The millipede genus Lissodesmus Chamberlin, 1920 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Dalodesmidae) from Tasmania and Victoria, with descriptions of a new genus and 24 new species
Author
Mesibov, Robert
text
Memoirs of Museum Victoria
2005
2005-12-31
62
2
103
146
https://museumsvictoria.com.au/collections-research/journals/memoirs-of-museum-victoria/volume-62-issue-2-2005/pages-103-146/
journal article
53801
10.24199/j.mmv.2005.62.4
7c43d20c-c0a8-47ad-896a-fc9a1619e294
1447-2554
8064747
F70083BA-29DD-4E6E-AEF3-19C31465A5A7
Lissodesmus orarius
sp. nov.
Figures 8B
,
56
,
57
,
69
ora, 70ora, 71ora, 76 (map)
Material examined.
Holotype
.
Male
,
Australia
,
Tasmania
.
Foam Creek
,
CP
255877 (
41°38'35''S
144°54'16''E
), <
10 m
,
1.vi.1993
,
R. Mesibov
,
QVM 23
:45822 (ex
QVM 23
:17693).
Paratypes
.
10 males
,
Pedder River
, CQ150149 (
41°23’45”S
144°47'13''E
), <
10 m
,
23.i.1991
,
R. Mesibov
,
QVM 23
:17683, 2 dissected;
2 males
, details as for
holotype
,
AM
KS91181
(ex
QVM 23
:17693)
;
9 males
, details as for
holotype
,
QVM 23
:1769, 2 dissected 3;
18 females
, 2 stadium VI juvenile females, details as for
holotype
,
QVM 23
:17704.
Other material.
28 males
,
53 females
and
20 juveniles
from Chimney Creek, Foam Creek, Hunters Creek, Interview River, Lanes Tor, Monster Creek, Pedder River, Pieman Head, Rocky Creek, Rupert Point, Sandy Cape and Sea Devil Rivulet (see “
Lissodesmus
supplement” for details).
Description
. Male c.
17 mm
long,
H
= 1.5 mm. In alcohol, well-coloured specimens under low magnification with almost uniform light brown body colour, somewhat darker posteriorly on prozonites and lighter on paranotal edges. Antenna short, fairly stout (
Fig. 69
ora).
Paranota
reduced,
R
= 1.4 (
Fig. 70
ora), posterior corners not turned up. Legs moderately robust, tarsus much longer than femur, tibia with slight ventral distal swelling (
Fig. 71
ora), sphaerotrichomes lacking on leg 6 prefemur (
Fig. 8B
). Telopodite (
Figs 56
,
57
) reaching just past leg 6 when retracted. Solenomere arising at about one-third the telopodite height, directed posterodistally at c. 45° to telopodite axis, sharply curving distally and laterally at midpoint, terminating with small subapical projection at about one-third the prefemoral process height. Tibiotarsus about as large as solenomere and paralleling its course, the tip turned distally and bluntly pointed, terminating just proximal to solenomere tip. Femoral process arising distal to solenomere origin, blade-like and slightly expanded in middle, directed distally and pressed close to prefemoral process, bluntly pointed and terminating at about two-thirds the prefemoral process height (distal to solenomere tip).
Prefemoral process as wide as telopodite base, slightly curved laterally, the tip wide, greatly flattened and concave posteriorly, few small teeth on posterior edge of lateral rim, the mesal rim bearing (a) at the process tip a long, more or less cylindrical branch curving posterolaterally, (b) a smaller, finger-like branch directed posterodistally more proximally, and (c) a sharp triangular point at about the level of the femoral process tip.
Uncus small, arising near mesal edge of prefemoral process at level of solenomere tip.
Distribution and habitat.
Known from a c.
30 km
strip along the west coast of
Tasmania
(
Fig. 76
), from the Pedder River (just north of Sandy Cape) to the mouth of the Pieman River. Along this strip,
L. orarius
has been found just above sea level in dune scrubs, tea-tree forest and tea-tree scrub. Remarkably, the
L. orarius
distribution extends down to the high tide line, and at the
type
locality this species was found together with intertidal crabs under driftwood surrounded by sedge and grass. At most of its known localities
L. orarius
is abundant.
Etymology
. Latin
orarius
(“of the coast”), adjective.
Remarks
. The number and size of teeth on the lateral branch of the prefemoral process vary a little across the
L. orarius
range.