as new to the fauna of Ghana.

Keywords: Myriapoda, Pachybolus, Pelmatojulus, Cameroon, Ghana, Zanzibar, taxonomy

Armand Richard Nzoko Fiemapong and Henrik Enghoff. 2018. A Giant African Millipede Re-discovered, Re-located and Re-classified After 120 Years (Diplopoda, Spirobolida, Pachybolidae).  Zootaxa. 4527(3); 403–413. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4527.3.9

[Diplopoda • 2018] The Genus Eviulisoma Silvestri, 1910 (Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae), in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania, and related species from other Eastern Arc Mountains. With notes on Eoseviulisoma Brolemann, 1920, and Suohelisoma Hoffman, 1963 [A Mountain of Millipedes VII]

Eviulisoma zebra Enghoff, 2018

one of the strikingly marked species from the Udzungwa Mts. 

DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2018.445 

Photograph by Martin Nielsen.

Abstract

 Twenty-two new species of the genus Eviulisoma Silvestri, 1910, from the Eastern Arc Mountains, Tanzania, are described: Eviulisoma acaciae sp. nov., E. aequilobatum sp. nov., E. akkariae sp. nov., E. angulatum sp. nov., E. articulatum sp. nov., E. biquintum sp. nov., E. breviscutum sp. nov., E. cetafi sp. nov., E. chitense sp. nov., E. commelina sp. nov., E. coxale sp. nov., E. ejti sp. nov., E. grumslingslak sp. nov., E. kalimbasiense sp. nov., E. navuncus sp. nov., E. nessiteras sp. nov., E. ottokrausi sp. nov., E. paradisiacum sp. nov., E. sternale sp. nov. and E. zebra sp. nov. from the Udzungwa Mts, E. culter sp. nov. from the Rubeho Mts and E. kangense sp. nov. from the Kanga Mts. Eviulisoma kwabuniense Kraus, 1958, and E. dabagaense Kraus, 1958, both from the Udzungwa Mts, are redesribed based on new material. Notes are provided on E. iuloideum (Verhoeff, 1941) based on type material. Eoseviulisoma Brolemann, 1920, is synonymized under Eviulisoma, based on newly collected material of E. julinum (Attems, 1909), type species of Eoseviulisoma. New material of Suohelisoma ulugurense Hoffman, 1964, type species of Suohelisoma Hoffman, 1964, has revealed that the gonopod structure is more similar to that of Eviulisoma than originally thought, but Suohelisoma is retained as a valid genus. Four species groups are recognized among Eviulisoma species from the Udzungwa Mts, but the need for a revision of the entire genus is emphasized. Two types of epizootic fungi are recorded from Eviulisoma spp., and an enigmatic amorphous mass, which may be a kind of plugging substance, is recorded from the gonopod tips and excavated sixth sternum of several species. 

Keywords: Taxonomy, new species, epizootic fungi, copulatory plug. 

Fig. 1. Eviulisoma zebra sp. nov., one of the strikingly marked species from the Udzungwa Mts.

Photograph by Martin Nielsen.

Henrik Enghoff. 2018. A Mountain of Millipedes VII: The Genus Eviulisoma Silvestri, 1910, in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania, and related species from other Eastern Arc Mountains. With notes on Eoseviulisoma Brolemann, 1920, and Suohelisoma Hoffman, 1963 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae). European Journal of Taxonomy. 445: 1–90. DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2018.445