Trichopolydesmidae from Cameroon, 1: The genus Hemisphaeroparia Schubart, 1955. With a genus-level reclassification of Afrotropical genera of the family (Diplopoda, Polydesmida)

Abstract

In addition to one of the two species of Trichopolydesmidae hitherto recorded from Cameroon, Polydesmusintegratus Porat, 1894, which is revised based on type material and shown to represent the genus Hemisphaeroparia Schubart, 1955, comb. n., 12 new species from the same genus are described from that country: H.zamakoesp. n., H.bangoulapsp. n., H.spinigersp. n., H.ongotsp. n., H.digitifersp. n., H.parvasp. n., H.fuscasp. n., H.bonakandasp. n., H.bamboutossp. n., H.subfalcatasp. n., H.falcatasp. n. and H.mouankosp. n. A key to all 13 species (of Hemisphaeroparia) known to occur in Cameroon is presented, and their distributions are mapped. All ten recognizable (but excluding two dubious) Afrotropical genera or subgenera of Trichopolydesmidae are rediagnosed and reclassified, based both on their type species and a presumed scenario of gonopodal evolution. As a result, the number of accepted genera is reduced to five: Sphaeroparia Attems, 1909 (= Megaloparia Brolemann, 1920), Physetoparia Brolemann, 1920 (= Elgonicola Attems, 1939, syn. n., = Mabocus Chamberlin, 1951, syn. n., = Heterosphaeroparia Schubart, 1955, syn. n.}, Eburodesmus Schubart, 1955, Mecistoparia Brolemann, 1926 (= Dendrobrachypus Verhoeff, 1941, syn. n.), and Hemisphaeroparia.

Trichopolydesmidae from Cameroon, 2: A species-level reclassification of Afrotropical trichopolydesmids (Diplopoda, Polydesmida), with two new species and two new records from Cameroon, and two new species from the Nimba Mountains, Guinea

“…Hemisphaeroparia boletiphora (Mauriès, 1968), Gabon (Mauriès 1968). Originally described as Mecistoparia (Mabocus) boletiphora Mauriès, 1968, it definitely belongs to Hemisphaeroparia as it shows not only ♂ epicranial modifications and conspicuously enlarged spiracles next to coxa 1 or 2, but also clearly enlarged and globose gonocoxae, the telopodites being strongly sunken inside a deep gonocoel and leaving at least two exposed branches (Golovatch et al 2018). This formally results in the following new transfer: Hemisphaeroparia boletiphora (Mauriès, 1968), comb.…”

“…Hemisphaeroparia parvula (Porat, 1894), Cameroon (Porat 1894; Golovatch et al 2018). This species was originally described as Polydesmus parvulus Porat, 1894, but Golovatch et al (2018) tentatively transferred it to Hemisphaeroparia . Based on a revision of both ♀ syntypes, this combination is confirmed here (see below).…”

“…24. Hemisphaeroparia spiniger Golovatch, Nzoko Fiemapong, Tamesse, Mauriès & VandenSpiegel, 2018, Cameroon (Golovatch et al 2018, see also below).…”

“…Mecistoparia pusilla (Verhoeff, 1941), the type species of Dendrobrachypus Verhoeff, 1941 by monotypy, Fernando Po (Verhoeff 1941). Since the synonymization of both genera by Golovatch et al (2018), the new transfer can be formalized as follows: Mecistoparia pusilla (Verhoeff, 1941), comb. nov. ex Dendrobrachypus .…”

“…All Afrotropical genera of the millipede family Trichopolydesmidae have recently been reviewed based on their type species and a presumed scenario of gonopodal evolution (Golovatch et al 2018). As a result, in addition to two still enigmatic genera, Bactrodesmus Cook, 1896 and Trichozonus Carl, 1905, only five genera have been regarded as currently recognizable: Sphaeroparia Attems, 1909, Physetoparia Brolemann, 1920, Eburodesmus Schubart, 1955, Mecistoparia Brolemann, 1926 and Hemisphaeroparia Schubart, 1955.…”