A review of the Australian millipede genus Atelomastix (Diplopoda: Spirostreptida: Iulomorphidae) 2371
Author
Edward, Karen L.
Author
Harvey, Mark S.
text
Zootaxa
2010
2010-02-25
2371
1
1
63
https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.2371.1.1
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.2371.1.1
11755334
5312214
6140530D-9F81-4443-AFD1-7EF84005E834
Atelomastix nigrescens
Attems
Figs. 4
,
10–22
,
67
,
116–119
.
Atelomastix nigrescens
Attems 1911: 195–196
,
Figs. 81–84
;
Attems 1914: 293
;
Chamberlin 1920: 167
;
Verhoeff 1924: 133
.
Type material:
AUSTRALIA
:
Western Australia
:
1 male
syntype
,
Jarrahdale
,
Hamburger
südwest-australischen
Forschungsreise
,
Station
129 [
32°20’S
,
116°03’E
],
19–20 September 1905
,
W. Michaelsen
and
R. Hartmeyer
(
ZMB 5163
)
;
1 female
syntype
,
Lunenberg
[now Lunenburgh River,
33°13’S
,
115°54’E
],
Hamburger
südwest-australischen
Forschungsreise
,
Station
138,
22 September 1905
,
W. Michaelsen
,
R. Hartmeyer
(
ZMH
)
.
Other material examined:
AUSTRALIA
:
Western Australia
:
4 males
,
Boddington
,
Forestry Department
,
33°13’S
,
116°05’E
,
8 May 1980
,
pitfall trap
,
D. Halford
,
M. Sawle
(
WAM
T
47924)
;
2 males
,
2 females
, SW. of
Boddington
,
Worsley Alumina
,
33°03’S
,
116°10’E
, hand collected at night,
31 May 2006
,
J. Hynes
(
WAM
T
77052–T77053, T85869)
;
6 males
,
4 females
,
Mount Cooke
,
32°15’00”S
,
116°10’48”E
,
7 August 1990
,
M.S. Harvey
,
J.M. Waldock
, M.
Peterson
(
WAM
T47900, T47901, T47906)
;
1 male
,
Mount Cooke
,
32°15’00”S
,
116°10’48”E
,
31 July 1991
,
pitfall trap
,
M.S. Harvey
,
J.M. Waldock
(
WAM
T
47914)
;
3 males
,
10 females
,
Mount Cooke
,
32°15’00”S
,
116°10’48”E
,
August 2003
, hand collected,
M.S. Harvey
et al.
(
WAM
T
69772)
;
1 male
,
Jarrahdale
mine area,
32°17’42”S
,
116°08’18”E
,
April 1998
,
pitfall trap
,
L. Ashby
(
WAM
T
47942)
;
2 males
,
Churchmans Brook
,
32°09’S
,
116°05’E
,
16 May 1996
, hand collected,
O. Mueller
(
WAM
T
47913)
;
3 males
,
9 females
, W. of
Collie
,
Labour Road
,
33°15’31"S
,
116°03’37"E
,
21 May 2007
, hand collected,
W. Bancroft
(
WAM
T
83392)
.
Diagnosis:
Atelomastix nigrescens
differs from all other species of
Atelomastix
in the shape and size of the lateral process of sclerite
c
and the shape of sclerite
b
. This species exhibits a slight medial bifurcation of sclerite
c
which is assymmetrical, the elongate lateral process is subdistally curved, tapers to a point, and is oriented medially at a similar height to the curved distal tip of sclerite
b
. The distal tip of sclerite
b
is not significantly enlarged, is of similar shape and size to that of sclerite
c
, and curves to come into contact with the distal tip of sclerite
c
.
Description:
Male (WAM T85869).
Colour: generally dark brown in colour, head and mouthparts fawn, legs chocolate brown; prozonites chocolate brown; metazonites mottled dark brown in preserved specimens.
Body: ca.
35 mm
long and ca.
1.9 mm
wide at collum. With 49 trunk segments, 87 pairs of legs, last 2 segments without legs.
Head: with 37 ocelli (
Fig. 67
), arranged in 7 rows (1: 2: 5: 5: 7: 8: 9).
Gonopods: anterior gonopods (
Figs. 116, 117
) heavily sclerotised, 2.3 times longer than broad; sclerite
a
with swollen base that forms broad, curved distal hood; upper distal face of sclerite
a
with 20 short blunt setae; pseudoflagellum elongate and visible beneath distal hood; sclerite
b
curved distally forming a narrow rounded tip, with 6 setae; basal process of sclerite
b
wider than long, 0.02 times length of main process; sclerite
c
not bifurcate, curved sub-distally, with 8 setae; group of 13 short setae sub-basally on sclerite
c
; anterior gonopods inconspicuous, small, with several small setae on interno-lateral face of each gonopod.
Dimensions (mm): male, WAM T85869: length ca. 35, width ca. 1.9; L/W=18.4; sclerite
a
1.472
/
0.641
, setae 20; sclerite
b
0.538, basal process of sclerite
b
0.035, setae 8; sclerite
c
0.976, setae 8.
Female
. Similar to male, other than sexual characters, and slightly larger.
Distribution and habitat:
Atelomastix nigrescens
was originally described from Jarrahdale and Lunenberg in southwestern
Australia
(
Attems 1911
). This species is fairly common and widespread in jarrah (
Eucalyptus marginata
) forests within the Darling Range (
Fig. 4
).