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| Alafanahydesmus lavasoa Golles, Yoo & Wesener, 2026 |
Abstract
Madagascar’s microendemism is not restricted to large rainforests, but also still exists in small, isolated fragments of natural vegetation. One such fragment is the Lavasoa-Ambatotsirongorongo protected area in southeastern Madagascar, where less than 92 ha of humid forest continue to face deforestation, but to which several species are endemic and critically endangered, including three species of millipedes. Here, we describe Alafanahydesmus lavasoa gen. nov., sp. nov. (Polydesmida: Dalodesmidae), a locally endemic Polydesmida only found in the Lavasoa-Ambatotsirongorongo area. With our here described addition, Polydesmida remain rare on Madagascar, with only four genera and nine known species, all belonging to the family Dalodesmidae. Alafanahydesmus lavasoa gen. nov., sp. nov. shares its small size (10–25 mm) and light/brown colouration with Dalodesmus Cook, 1896, Eutubercularium Brölemann, 1916, and Phymatodesmus de Saussure & Zehntner, 1897, but differs conspicuously in somatic (paraterga projecting weakly before tergite 6, elongated shape of metatergal tubercles, paraprocts (pa) with dorsal setose knobs) and sexual characters (stoutly fused femorites and a unique five-branched gonopod with a retrorse branch). Here, we describe Alafanahydesmus lavasoa gen. nov., sp. nov. integratively, providing the first molecular data for Malagasy Dalodesmidae—via partial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) sequences (GenBank PX922879–PX922581) and pioneer the first microcomputed tomography (μCT) images for a member of the family, alongside with multilayer photographs and scanning electron microscopy images.
Myriapoda, biodiversity, cytochrome c oxidase I gene, Lavasoa, µCT, microendemism
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| Alafanahydesmus lavasoa gen. nov., sp. nov., Living specimens, at type locality Lavasoa. Photos taken by Moritz Einhaus in 2025. A. Adult female walking, dorsolateral view. B. Anterior half of body and head, lateral view. C. Midbody segments and legs, close anterodorsal view. D. Rolled-up female showing egg-care behaviour, lateral view. Not to scale. |
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| Alafanahydesmus lavasoa gen. nov., sp. nov., holotype male (ZFMK MYR14588), focus-stacked images. A. Head and first segments, dorsal view. B. Telson, lateral view. C. Telson, ventral view. D. Mid-body, dorsal view. E. Posterior half of body, dorsal view. F. Gonopods, ventral view. G. Gonopods, ventrolateral view. H. Gonopods, lateral view. Not to scale. Abbreviations: Co = collum; db = dichotomous branch; ep = epiproct; h = head; hy = hypoproct; o = ozopore; pa = paraproct; pb = paramedian branch; rb = retrorse branch; sl = subsecuriform solenomere; T = tergite. |
Genus Alafanahydesmus new genus
Type species: Alafanahydesmus lavasoa sp. nov.
Etymology: The generic name is derived from the Malagasy words ala (forest) and fanahy (soul, spirit, inner essence), combined with the suffix -desmus, commonly used for Polydesmida. The name is treated as masculine.
Distribution: Currently only known from south-eastern Madagascar, the isolated rainforest of the Lavasoa-Ambatotsirongorongo area (Fig. 1).
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| Alafanahydesmus lavasoa gen. nov., sp. nov., Micro-CT scans, paratype male, (ZFMK MYR14544). A. Lateral view. B. Anterior body half, showing detailed tergite pattern, dorsal view. C. Segments T9–T12 with stigma openings, ozopores, and lateral tergite projections, lateral view. D. Isolated second thoracic segment bearing reduced second leg pair. E. Close-up of sternite with posterior sternite processes, ventral view. F. Telson and associated structures, ventral view. Not to scale. Abbreviations: Co = collum; cx = coxa; ep = epiproct; fe = femur; h = head; hy = hypoproct; o = ozopore; pa = paraproct; pf = prefemur; po = postfemur; sti = stigma opening; s = setae; stp = sterite process; str = sternite; T = tergite; ta = tarsus; ti = tibia. |
TIZIANO GOLLES, JEHOON YOO and THOMAS WESENER. 2026. Description before Extinction: A New Genus and Ninth Species of indigenous Polydesmida from Madagascar (Polydesmida: Dalodesmidae). Zootaxa. 5807(1); 109-124. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5807.1.4 [2026-05-08]
