Laeviglyphiulus patrickmuelleri, Wesener & RÜhr, 2025

Laeviglyphiulus patrickmuelleri sp. nov.

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BFB20F5C-3A16-4F4F-93DBB282A113CB56

Material examined: Holotype: 1 male ( ZFMK MYR6696 ). From the collection of Patrick Müller, Myanmar, Kachin State, Hukawng Valley , Noije Bum amber mine, N 26° 15 ′, E 96° 34 ′. Transferred to the ZFMK in 2017. GoogleMaps

Amber description: Amber flat, semi-circle, 19.6 mm × 18.8 mm × 3.5 mm, polished, yellow, clear transparent.

Syninclusions: Remains of a broken up immature Blattodea, soil particles, faecal pellets, 1 very small Staphylinidae Coleoptera , 1 small Curculionidae Coleoptera

( Fig. 1A, B View Fig ).

Derivation of name: patrickmuelleri, noun in apposition, after the amber collector Patrick Müller, who not only opened his large collection for scientific study, but also agreed to donate the unique specimen described here to a public Museum.

Diagnosis: See genus diagnosis as the genus is currently monotypic. Small-bodied ( 10 mm long), thin ( 0.7 mm wide) juliform millipede with 41 body rings and one apodous ring. Tergites not ornamented, but ventral part of pleurotergite with seven or eight prominent longitudinal striae. Gula of gnathochilarium undivided. Eyes well-developed with 24 ommatidia in well-defined rows. Cardo of mandible much shorter than prominent stipes, similar to Choctella Chamberlin, 1918 ( Cambalidea , Choctellidae ). First leg pair in males strongly reduced, with short, uncate process, telopodite consisting of four reduced podomeres. Legs 1 and 2 lacking an apical spine.

Description:

Ca. 10 mm long, 0.6–0.7 mm wide. 41 + 1 body rings.

Head: Eyes 24 ommatidia in 5 well-defined rows

( Figs. 1C View Fig , 2A, C, G View Fig ). Apical half of antennae damaged or missing. Gnathochilarium mentum divided into eumentum and promentum ( Fig. 2E View Fig ). Mandible with very prominent stipes, cardo much smaller and almost hidden from lateral view ( Fig. 2A–G View Fig ).

Body rings: Collum small, surface smooth, no striae. lateral edges well-rounded, ending well below body ring 2 ( Figs. 1C View Fig , 2A–D View Fig ). Pro- and metazona of body rings ventrally with 7 or 8 strong longitudinal ridges ( Fig. 2A–D View Fig ). Ozopores starting at body ring 5. Surface of body-rings smooth except for longitudinal striae on pleurotergite

( Fig. 2A–D View Fig ).

Legs: Leg 1 greatly reduced to a fused coxite with a telopodite consisting of four cylindrical podomeres ( Fig. 2H, I View Fig ). Coxae each with a wide, apically tapering triangular process, process as long as podomere 1. Leg 2 flattened and shorter than following ones, tarsus with a claw, no tarsal spine. Legs 3 and onwards elongated, much longer than width of body rings. A single ventral apical spine present on each podomere, and two pair of long ventral spines on tarsus visible in some legs.

Telson: Preanal ring well-rounded, not projecting. Anal valves narrow, not located posteriorly but ventrally of the preanal scale. Anal lips not visible, valves glabrous but with micropunctation ( Fig. 1D View Fig ). Subanal scale inconspicuous.

Gonopods: Anterior gonopod with well-visible sternite

( Fig. 3B, C, E View Fig ). Coxite massive, shield-like. Coxite process short, well rounded ( Fig. 3A–F View Fig ). Telopodite digitiform, located laterally of coxite and not projecting beyond

( Fig. 3A–F View Fig ). Posterior gonopod less well-preserved, separated into a basal coxite and apical telopodite ( Fig. 3D– F View Fig ). Telopodite with a visible start of a free flagellum clearly visible ( Fig 3D–F View Fig ). Coxite apically with 2 bumps

( Fig. 3D View Fig ). Telopodite apico-laterally with a swollen retrorse tip ( Fig. 3D, F View Fig ), and more laterally with a short ledge below flagellum ( Fig. 3D View Fig ).