Pseudotremia cerberus, Shear, William A., 2011

Shear, William A., 2011, Cave millipeds of the United States. X. New species and records of the genus Pseudotremia Cope. 2. Species from Virginia, USA (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Cleidogonidae), Zootaxa 3109, pp. 1-38 : 10

Pseudotremia cerberus , n. sp.

Figs. 15–18

Types: Male holotype, three female paratypes from Ware’s Cave, about 4.5 mi E of Falling Springs, off US Rt. 220, Alleghany Co., VIRGINIA, collected 27 April 1994 by J. M. Anderson. The head, gonopods, ninth legs and some segments of the holotype, and the female genitalia of one of the paratypes are mounted on SEM stub WS23– 4.

Diagnosis: Unique to this species are the paired and somewhat acute basal knobs of the ninth leg coxoprefemora (fig. 18); among other highly adapted troglobionts, Pseuodtremia cerberus may be distinguished by the combination of a small, toothlike subapical spine on the MAPs, the very much reduced LAPs, and the lack of any colpocoxite processes (fig. 16).

Etymology: Cerberus (a noun in apposition) is the Latin name of the three-headed dog that guarded the way to Hades. Suggested vernacular name: Cerberus Cave Milliped.

Description: Male holotype about 14 mm long, 1.4 mm wide, third antennal segment 0.90 mm long. Under light microscope appearing eyeless, but SEM reveals three much reduced ocelli on each side (fig. 15), unpigmented and only about 80 µm in diameter. Segmental shoulders very weak to absent, body nearly cylindrical; metazonites smooth, segmental setae unusually long, acute. Entirely without pigment.

Gonopods (figs. 16, 17) small, scarcely projecting from socket, angiocoxites contiguous in midline throughout their length, MAPs with subapical spine as small, mesally directed triangular tooth, apical spine absent; LAPs much reduced, spirally curved in single turn (fig. 16). Colpocoxites fused for most of their length, not diverging, parallel; each with two roughly equal blunt lobes (figs.); colpocoxite processes absent. Ninth legs (fig. 18) much reduced, femur shorter than coxoprefemur, three apical articles fused to femur, coxoprefemur with two diverging acute basal knobs, elongate mediodistal ridge.

Female similar to male.

Notes: This is a highly adapted troglobiont. A single female troglophile was also collected in Ware’s Cave at the same time and is consistent with females of Pseudotremia hobbsi .

Figures

FIGURES 15 – 18. Pseudotremia cerberus, n. sp. Fig. 15, ocelli. Fig. 16, gonopods, lateral view. Fig. 17, gonopods, anterior view. Fig. 18, right ninth leg, anterior view.