Tanzaniella howelli Hoffman, 1977

Enghoff, Henrik, Ngute, Alain Senghor K., Mnendendo, Hamidu R., Kivambe, Exaud E., Mhagawale, Waziri, Malanda, Robin C., Mpoto, Athuman & Marshall, Andrew R., 2025, A mountain of millipedes XII. The Chelodesmidae of the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania (Diplopoda, Polydesmida), European Journal of Taxonomy 997, pp. 210-255 : 234-236

Tanzaniella howelli Hoffman, 1977

Figs 1 , 2C–D , 13–14

Tanzaniella howelli Hoffman, 1977: 79 .

Diagnosis

Redundant, genus monotypic.

Material examined (total 34 ♂♂, 42 ♀♀, 13 juv.)

TANZANIA – Morogoro Region, Kilombero District, Magombera Nature Reserve • 1 ♀, 1 juv.; 7°48′46.332″ S, 36°58′32.2314″ E; 273 m a.s.l.; 26 Dec. 2019; A. Ngute and A.R. Marshall leg.; open forest, Micro-FoRCE plot 2; COLL. NHMD. ACC.NO. 2020-EN-002; NHMD 1184714 • 1 ♀; 7°48′53.946″ S, 36°59′20.025″ E; 267 m a.s.l.; 13 Jan. 2019; A. Ngute and A.R. Marshall leg.; open forest, Micro-FoRCE plot 7; NHMD 1184715 • 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; 7°49′28.0344″ S, 36°58′55.236″ E; 271 m a.s.l.; 31 Jan. 2020; A. Ngute and A.R. Marshall leg.; open forest, Micro-FoRCE plot 13; NHMD 1184716 • 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; 7°48′53.154″ S, 36°58′2.7948″ E; 282 m a.s.l.; 5 Mar. 2020; A. Ngute and A.R. Marshall leg.; open forest, Micro-FoRCE plot 22; NHMD 1184717 • 3 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀; 7°49′3.6114″ S, 36°57′33.8754″ E; 280 m a.s.l.; 16 Mar. 2020; A. Ngute and A.R. Marshall leg.; closed forest, Micro-FoRCE plot 27; NHMD 1184698 • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, 4 juvs; 7°48′45.8634″ S, 36°58′38.4954″ E; 274 m a.s.l.; 27 Feb. 2018; A R. Marshall leg.; open forest, Half-FoRCE plot 33; NHMD 1184718 • 1 ♂, 1 juv.; 7°48′34.0554″ E, 36°59′4.4514″ E; 281 m a.s.l.; 2 Feb. 2018; A.R. Marshall leg.; open forest, Half-FoRCE plot 36; NHMD 1184719. – Morogoro Region, Kilombero District, Udzungwa Mountains National Park, Mwanihana • 1 ♀; Njokamoni; 7°50′31.8474″ S, 36°52′47.1354″ E; 401 m a.s.l.; 21 Dec. 2021; A. Ngute, R. Malanda, W. Mhagawale and A. Marshall leg.; open canopy, ForCE Plot 11; COLL. NHMD - ACC.NO. 2022-EN-003; NHMD 1184720 • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, 1 juv.; same data as for preceding; 7°50′33.1434″ S, 36°52′54.912″ E; 357 m a.s.l.; 22 Dec. 2021; open canopy, ForCE Plot 12; NHMD 1184721 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Sanje Kati camp and plot; 7°45′47.6″ S, 36°53′10.4″ E; 850 m a.s.l.; 20–23 Jan. 2014; T. Pape and N. Scharff leg.; in copula, hand-collected; NHMD 1184730 • 1 ♂; Sanje Chini camp; 7°46′24.6″ S, 36°53′47.7″ E; 598 m a.s.l.; 17–19 Jan. 2014; T. Pape and N. Scharff leg.; hand-collected; NHMD 1184731 • 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, 5 juvs; Sanje; 7°46′43.3914″ S, 36°54′4.32″ E; 504 m a.s.l.; 26 Feb. 2022; A. Ngute, E. Kivambe, R. Malanda, H. Mnendendo, W. Mhagawale, M. Mpoto and A. Marshall leg.; open canopy, ForCE Plot 24; COLL.NHMD - ACC.NO. 2022-EN-003; NHMD 1184722 • 4 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Sanje; 7°46′52.14″ S, 36°54′11.7714″ E; 421 m a.s.l.; 20 Feb. 2022; A. Ngute, E. Kivambe, R. Malanda, W. Mhagawale, H. Mnendendo and A. Marshall leg.; open canopy. ForCE Plot 92: COLL.NHMD - ACC.NO. 2022-EN-003; NHMD 1184661. – Morogoro Region, Kilombero District, Udzungwa Mountains National Park • 8 ♂♂, 11 ♀♀, 1 juv.; 7°49′13.2198″ S, 36°53′33.4608″ E; 334 m a.s.l.; 25 Feb. 2020; A. Ngute and A.R. Marshall leg.; open forest, Micro-FoRCE plot 17; COLL. NHMD. ACC.NO. 2020-EN-002; NHMD 1184723 • 1 ♂; 7°50′14.5314″ S, 36°53′7.7634″ E; 358 m a.s.l.; 13 Feb. 2020; A. Ngute and A.R. Marshall leg.; closed forest, Micro-FoRCE plot 18; COLL. NHMD. ACC.NO. 2020-EN-002; NHMD 1184724 • 5 ♂♂; 7°49′30.8424″ S, 36°53′29.1798″ E; 340 m a.s.l.; 21 Feb. 2020; A. Ngute and A.R. Marshall leg.; open forest, Micro-FoRCE plot 19; COLL. NHMD. ACC.NO. 2020-EN-002; NHMD 1184725 • 1 ♂; 7°49′46.5348″ S, 36°53′27.873″ E; 347 m a.s.l.; 27 Feb. 2020; A. Ngute and A.R. Marshall leg.; open forest, Micro-FoRCE plot 20; COLL. NHMD. ACC.NO. 2020-EN-002; NHMD 1184726 • 2 ♀♀; 7°47′24.216″ S, 36°54′7.128″ E; 334 m a.s.l.; 17 Feb. 2020; A. Ngute and A.R. Marshall leg.; open forest Micro-FoRCE plot 25; COLL. NHMD. ACC.NO. 2020-EN-002; NHMD 1184727 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; 7°47′43.1088″ S, 36°53′57.6132″ E; 331 m a.s.l.; 19 Feb. 2020; A. Ngute and A.R. Marshall leg.; open forest, Micro-FoRCE plot 28; COLL. NHMD. ACC.NO. 2020-EN-002; NHMD 1184728 • 3 ♀♀, 1 juv.; 7°47′1.1394″ S, 36°54′13.8594″ E; 381 m a.s.l.; 15 Feb. 2020; A. Ngute and A.R. Marshall leg.; closed forest, Micro-FoRCE plot 30; COLL. NHMD. ACC.NO. 2020-EN-002; NHMD 1184729.

Descriptive notes

The original description of T. howelli , including the accompanying drawings ( Hoffman 1977), are fully satisfactory for recognizing the species. Study of the abundant material from the Udzungwa Mts allows, however, some additions to the description.

SIZE. Max. body width of males 4.3–4.7 mm ( Hoffman 1977: 4.6 mm).

COLOUR ( Fig. 2C–D ). Overall colour of freshly preserved specimens ( Fig. 2C ) reddish brown, with contrasting yellowish paraterga. After four years in alcohol as described by Hoffman (1977), except that the colour of “middorsum of metaterga, most of prozona, and sides of metazona” is dark piceous brown in males, and medium brown in females, rather than “piceous black”.

COLLUM ( Fig. 13A ). Same shape as in Morogorius spp. : an isosceles curved trapezoid with the longer margin anteriorly. A few setae close to anterior margin.

BODY RINGS ( Fig. 13B–D ). Metazonites regularly granulotuberculate dorsally. Microsculpture of paranota ( Fig. 13C ) as in Morogorius spp. : formed by longitudinally stretched, narrow cytoscutes of more or less irregular shape. Limbus ( Fig. 13D ) as in Morogorius spp.

TELSON ( Fig. 13E ). Spinnerets arranged in an almost quadratic trapezoid on a smooth terminal swelling of the epiproct, simple, flanked by 1+1 globular, sometimes partly collapsed swellings.

GONOPODS ( Fig. 14 ) (interpreted in the light of Morogorius spp. ). Prefemoral part (prf) longer than in Morogorius spp. Prefemoral process (prp) (“tibiotarsus” of Hoffman 1977) a narrow band curving over convex surface of solenomere, apically with two small tines. Solenomere (slm) (solenomerite and acropodite of Hoffman 1977) a very large and broad sheet, dorsally deeply concave. Parasolenomere (ps) a thin, straight rod.

Distribution and habitat

The type locality is “Kisaware, 6.63° S, 39.05° E, near Dar es Salaam.”. This is probably a typo for Kisarawe, a district in Tanzania’s Pwani Region. Also known from the Magombera Nature Reserve and from several sites in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park. Collected in open and closed forest at 267–504 m a.s.l., and a single outlier at 850 m a.s.l.

Remarks

The relatively high abundance of T. howelli in the Udzungwa Mts contrasts with the situation at the type locality near Dar es Salaam where, according to Hoffman (1977: 81), “The species does not appear to be abundant (or conspicuous), as two specimens only have been found by Dr Howell over a period of “several years of collecting in the region of Dar es Salaam ”. See also Discussion below.

Figures

Fig. 1. Map of the Udzungwa Mts showing collecting areas for Chelodesmidae Cook, 1895. Yellow squares: Morogorius spp.D: M. divisus Enghoff sp. nov.,L: M. louishanseni Enghoff sp. nov., P: M. pugio Enghoff sp. nov. K: M. kitungulu Enghoff sp. nov., C: M. cochlear Enghoff sp. nov. Red squares: Tanzaniella howelli Hoffman, 1977. Blue squares Dionaeadesmus force Enghoff gen. et sp. nov. Purple squares: Callistocilla dolorotrix Hoffman, 2005. The position of the squares within the green circles/ ovoids does not indicate exact location. Based on Marshall et al. (2010: fig. 1).

Fig. 2. Chelodesmids from the Udzungwa Mts. A. Morogorius divisus Enghoff sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHMD 1184699). B. Morogorius louishanseni Enghoff sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (NHMD 1184563). C–D. Tanzaniella howelli Hoffman, 1977. C. Freshly preserved specimen (uncatalogued). D. Female from Mwanihana (NHMD 1184730). E. Dionaeadesmus force Enghoff gen. et sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHMD 1184572), rings 11–13 missing. F. Callistocilla dolorotrix Hoffman, 2005, male from Udzungwa Scarp Nature Reserve (NHMD 1184742). Scale bars: A–B, D–F = 2 mm; C not to scale. Photos: S.G. Selvantharan (A–B, D–F), A.R. Marshall (C).

Fig. 13. Tanzaniella howelli Hoffman, 1977, male from Udzungwa Mountains National Park (NHMD 1184661). A. Head, collum and rings 2–3, dorsal view.B. Three midbody rings, dorsal view.C. Paranotal microsculpture. D. Limbus. E. Tip of epiproct, with four spinnerets (one broken and lying loose) and globular swellings, posterior view. Scale bars: A–B = 1 mm; C = 0.05 mm; D = 0.01 mm; E = 0.03 mm.

Fig. 14. Tanzaniella howelli Hoffman, 1977, male from Udzungwa Mountains National Park (NHMD 1184661), gonopods. A. Oblique ventral view. B. Right gonopod, mesal view. C. Oblique dorsal view. Abbreviations: ca = cannula; cx = coxa; cxp = coxal process; prf = prefemoral part; prp = prefemoral process; ps = parasolenomere; slm = solenomere. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.