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Four new Chordeumatida (Diplopoda) from caves in China

Sergei I. GOLOVATCH, Jean-Jacques GEOFFROY & Jean-Paul MAURIÈS

en Zoosystema 28 (1) - Pages 75-92

Published on 31 March 2006

Four new chordeumatid millipedes are described from southern Chinese caves. Two of these, Nepalella grandis n. sp. (troglobite) and N. marmorata n. sp. (troglophile), belong to the Oriental genus Nepalella Shear, 1979 (Megalotylidae). They differ from congeners and each other in leg and gonopod structure, as well as the very large body size (N. grandis n. sp.) and male leg papillation (N. marmorata n. sp.). A key is given to all 22 currently known species of this genus. A further two are troglobites, placed in the new genus Lipseuma n. gen. (Kashmireumatidae): Lipseuma josianae n. gen., n. sp. (type species) and Lipseuma bernardi n. gen., n. sp. Both differ in body size, as well as certain details of leg and gonopod structure. Although the new genus shows particularly simple anterior and posterior gonopods, it is considered more advanced than the remaining two kashmireumatid genera, Kashmireuma Mauriès, 1982 and Vieteuma Golovatch, 1984.


Keywords:

Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, subterranean biology, cave, China, new genus, new species.

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