The genus Hyleoglomeris Verhoeff 1910, which belongs to the family Glomeridae Leach 1815, is one of the most speciose genera of the class Diplopoda, consisting of 101 valid species distributed in the Palaearctic and Oriental regions (Sierwald & Spelda 2022). Recently Golovatch et al.
Arrupakiyoshiensis Tsukamoto & Shimano, sp. n. is described from a limestone cave, Kagekiyo-ana, in Akiyoshi-dai, one of the largest karst regions in Japan, Yamaguchi prefecture. It is distinguishable from 14 valid named congeners by some unique characteristics including entire areolation on the cephalic pleurite, elongation of distal part of female gonopod, and a tubercle on forcipular segment II. In addition, the 18S rRNA gene sequences of A.akiyoshiensis Tsukamoto & Shimano, sp. n. and A.ishiianus, one of the most morphologically similar species, differed by four bp out of 1821 bp. The fact that only troglobionts and troglophilic species are found in the collection site suggests that this new species might be a cave-dweller.
In Japan and Taiwan, five valid species of the genus Scolopendra Linnaeus, 1758 have been described: S. morsitans Linnaeus, 1758, S. subspinipes Leach, 1816, S. mutilans Koch, 1878, S. japonica Koch, 1878, and S. multidens Newport, 1844. Recently, an undetermined species was found in the Ryukyu Archipelago and Taiwan. Using molecular phylogenetic analyses with mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA and nuclear 28S rRNA and 18S rRNA genes as well as conventional morphological examination, we successfully discriminated this sixth species as an independent lineage from S. subspinipes, S. mutilans, and other named congeners from East and Southeast Asia. Therefore, the species was described as S. alcyona Tsukamoto & Shimano, sp. nov. Several situational evidences suggest that this species prefers streamside environments and exhibits amphibious behavior.
The genus Nannarrup Foddai, Bonato, Pereira & Minelli, 2003 is a monotypic genus established on the basis of the possibly introduced species N. hoffmani Foddai, Bonato, Pereira & Minelli, 2003, from New York, USA. In the present study, in a field survey conducted throughout Japan, Nannarrup-like specimens were collected from Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. These specimens clearly showed the diagnostic characteristics of the genus but were morphologically distinct from N. hoffmani. Furthermore, morphological analysis and DNA barcoding revealed that these specimens could be assigned to two distinct undescribed species. On the basis of these results, N. innuptus Tsukamoto, sp. nov. and N. oyamensis Tsukamoto, sp. nov. are described. The three Nannarrup species can be distinguished from each other on the basis of the following combination of characteristics: presence or absence of a pair of smooth or weakly areolate areas along the posterior part of the paraclypeal sutures; the width-to-length ratio of the denticle on the trochanteroprefemur; the pigmentation of the denticle on the tarsungulum. Moreover, the field survey resulted in the collection of exclusively female specimens of N. innuptus Tsukamoto, sp. nov., which shows the possibility of parthenogenesis of this species.
Morphological information on mandible, forcipular segment, ultimate leg-bearing and postpedal segments of the holotype of Arrup ishiianus Uliana, Bonato & Minelli 2007 are supplemented to the original description. The newly provided information might be useful for species delimitation when similar species will be further discovered.
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