Publication
Title
A new jewel-like species of the pill-millipede genus **Sphaerobelum** Verhoeff, 1924 (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Zephroniidae) from Thailand
Author
Abstract
A new species of the giant pill millipede genus Sphaerobelum is described: Sphaero-belum turcosa sp. nov. from the northeastern part of Thailand. Species delimitation is based on morphological characters and COI sequence data. The new species can be clearly discriminated from congeners by its greenish-blue body color, the face mask-like appearance of the thoracic and anal shields jointly when rolled up, and the combination of the following four characters: (1) the coxa of the second leg laterally with a sharp and long process, (2) the tarsi of legs 4-21 with 6-7 ventral spines, (3) the anterior telopods consisting of four conspicuous telopoditomeres, and (4) the immovable, slender (not strongly humped) and distally curved finger of the posterior telopods without a membranous spot. The interspecific COI sequence divergence between the new species and other Sphaerobelum species ranges from 17% to 23% (mean 20%). The intergeneric COI sequence divergence between the new species and Zephronia species ranges from 18% to 21% (mean 20%). The relationships among Sphaerobelum and Zephronia species based on the COI sequence data were not resolved in this study. Sphaerobelum turcosa sp. nov. is restricted to limestone habitat in Loei province and is probably endemic for the Thai fauna.
Language
English
Source (journal)
ZooKeys
Publication
2023
ISSN
1313-2989
1313-2970
DOI
10.3897/ZOOKEYS.1181.109076
Volume/pages
1181 (2023) , p. 41-57
ISI
001096563100004
Pubmed ID
37810460
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 04.12.2023
Last edited 01.07.2024
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