The millipede genera Gephyrodesmus Jeekel, 1983 and Orthorhachis Jeekel, 1985 in southeastern Australia, a new Lissodesmus Chamberlin, 1920 from Victoria, and observations on male leg setae, spinnerets and metatergite sculpture (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Dalodesmidae)
Author
Mesibov, Robert
text
Zootaxa
2008
2008-06-11
1790
1
52
journal article
11755334
Orthorhachis pallida
Jeekel, 1985
Figs.1E
,
2C
,
5C
,
6D
,
24
; map
Fig. 32B
Orthorhachis pallida
Jeekel, 1985:52
,
Figs. 1–3
; 2006:73.
Shelley
et al
., 2000:118
.
Holotype
: Male. Bunya Mountains National Park, Koonawarra near Mt Kiangarow,
27 km
WSW of Tarong, Qld,
23 October 1980
, C.A.W. Jeekel & A.M. Jeekel-Rijvers, along nature track in dry type rainforest, under logs. Possibly in Zoological Museum, Amsterdam; not examined.
Paratypes
: None.
Other material
: In
QM
:
2 males
,
1 female
,
Ravensbourne National Park
,
Qld
,
Cedar Block Track
,
26 November 1973
, K.
R
.
McDonald
,
S83683
;
3 males
,
1 female
, 1 stadium
7 female
,
Bunya Mountains
,
Qld
, 1974–1975,
G. & S. Monteith
, rainforest
pitfall
19,
S83686
;
1 male
, same details,
S83687
;
6 males
,
1 female
, 1 stadium
7 male
, same details but
Mt Cabinet
via Conondale,
Qld
,
pitfall
29B,
S83684
;
1 male
, same details but
Booloumba Creek
via Conondale,
Qld
,
pitfall
12,
S83685
;
1 male
,
Archookora
via
Nanango
,
Qld
,
580 m
, 1975–76,
G. & S. Monteith
, rainforest,
pitfall
62,
S83688
;
1 male
,
Lower Neurum Creek
,
Mt Mee State Forest
,
Qld
, 1977–78,
G. Monteith
, rainforest,
pitfall
90,
S83689
;
3 males
,
4 females
,
Burtons Well
campground,
Bunya Mountains
,
Qld
,
11 January 1988
,
P.M. Johns
, woodpile,
S83690
;
1 male
,
Bare Rock
,
2 km
N of Mt Cordeaux
,
Qld
,
31 December 1993
–
20 February 1994
,
G. Monteith
,
pitfalls
,
S83691
.
Diagnosis
: Gonopod telopodite in lateral or medial view with constriction at about one-third telopodite height, and with apex abruptly bending posteriorly at branching point.
Description
: As for the genus; see
Jeekel (1985)
for a detailed description of the
O. pallida
holotype
. Male and female approximate measurements: length
18–24 mm
, midbody prozonite diameter
1.6–2.1 mm
, midbody width across paranota
2.4–3.2 mm
. Body slightly discoloured in material examined, light brown. Antennal sockets separated by 2X a socket diameter. Antennae slender, relative lengths of antennomeres 2>(3,6)>(4,5). Collum D-shaped, as wide as head and narrower than tergite 2. Metatergite sculpture indistinct, Pattern A (
Fig. 6D
). Paranota with anterior margin slightly convex, lateral margin more or less parallel to long axis of body. Legs slender, leg 6 tarsus 1.5X as long as femur (
Fig. 5C
). Brush setae with forked tips (
Fig. 1E
). Spinnerets not enclosed by low walls on epiproct (
Fig. 2C
).
Gonopod aperture ovoid, slightly wider than long, about one-third the width of the ring 7 prozonite. Gonopod (
Fig. 24
) as described by
Jeekel (1985)
, but all males examined, including those from the
type
locality, also have a small, finger-like projection arising at about two-thirds telopodite height on the lateral side, curving basally and slightly posteriorly.
Female not significantly larger than male, legs not swollen. Genital aperture with posterior margin slightly raised in middle in wide inverted
V
, bent slightly anteriorly. Cyphopods not examined.
Distribution
: So far known from ca.
8000 km
2
in
far southeastern
Queensland
, from the Bunya Mountains east to the Conondale Range, and south almost to Cunninghams Gap, ca.
25 km
north of the
New South Wales
Border (
Fig. 32B
). Possibly parapatric with
O. yabbra
near Cunninghams Gap.
Remarks
: Overall size varies considerably in
O. pallida
as circumscribed here. The smallest specimens are from the Bunya Mountains (
type
locality, and furthest inland) and the largest are from sites closer to the coast. The gonopod telopodite in larger males has a more distinct basally directed lobe on the medial process, and there is less swelling on the lateral side of the telopodite and a sharper concavity on the medial side.