Pseudotremia barri, Lewis, Julian J., 2005

Lewis, Julian J., 2005, Cumberland Plateau (Diplopoda: Chordeumatida: Cleidogonidae), Zootaxa 1080, pp. 17-31 : 18-21

Pseudotremia barri , new species

Figs. 1–4

Material examined. Tennessee: Grundy County: Trussell Cave (downstream segment), ca. 2 miles WNW Monteagle, dissected 29 mm holotype male, 3 females, 1 October 2004, J. Lewis, S. Lewis, C. Holliday; Crystal Cave, ca. 2.5 miles N Monteagle, 6 males, J.

Lewis, H. Garland, C. Holliday, 29 October 2004; Big Room Cave, ca. 6 miles N. Monteagle, 1 male, J. Lewis, S. Lewis, H. Garland, C. Holliday, 2 October 2004; Payne Saltpeter Cave, ca. 6 miles N. Monteagle, 1 male, 1 female, 1 juvenile, J. Lewis, S. Lewis, H. Garland, C. Holliday, 2 October 2004; Warren County: Hubbards Cave, ca. 2 miles SSE Irving College, 1 male, 2 females, 8 juveniles, J. Lewis, H. Garland, N. Mann, C. Holliday, 15 August 2004; Joint Cave, ca. 7 miles SSW McMinnville, 5 males, J. Lewis, C. Holliday, 29 September 2004; Little Bat Cave, ca. 2 miles SSE Irving College, 1 male, 2 females, 2 juveniles, J. Lewis, H. Garland, N. Mann, C. Holliday, 15 August 2004; Wanamaker Cave, ca. 12 miles SSE McMinnville, 1 male, 1 female, J. Lewis, C. Holliday, 30 September 2004. Franklin County: Dry Cave, ca. 4 miles W Monteagle, 2 males, 1 juvenile, J. Lewis, H. Garland, C. Holliday, 31 October 2004; Wet Cave, ca. 4 miles W Monteagle, 3 males, 1 female, J. Lewis, C. Holliday, E. Holliday, 10 April 2005.

Diagnosis. The gonopod angiocoxites are similar to P. v a l g a, from which P. b a r r i is distinguished by the absence of the stout subapical spine on the median angiocoxite. The syncolpocoxites of P. barri and P. v a l g a are of the typical mitten­shape, but P. barri has a bifurcate process, which is absent in P. v a l g a. The 9th leg has an unusually stout basal knob that firmly interlocks under the lateral syncolpocoxite as it nests within the curvature of the leg. Shear (1972) placed P. v a l g a in the Spira Group, also noting the similarities to the Indianae Group and suggesting that the group was morphologically and geographically heterogeneous.

Description of male. Longest approximately 29mm (coiled), width increasing from 1.1mm (collum) to 2.3mm (7th segment); body very light brown with vestigial purple infusion in pregonopodal segments, metaterga with indistinct subovate reticulated spot, lightly sculptured with low, scattered tubercles, dorsal midline stripe light brown, most obvious in pregonopodal segments, scarcely demarcated from the vestigially pigmented adjacent structures; sterna and legs almost white. Eyes with 13–14 clear, irregularly shaped unpigmented ocelli within subtriangular light purple ocellaria. Antennae about 4.7mm long, slender, 3rd segment about 1.4mm. Segmental paranota pronounced, largest anterior to about mid­body, becoming indistinct from lateral striae about segments 22–24. Lateral striae about 10–11.

Gonopods with syncolpocoxites mitten­shaped, separated by high U­shaped cleft, process class I, arises from the notch between the syncolpocoxites, blade­like in lateral view, in anterior view notched apically, bifurcate. Median angiocoxite simple, erect, spines or processes absent. Lateral angiocoxite separated from median by relatively shallow U­shaped cleft, sigmoidally curved, undivided, extending mesad crossing that of other side in midline. Leg 9 with massive basal knob, distal 3 segments well formed and apparently functional, single claw present.

Female. Longest approximately 29mm (coiled), non­sexual characters similar to male. Cyphopod valves elongate, mesal valve tapering to a narrow band in ventral view, about 1.1 times length of lateral valve.

Etymology. This species is named for Dr. Thomas C. Barr, Jr., whom I have the honor of knowing as my friend and mentor. Dr. Barr’s contributions to our knowledge of caves and cave biology in Tennessee are inestimable.

Vernacular name: Barr’s cave milliped.

Habitat and range. At the type­locality, the downstream Trussell Cave, the millipeds were taken on guano of the Gray bat Myotis grisescens on riparian mudbanks. In Crystal Cave the millipeds were taken in stream detritus and pitfalls placed in riparian mudbanks. Big Room, Big Mouth and Payne Saltpeter caves are parts of the same cave system, where the millipeds came to pitfalls in moist mudbanks. At the north end of the known range in Warren County, at Joint, Little Bat and Hubbards caves, the millipeds were taken in pitfalls in damp, but streamless passages. To the west in Franklin County, P. barri was taken in pitfall traps placed in moist soil habitat in the streamless Dry Cave. Most of these localities were described by Barr (1961). The caves occur in a area spanning about 25 miles (40 km) along the edge of the Cumberland Escarpment (map 1).

MAP 1. Distribution of Pseudotremia species along the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau in east­central Tennessee (counties are outlined in black, physiographic regions outlined in gray): (A) P. acheron , (B) P. b ar ri, (C) P. garlandae , (D) P. hollidayi , (E) P. m a n n i, (F) P. minos , (G) P. rhadamanthus , (H) P. roebuckorum , (I) P. wallaceae , (J) P. eburnea .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Pseudotremia barri, n. sp., Trussell Cave, Grundy Co., Tennessee: (1) anterior gonopods, anterior aspect, (2) anterior gonopods, lateral aspect, (3) leg 9, (4) cyphopod. Pseudotremia garlandae, n. sp., Redbud Cave, Fentress Co., Tennessee: (5) anterior gonopods, anterior aspect, (6) anterior gonopods, lateral aspect, (7) syncolpocoxite process, lateral, (8) leg 9.