Parafontaria koreana

Parafontaria koreana (Paik, 1963) Figs 8– 9, 10E–H, 11C, 14–16 Japonaria koreana Paik, 1963: 34, fig. 7; “Mt. Sokkri, July 24, 1960 ” (= Mt. Songni-san, at the border of Chungcheongbuk Prov. and Gyeongsangbuk Prov., South Korea). Parafontaria koreana – Lim 2001: 134–135, figs 150–152. Diagnosis A medium-sized member of the genus Parafontaria as shown by its gonopod telopodite forming a complete circle, without prefemoral process, and with short gonopodal coxa. Telopodite divided into two subequal parts, femur and tibiotarsus (“prefemurs” and “prefemurofemurs” by Paik 1963). Acropodite with two or three small processes. Type material (not examined) Holotype SOUTH KOREA • ♂; Mt. Sokkri; 24 Jul. 1960; Ji-e Choi leg. Allotype SOUTH KOREA • 1 ♀; Mt. Sokkri; 21 Jul. 1960; Mok-hong Choi leg. The type specimen was kept in the author’s collection, but unfortunately, all types of Paik’s myriapod species are seemingly lost (Lim 2024 pers. comm.). Other material examined SOUTH KOREA • 1 ♂; Daegu metropolitan city, Dalseong Town, Gachang-myeon, Ju-ri, Mt. Choejeong-san; 35°45′07.5″ N, 128°35′59.3″ E; 800–850 m a.s.l.; 28 Sep. 2023; D. Kim leg.; GenBank nos: PV446408 (COI), PV544273 (EF1-α); LEGOA030101 DG01 23 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; GenBank nos: PV446409 (COI), PV544274 (EF1-α); LEGOA030102 DG02 23 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; LEGOA030103 DG03 23 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; LEGOA030104 DG04 23 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; LEGOA030105 DG05 23 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; LEGOA030106 DG06 23 • 1 ♂; Daegu metropolitan city, Gunwi Town, Bugye-myeon, Namsan-ri; 36°1′20.4″ N, 128°38′28.2″ E; 560 m a.s.l.; 16 Sep. 2023; G. Kim and D. Kim leg.; HNHM diplo-04563 GN02 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; LEGOA030107 GN01 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; LEGOA030109 GN04 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; LEGOA030108 GN03 • 1 ♂; Gyeongsangbuk Prov., Andong District, Dosan-myeon, Dancheon-ri, near Mt. Cheongyangsan; 36°44′55.0″ N, 128°54′53.3″ E; 600 m a.s.l.; 31 Aug. 2023; D. Kim leg.; GenBank nos: PV446410 (COI), PV544275 (EF1-α); LEGOA030110 AD03 • 1 ♂; Gyeongsangbuk Prov., Daegu metropolitan city, Chilgok Town, Gasanmyeon, San 117-30; 36°1′50.52″ N, 128°30′40.32″ E; 1 Jun. 2024; G. Kim leg.; LEGOA030111 DG01 24 • 1 ♂; Gyeongsangbuk Prov., Cheongsong Town, Cheongsong-eup, Woroe-ri 216; 36°26′26.0″ N, 129°08′34.3″ E; 16 May 2024; G. Kim leg.; LEGOA030112 CS11 • 1 ♀; Jeollanam Prov., Gurye Town, Ganjeon-myeon, Jungdae-ri, Mt. Baegun-san; 35°07′55.8″ N, 127°36′12.6″ E; 580 m a.s.l.; 2 Sep. 2023; D. Kim leg.; HNHM diplo-04564 GR03 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; LEGOA030113 GR04 • 1 ♂; Ulsan metropolitan city, Ulju Town, Dudong-myeon, Weolpyeong-ri, Mt. Mugjang-san; 35°40′47.6″ N, 129°14′27.7″ E; 570 m a.s.l.; 8 Jul. 2023; D. Kim leg.; LEGOA030115 US20 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; LEGOA030116 US21 • 1 ♂; Ulsan metropolitan city, Ulju Town, Sangbuk-myeon, Soho-ri, Mt. Goheon-san; 35°39′18.8″ N, 129°05′02.0″ E; 570 m a.s.l.; 8 Jul. 2023; D. Kim leg.; LEGOA030114 US08 • 1 ♀; Gangwon Prov., Inje Town, Girin-myeon, Jindong-ri, Mt. Gachil-bong peak; 37°59′17.5″ N, 128°24′27.7″ E; 620 m a.s.l.; 14 Aug. 2023; D. Kim leg.; LEGOA030117 IJ01. Description of the type The original description by Paik (1963) is as follows: “Male: Body length 40 mm, width of postcephalic somites 6.3 mm and somites are 4.4 mm. General colour grayish yellow brown. Distal spines of coxae and prefemurs are seen after 11th pair of legs. Male gonopod makes a circle. Prefemurofemurs of male gonopod with a sharp small projection on its distal end. Prefemurofemurs of male gonopod yellowish white, and the acropodite yellowish brown. The acropodite with a bi- or tri-partited flat internal branch and horn-like shaped external branch. The distal end of acropodite bipartite. Remarks: Differs in the structure of male gonopods from the others.” Description based on present material HEAD. Smooth, no frontal setae, only several long ones around antennal sockets and smaller ones on clypeus, thickening at margin; epicranial suture conspicuous. Antennae slightly bent; article 1 globose; articles 2–6 all subequal in length, increasingly setose; article 7 small, somewhat longer than wide, with four apical sensory cones. COLLUM. Strongly convex, four times as wide as long, wider and bending more ventrad than terga of ring 2, anterior margin straight, without ridge, posterior margin subcircular with weak, undulate depression in the middle, length about twice as large as metatergite 2. BODY. Entire body almost cylindrical, collum and all rings convex, lateral sides of metaterga directed latero-ventrad, body sides all along parallel, only last three rings narrower and slightly tapering toward telson. Proterga and metaterga completely smooth, and shiny, metaterga medially only with weak, incomplete transverse depression starting on ring 9. Posteriolateral edge of paranota rounded all along until ring 13, then slightly pointed backwards, laterally with visible ridges. Pore formula typical for Polydesmida, pores on rings 5, 7, 9–10, 12–13, and 15–19 in lateral position. Rings 17–19 gradually tapering, posterolateral projections becoming triangular and pointed. TELSON. Epiproct protruding, in dorsal view triangular, in lateral view distinctly curved ventrad, with 3+3 setae on sides, and with 1+1 setae apically, sitting on small tubercles; paraprocts (anal valves) wrinkled, with 2+2 setae on sides and median ridges; hypoproct semicircular, with 1+1 setae on large tubercles. LEGS. Bases of midbody legpairs well separated in males by 1.4–1.8 mm, in females 1.6–2.2 mm, sterna smooth and wide, pro- and metasterna well separated. Prefemur of legs without (Fig. 11C) or with only very small ventral spine, and without any other extra modifications; femur 1.5 times as long as prefemur, slightly clavate; postfemur short, half as long as femur; tibia slender, 1.2 times as long as postfemur, tarsus twice as long; all articles scarcely setose; all legs with long claws. MEASUREMENTS. Males (based on 10 specimens): total body length 32–38 mm, midbody width (including paranota) 5.3–6.6 mm, metatergal length 1.4–1.8 mm, midbody prozonite width 3.9–4.6 mm, collum width 5.2–5.9 mm, median collum length 1.9–2.8 mm. Females (based on 9 specimens): total body length 33–38 mm, midbody width (including paranota) 6.2–7.5 mm, metatergal length 1.6–1.9 mm, midbody prozonite width 4.7–5.2 mm, collum width 5.5–6.2 mm, median collum length 2.3–2.8 mm. COLOURATION (Fig. 14). Specimens preserved in ethanol: dorsal side of metazonites, including collum and anterior part of epiproct, dark grey, almost black, paramedially with large marbled patches, without any light part of paranotal spots; prozonites pink, with dark, incomplete, transverse medial strip. Head light grey; cheeks, antennae, legs, posterior part of epiproct light brownish grey; ventral side whitish sometimes with pinkish tone. MALE CHARACTERS. Coxae of legpair 2 with protruding cone-shaped processes, of legpair 3 with small pointed, of legpair 4 with rectangular processes, other legs without modifications. Gonopods (Figs 8–9): typical Parafontaria - type, with a single long telopodite, curving into a nearly complete ring. Coxa stout, cubiform, with a blunt apophyseal process (ca), and with two large macrosetae (ms) on dorsal side. Cannula starts at base of apophysis, turns to telopodite, and continues in prostatic groove, running all along on its mesal side. Prefemur (pf) short, densely setose, with a hump dorsally. Telopodite divided into two parts subequal in length, femur (f) and tibiotarsus (tt), also noticeable by their colour, femur being whitish and tibiotarsus yellowish, darker. Femur bending into quarter circle, rarely bristly on ventral side; tibiotarsus hairless, takes hard turn dorsad and bends back almost reaching coxal apophysis; at ¾ with flat, triangular or sharply pointed tibiotarsal process (ttp) pointing ventrad, sometimes with small tooth (t) at tip (Fig. 9B, D); after that continues into acropodite. Acropodite with pointed mesal process (mp), shorter than tibiotarsal process; and ends in small, pointed apical process (ap). Prostatic groove opens on very small solenomere process (sp) always below tip of acropodite (names of processes follow Tanabe 2002: 2149, fig. 10e). FEMALE CHARACTERS. Somatic characters, including colouration, similar. Coxae of legpair 2 with small triangular projection (Fig. 10H), further legs without any sternal or coxal modifications. Cyphopods (Fig. 10E–G) in situ held closely behind legpair 2, aperture oval, normally deeply embedded; valves (v) of equal size, ventral edges smooth, operculum (op) laterally closely overlaying, receptacles (r) hardly visible or missing, instead long, bellow-like tubes (b) under valves. Sometimes these tubes protracted at length, in other cases compressed, compact (Fig. 10E–G); their function probably expressed during copulation, accepting long male solenomere. Distribution The species is found scattered across the South Korean Peninsula (Fig. 15). Remarks The generic status of this species was unconfirmed because the diagnostic character of Parafontaria – the exaggerated female genitalia with bellow tubes (Tanabe & Sota 2008: 2014) – was not mentioned in the original description. Tanabe & Sota (2014: 442–444) hypothesized that Parafontaria and Levizonus can be differentiated by the structure of the female genitalia: Parafontaria possesses fully developed bellow tubes and lacks receptacles (Tanabe 2002: 2154, fig. 15), whereas Levizonus exhibits partially developed bellow tubes and retains receptacles, as observed in two Japanese species, L. montana and L. takakuwai (Tanabe 1994: 105, figs 2e–f and 5g –e; Tanabe & Sota 2014: 443, fig. 2). In the freshly collected female specimens of P. koreana, we could observe both fully and only partially extended bellow tubes, and receptacles were hardly seen (Fig. 10E–H).