Redescription of the giant Southeast Asian millipede Spirobolus macrurus Pocock, 1893 and its assignment to the new genus Macrurobolus gen. nov. (Diplopoda, Spirobolida, Pachybolidae)

Abstract

A new genus of the millipede family Pachybolidae from Southeast Asia is described: Macrurobolus gen. nov., with Spirobolus macrurus Pocock, 1893 as type species. This latter species is DNA barcoded (COI) and redescribed based on male morphological characters, which hitherto were unknown. The new genus differs from other pachybolid genera by having (1) the preanal ring process long and protruding beyond the anal valves and (2) the anterior gonopod telopodite distally abruptly narrowed, forming an ex-tremely long, slender, elevated process curved caudad. Given that Macrurobolus gen. nov. is a monotypic genus, it is aphyletic and thus requires further taxonomic revision.