Sciency Thoughts: Polydesmids

Showing posts with label Polydesmids. Show all posts

Monday, 17 December 2018

Circulocryptus kompantsevi & Carinocryptus semenyukae: Two new species of Cryptodesmid Millipedes from Southeast Asia.

Millipedes, Diplopoda, are highly successful soil dwelling Arthropods found in soil in all temperate and tropical regions. Flat-backed Millipedes, Polydesmida, are predominantly leaf-litter dwelling Millipedes noted for the prominent keels on the sides of their segments, which gives them a wide, flat appearance, and the ability to produce the toxin hydrogen cyanide as a defence. The Polydesmid Family Cryptodesmidae currently comprises 35 species, grouped into 13 genera, scattered across tropical and subtropical Asia.

In a paper published in the journal Raffles Bulletin of Zoology on 26 June 2018, Sergei Golovatch of the Institute for Problems of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, describes two new species of Cryptodesmid Millipedes from Southeast Asia.

The first new species is placed in the genus Circulocryptus, which currently contains two species from Vietnam and Java, and given the specific name kompantsevi, in honour of Aleksandr Kompantsev, who collected the specimen from which the species is described, a male found inside a rotting Fungus in the Phnom Pokor National Park in the Elephant Mountains of Kampot Province, Cambodia. This specimen is 16 mm in length, with 20 segments and is a light pink colour with yellowish white legs.

Circulocryptus kompantsevi. (A) Lateral view; (B) dorsal view; (C) anteroventral view; (D) posteroventral view. Pictures not to scale. Golovatch (2018).

The second new species is placed in a new genus, named Carinocryptus, in reference to a prominent mid-dorsal ridge (carina) seen in the species, and given the specific name semenyukae, in honour of Irina Semenyuk, who collected the specimens from which the species is described, 2 males, three females and two juveniles found in a stream valley within a mixed tropical forest in the Kon Ka Kinh National Park of Gia Lai Province, Vietnam. These Millipedes range from 9.0 to 9.5 mm in length (adults), have 20 segments and are a creamy brown in colour.

Carinocryptus semenyukae, male. (A) lateral view; (B) dorsal view; (C) anteroventral view; (D) posteroventral view. Pictures not to scale. Golovatch (2018).

Sunday, 9 December 2018

Antheromorpha pumatensis: A new species of Polydesmid Millipede from Vietnam.

Polydesmid Millipedes of the family Paradoxosomatidae are found from South and Southeast Asia to Australia, dominating Millipede faunas in many areas. With over 1000 species in 200 genera the Paradoxosomatidae is probably the most specious group of Polydesmid Millipedes. The genus Antheromorpha currently comprises eleven species of large, brightly coloured Millipedes, found across Southeast Asia, from Myanmar and South China in the north, south to Vietnam and Malaysia.

In a paper published in the journal Raffles Bulletin of Zoology on 21 February 2018, Anh Nguyen of Duy Tan University, and the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources at the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Son Nguyen, also of the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources at the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, and Son Le of the Institute of Tropical Ecology at the Vietnamese-Russian Tropical Center, describe a new species of Antheromorpha from the Pu Mat National Park in Nghe An Province, northern Vietnam.

The new species is named Antheromorpha pumatensis, meaning from ‘from Pu Mat’. It is described from four male and six female specimens collected in April 2011. The male specimens measure between 28.1 and 37.4 mm in length, while the females measure between 28.0 and 36.5 mm. Both sexes are magenta in colour with a yellow-brown stripe along their backs and pink markings.

Antheromorpha pumatensis, from Pu Mat National Park. Nguyen et al. (2018).

Monday, 5 January 2015

Three new species of Polydesmid Millipedes from Thailand.

Polydesmid Millipedes of the family Paradoxosomatidae are found from South and Southeast Asia to Australia, dominating Millipede faunas in many areas. With over 1000 species in 200 genera the Paradoxosomatidae is probably the most specious group of Polydesmid Millipedes. The genus Tylopus is found in southern China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. With 52 described species, 29 of which have been recorded in Thailand, it is one of the largest genera in the Paradoxosomatidae.

In a paper published on the journal ZooKeys on 18 August 2014, Natdanai Likhitrakarn of the Division of Plant Protection at Maejo University, Sergei Golovatch of the Institute for Problems of Ecology and Evolution at the Russian Academy of Sciences and Somsak Panha of the Animal Systematics Research Unit at Chulalongkorn University, describe three new species of Tylopus from Thailand.

The first new species is named Tylopus corrugatus, in reference to a series of ridges on the dorsal part of its body segments. The species is described from 7 male, five female and two juvenile specimens collected in the Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai Province. The females are on average slightly longer than the males, at 16.5–21.0 mm, compared to 15.5–18.2 mm. They are brown in colour with darker backs and lighter undersides.

Tylopus corrugatus, male specimen in dorsal view. Likhitrakarn et al. (2014).

The second new species is named Tylopus parahilaroides, in reference to its similarity to the previously described species Tylopus hilaroides (‘parahilaroides’ means ‘beside hilaroides’). The species is described from two specimens, one male and one female, the male being 34 mm in length and the female 33 mm. They are reddish brown in colour, with yellowish limbs.

Tylopus parahilaroides, male specimen in dorsal view. Likhitrakarn et al. (2014).

The third new species is named Tylopus trigonum, in reference to the triangular markings on the dorsal surface of its body segments. The species is described from two male and three female specimens, collected from beside two waterfalls in Umphang District in Tak Province. The males are on average larger than the females, at 21.2–27.8 mm, compared to 22.1–24.0 mm. They are light brown in colour, with a dark brown dorsal surface, which has a series of lighter triangles.

Tylopus trigonum, male specimen in dorsal view. Likhitrakarn et al. (2014).