title: Koponenius gen. nov., a new genus of the millipede family Haplodesmidae from the Himalayas of India and Nepal (Diplopoda: Polydesmida).
abstract: The first, apparently westernmost indigenous representatives of Haplodesmidae are reported, from the Himalayas of Nepal and India. Both new species belong to a new genus, Koponenius gen. nov., with K. unicornis sp. nov., the type species from Darjeeling District, NE India, and K. biramus sp. nov., from Nepal. The new genus is superficially very similar to Prosopodesmus Silvestri, 1910, most species of which seem to be native to tropical Australia, partly also to southern Japan. However, Koponenius gen. nov. is easily distinguished in showing only 19 body segments, a special ozopore formula (5, 7-18), 4 transverse rows of setigerous isostictic tubercles per postcollum metatergum, and a clearly helicoid, twisted prefemoral portion of the gonopod so that the seminal groove runs mostly laterally, not mesally.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Problems of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky prospekt 33, Moscow 119071, Russia.; Email: sgolovatch@yandex.ru.
authors.forename: Sergei I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Golovatch
authors.affiliation: Department of African Zoology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, B-3080 Tervuren, Belgium.; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vandenspiegel
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000825:Animal Structures / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000254:growth & development; D049628:Body Size; D005260:Female; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D009390:Nepal; D009929:Organ Size