New giant pill-millipede species from the littoral forest of Madagascar (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Zoosphaerium)

Abstract

Two new species of the Malagasy sphaerotheriid genus Zoosphaerium, Z. villosum sp. nov., and Z. arborealis sp. nov., are described. Characters of a shiny black new putative species of the genus Zoosphaerium are described and illustrated. Zoosphaerium alluaudi DeSaussure & Zehntner is redescribed. The characters defining the genus Zoosphaerium are summarized: three jointed anterior telopods, first joint with a stridulation organ termed ‘harp’ composed out of 1–2 stridulation ribs. Females with stridulation ribs on the subanal plate, termed ‘washboard’. Operculum of female vulva constricted in the middle (‘subreniform’). 6 th joint of antennae of cylindrical shape. The nomenclatural history of the genus name is discussed. The intraspecific variability of many characters commonly used to delineate species within the genus Zoosphaerium and other members of the order Sphaerotheriida is analyzed in detail. Ontogenetic changes in the female vulva and the male telopods are discussed and illustrated.Zwei neue Arten der Madagassischen Gattung Zoosphaerium, Z. villosum sp. nov. und Z. arborealis sp. nov., werden beschrieben. Merkmale einer wahrscheinlich neuen, aber hier nicht benannten Art der Gattung werden beschrieben und illustriert. Die Art Zoosphaerium alluaudi DeSaussure & Zehntner, 1902 wird wiederbeschrieben. Die nomenklatorische Geschichte und die Merkmale der Gattung Zoosphaerium werden zusammengefasst. Mitglieder der Gattung zeichnen sich durch folgende Merkmale aus: Dreigliedrige anteriore Telopoden mit einem Stridulationsorgan auf dem ersten Glied, welches aus 1–2 Stridulationsrippen besteht und als Harfe bezeichnet wird. Weibchen mit mehreren Stridulationsrippen auf der Subanalplatte, „washboard“ genannt. Operculum der weiblichen Vulva am Oberrand in der Mitte eingebuchtet (subreniform). 6. Antennenglied zylindrisch geformt. Die intraspezifische Variabilität mehrerer in der Gattung Zoosphaerium häufig benutzter Artmerkmale wurde untersucht. Formenwandel der weiblichen Vulven und männlicher Telopoden während der Ontogenie werden beschrieben und abgebildet.

A first phylogenetic analysis of Giant Pill‐Millipedes (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida), a new model Gondwanan taxon, with special emphasis on island gigantism

“…The operculum is the apical plate of the vulva (Wesener and Sierwald, 2005b) and is not present in Glomerida or Glomeridesmida. A simple, well rounded operculum is present in juveniles of presumably all Sphaerotheriida species (Wesener and Sierwald, 2005a), even in those where the operculum in adults is strongly modified (Fig. 14).…”

“…Sphaerotheriida are present in southern Africa (55 species), Madagascar (55 species), India and Sri Lanka (40 species), Myanmar, southern China, the Malayan peninsula, several Indonesian islands (136 species), and eastern Australia plus New Zealand (21 species). Such species numbers are probably a strong underestimation of the diversity, as numerous undescribed species were detected in recent collections (Wesener, 2006).…”

“…Many Sphaerotheriida even have special structures, such as locking ledges, with which they can close their ball from the inside, such that many preserved specimens remain rolled up (Verhoeff, 1928). In some tree-climbing species the rolling-up reflex is secondarily reduced in some tree-climbing species (Haacker and Fuchs, 1972;Wesener and Sierwald, 2005a).…”

“…However, years later, Attems (1926) again, without arguments, placed all Sphaerotheriida species into a single family. The distinction between families based on the number of apical cones on the antennae is no longer applicable, as the number (four or many) varies strongly even at genus level within the Sphaerotheriida (Wesener and Sierwald, 2005a).…”

Diversity, endemism and species turnover of millipedes within the south‐western Australian global biodiversity hotspot

“…Biogeographical studies show that millipede species are often naturally confined to narrow ranges (i.e. Tasmania, Australia, Mesibov, 1997;South Africa, Hamer et al, 2006), or have been anthropogenically confined as a result of habitat alteration (Wesener & Sierwal, 2005). For the millipede fauna of south-western Australia, endemism at higher taxonomic ranks demonstrates their poor dispersal capabilities.…”