Revision of the Southeast Asian millipede genus Orthomorpha Bollman, 1893, with the proposal of a new genus (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae)

The large genus Orthomorpha is rediagnosed and is shown to currently comprise 51 identifiable species ranging from northern Myanmar and Thailand in the Northwest to Lombok Island, Indonesia in the Southeast. Of them, 20 species have been revised and/or abundantly illustrated, based on a restudy of mostly type material; further 12 species are described as new: Orthomorpha atypicasp. n., Orthomorpha communissp. n., Orthomorpha isarankuraisp. n., Orthomorpha picturatasp. n., Orthomorpha similanensissp. n., Orthomorpha suberectasp. n., Orthomorpha tuberculiferasp. n.,Orthomorpha subtuberculiferasp. n. and Orthomorpha latitergasp. n., all from Thailand, as well as Orthomorpha elevatasp. n.,Orthomorpha spiniformissp. n. and Orthomorpha subelevatasp. n., from northern Malaysia. The type-species Orthomorpha beaumontii (Le Guillou, 1841) is redescribed in due detail from male material as well, actually being a senior subjective synonym of Orthomorpha spinala (Attems, 1932), syn. n. Two additional new synonymies are proposed: Orthomorpha rotundicollis (Attems, 1937) = Orthomorpha tuberculata (Attems, 1937), syn. n., and Orthomorpha butteli Carl, 1922 = Orthomorpha consocius Chamberlin, 1945, syn. n., the valid names to the left. All species have been keyed and all new and some especially widespread species have been mapped. Further six species, including two revised from type material, are still to be considered dubious, mostly because their paraterga appear to be too narrow to represent Orthomorpha species. A new genus, Orthomorphoidesgen. n., diagnosed versus Orthomorpha through only moderately well developed paraterga, coupled with a poorly bi- or trifid gonopod tip, with at least some of its apical prongs being short spines, is erected for two species: Orthomorpha setosus (Attems, 1937), the type-species, which is also revised from type material, and Orthomorpha exaratus (Attems, 1953), both comb. n. ex Orthomorpha.     

First record of non‐flying mammalian contributors to pollination in a tropical montane forest in Asia

This study aims to identify the flower visitors of Mucuna thailandica (Fabaceae), endemic plant species in montane forests in Thailand, to determine their potential pollinators. The genus Mucuna produces papilionaceous flowers and has an explosive flower‐opening step. Explosive opening rapidly exposes stamens and pistil from keel petals and releases pollen. The flower of this species depends completely on animals to perform this step, essential for pollination success. Using a camera trap survey, we revealed that non‐flying mammals, such as squirrels (Callosciurus sp.) and masked palm civets (Paguma larvata), opened flowers explosively. Thus, these mammals contribute to the pollination of M. thailandica. This is the first report of non‐flying mammals contributing to pollination in montane forests in tropical Asia.     

The millipede genus Orthomorpha Bollman, 1893 in Laos (Diplopoda,Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae), with descriptions of new species

The genus Orthomorpha is currently represented in Laos by nine species, including three, O. paviei Brölemann, 1896, O. communis Likhitrakarn, Golovatch & Panha, 2011 and O. cambodjana (Attems, 1953), which are new to the fauna of the country, and further three new to science: O. suberectoides sp. n., O. gladiata sp. n. and O. sutchariti sp. n.     

Review of the genus Tylopus Jeekel, 1968, with descriptions of five new species from Thailand (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae)

The genus Tylopus currently contains 41 species, all keyed and mapped, including five new from northern Thailand: Tylopus bispinosussp. n., Tylopus grandissp. n., Tylopus extremussp. n., Tylopus veligersp. n. and Tylopus parajeekelisp. n. Species of Tylopus are predominantly forest-dwellers, especially in montane habitats where up to 9-10 species can coexist per faunule. We expect many more congeners to be discovered in future, in particular from poorly or relatively poorly prospected regions such as Laos (only two species recorded), Cambodia (no species yet), Vietnam (a few species), Myanmar (a few species) and southern China (one species only). Because the genus is so species-rich and as yet so poorly sampled, a phylogenetic analysis of Tylopus would be premature.     

The millipede genus Tetracentrosternus Pocock, 1895 (Polydesmida,Paradoxosomatidae, Alogolykinae,Alogolykini), with a description of the first,new species from Thailand

The millipede subfamily Alogolykinae and the tribe Alogolykini are recorded in Thailand for the first time,being represented there by Tetracentrosternus theelorsuensis sp. n. While the new species has characteristics that place it in the genus Tetracentrosternus, it also shows a number of unique features that make it necessary to rediagnose this Oriental genus, as well as to key its three currently known species and map their distributions. The tribes Alogolykini and Polydrepanini, as well as the subfamily Alogolykinae are also briefly redefined.     

Effect of Soy Soluble Polysaccharide on the Stability of Soy-Stabilised Emulsions During In Vitro Protein Digestion

This study investigated physicochemical properties of soy soluble polysaccharide (SSP) and pectinase-hydrolysed soy soluble polysaccharide (PH-SSP) from okara, the residue from soy milk production, and their influences when used as a fibre source in oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions. Although pectinase hydrolysed only the carbohydrate fraction in SSP, it resulted in the self-association of PH-SSP to the large-size aggregates. When PH-SSP was added to liquid emulsion containing 3.33% (w/v) rice bran oil and 3.75% (w/v) heated soy protein, it regulated the contents of protein in serum phase, sediment phase and at oil–water interface. The types and contents of soy proteins in the serum phase and sediment phase could be manipulated by pre-heating of soy proteins at 80 °C for 30 min and the addition of PH-SSP. The presence of PH-SSP (0–6% w/v) induced different distribution of proteins to the sediment phase and subsequent in vitro protein digestion in the emulsion. Overall, this study proposed the means to design the distributions of proteins in different phases of o/w emulsion for different degrees of oil release, emulsion stability and protein-polysaccharide coacervation during the course of in vitro peptic and tryptic digestion.     

Review of the millipede genus Kronopolites Attems, 1914 (Diplopoda,Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae), with the description of a new species from Laos

The millipede genus Kronopolites currently comprises 11 species, including a new species from northern Laos: Kronopolites lunatus sp. n. The generic diagnosis is updated, a key given to all known species, and their distributions are mapped.