Review of the genus Ommatoiulus in Andalusia, Spain (Diplopoda: Julida) with description of ten new species and notes on a remarkable gonopod structure, the fovea

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A comprehensive revision of the species of the genus Ommatoiulus in Andalusia, southern Spain, is carried out for the first time, revealing the presence of a total of 19 species, among which are one new record for the country, one for continental Spain, two new records for Andalusia and 10 species new to science: Ommatoiulus baenai, O. baileyi, O. hoffmani, O. jaenensis, O. kimei, O. pseudoflagellatus, O. recueroi, O. reipi, O. sabinarensis, O. schubarti n.spp. The
following taxa are synonymised: Schizophyllum hoplites Verhoeff, 1910, S. diplurum appendiculatum Brolemann, 1925, and Ommatoiulus diplurus mauriesi Hoffman, 1975, are regarded as junior synonyms of Ommatoiulus diplurus
(Attems, 1903), n.syn. Schizophyllum dorsovittatum estrellanum Verhoeff, 1910, and S. calatravanum Brolemann, 1920, are junior synonyms of Ommatoiulus dorsovittatus (Verhoeff, 1893), n.syn. Schizophyllum nivale Schubart,
1959, is a junior synonym of Omnmatoiulus ilicis (Brölemann, 1896), n.syn. Full descriptions and diagnostic notes are provided for all the species with accounts on their distributions, habitats, and notes discussing their taxonomy. A dichotomous identification key, based on gonopod structures, is presented to facilitate species identification. In the discussion section, the general patterns of species distribution are underlined, showing a clear tendency to ‘endemism’ for
the majority of species and to polymorphism for species with broader distribution ranges, especially O. diplurus. A disjunct distribution Andalusia/Pyrenees is registered for O. ilicis. A comprehensive comparison of gonopods is attempted, and three main types of gonopod configuration are delimited, denoting a wide range of structural complexity. The fovea, a cavity in the posterior gonopods, is explored for the first time with scanning electron microscopy, revealing an agglutination of spermatozoa and confirming Verhoeff’s original observation dating back nearly 120 years. The constancy of the fovea in all Schizophyllini, combined with its absence in the rest of the julids, provides an additional apomorphy for the tribe.
Original languageEnglish
JournalZootaxa
Issue number3538
Pages (from-to)1-53
Number of pages53
ISSN1175-5326
Publication statusPublished - 2012

ID: 41812568