A new species of the genus Arrup from a limestone cave in Akiyoshi-dai, Western Japan (Chilopoda, Geophilomorpha, Mecistocephalidae)

Sho Tsukamoto; Satoshi Shimano; Takashi Murakami; Shimpei F Hiruta; Takeshi Yamasaki; Katsuyuki Eguchi

doi:10.3897/zookeys.830.33060

A new species of the genus Arrup from a limestone cave in Akiyoshi-dai, Western Japan (Chilopoda, Geophilomorpha, Mecistocephalidae)

Zookeys. 2019 Mar 14:830:33-51. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.830.33060. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Sho Tsukamoto¹, Satoshi Shimano², Takashi Murakami³, Shimpei F Hiruta⁴, Takeshi Yamasaki¹, Katsuyuki Eguchi¹

Affiliations

¹ Systematic Zoology Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minami-osawa 1-1 Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan Tokyo Metropolitan University Tokyo Japan.
² Science Research Center, Hosei University, Fujimi 2-17-1 Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-8160, Japan Hosei University Tokyo Japan.
³ Cultural Property Protection Division, Board of Education, Mine City Office, Akiyoshi 5353-1 Shuho-cho, Yamaguchi, 754-0511, Japan Board of Education, Mine City Office Yamaguchi Japan.
⁴ Center for Molecular Biodiversity Research, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Amakubo 4-1-1 Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, 305-0005, Japan National Museum of Nature and Science Tokyo Japan.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Arrupinae; Chilopoda; 18S rRNA gene; Kagekiyo-ana; limestone; taxonomy.