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| Lusitanipus xanin Gilgado in Gilgado, Martínez-Pillado & Prieto, 2020. |
Abstract
Recent samplings in cavities of the Iberian Peninsula led to the discovery of a new millipede species of the order Callipodida in one cave in the region of El Bierzo (León, Spain): Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. In additional samplings (near that cave), more specimens of this new species were discovered in surface habitats. The species has various distinctive characteristics, such as its green colour, but the morphology of the gonopod has several similarities with that of Lusitanipus alternans (Verhoeff, 1893), indicating a close relationship between them. The diagnosis of the genus Lusitanipus Mauriès, 1978 has to be changed to accommodate the new species. The presence of crests in two different sizes is no longer a diagnostic character of the genus Lusitanipus, but of the species L. alternans. Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. is the fourth species of the order Callipodida for the Iberian Peninsula, and the second species for the genus. Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. seems to be an epigean but troglophile species.
Keywords: El Bierzo; Myriapoda; new species; troglophile; Xanín
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| Fig. 2. External morphology of Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. in lateral view. A. ♂ holotype (MNCN 20.07/2069). B. ♀ paratype (MNCN 20.07/2070). Scale bar = 5 mm. |
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| Living specimen of Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. in a defensive position over a clay layer below the limestone pebbles where it was found. |
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| Fig. 1. Location and characteristics of the sampling points and a living specimen of Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. A. Aerial view of the area at the Peñarrubia reservoir and its location in the Iberian Peninsula, with sampling point marked with a red star. B. Geological map of the area (modified from Abril Hurtado et al. 1982), with sampling point marked by a red star. C. Aspect of the landscape where Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. was collected. D. Living specimen of Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. in a defensive position over a clay layer below the limestone pebbles where it was found. |
Order Callipodida Pocock, 1894
Family Dorypetalidae Verhoeff, 1900
Genus Lusitanipus Mauriès, 1978
Diagnosis as given in Reboleira & Enghoff (2015), but a change needs to be made to accommodate the
new species. The presence of setiferous metazonital crests of two sizes (primary crests and secondary
crests) is no longer a diagnostic character of the genus Lusitanipus but only of the species Lusitanipus
alternans. Therefore, Lusitanipus differs from Cyphocallipus Verhoeff, 1909 by the simple gonocoxite
and straight rodlike gonopodal pseudoflagellum, and from Dorycallipus Verhoeff, 1909 by males not
having the forehead flattened.
Lusitanipus xanin Gilgado sp. nov.
Diagnosis
Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. differs from the other Iberian callipodidan species in the same characters
as Lusitanipus alternans (see Reboleira & Enghoff 2015), except that Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov., has
metazonital crests of similar size, whereas Lusitanipus alternans has crests of different sizes (Verhoeff
1893; Spelda 2015; Reboleira & Enghoff 2015). Furthermore, Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. differs from
L. alternans in its green colour, the higher number of body rings, the shape of the gonocoxite, and the
curvature and shape of the processes of the tip of telopodites of gonopods.
Etymology
The specific epithet xanin (noun in apposition) is the name of a goblin-like mythological creature,
the “Xanín”. This being supposedly inhabits the forests of the region were this species was found (El
Bierzo). As the “Xanín”, this species is a small creature dwelling on the ground under the shade of the
foliage that is seldomly seen and tries to hide when discovered.
José Domingo Gilgado, Virginia Martínez-Pillado and Carlos E. Prieto. 2020. A New Green-coloured Lusitanipus Mauriès, 1978 from the Iberian Peninsula (Diplopoda: Callipodida: Dorypetalidae). European Journal of Taxonomy. 714: 1–14. DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2020.714
