Procophorella innupta, Mesibov, Robert, 2003

Mesibov, Robert, 2003, Two new and unusual genera of millipedes (Diplopoda: Polydesmida) from Tasmania, Australia, Zootaxa 368, pp. 1-32 : 3-7

Procophorella innupta n. sp.

Figs. 1–4 , map Fig. 5

Holotype: Male, Arm River , Tasmania, DP340841 (41°41’31”S, 146°12’24”E), 440m, 10.i.1998, R. Mesibov, QVM 23:25459 .

Paratypes: Male , details as for holotype, AM KS86296 ; 3 males (1 dissected), details as for holotype, QVM 23:41420 ; 4 females, Conliffe Creek , CP750666 (41°50’32”S, 145°29’39”E), 280m, 21.v.1995, R. Mesibov, QVM 23:41500 .

Other material examined: 62 males, 79 females and 21 juveniles. See Appendix for details.

Diagnosis: Differs from P. bashfordi in the greater flexure of the telopodite tip and in having a Y­shaped terminal process on the telopodite.

Description: As for the genus. Telopodite ( Fig. 4 ) rounded laterally and more or less flat mesally. Telopodite base with a shallow posterior concavity, a few long setae distally. Distal portion of telopodite with a few short setae on the posterior surface to about twothirds the telopodite length. Telopodite slightly tapering distad and beginning to curve caudad at about half the telopodite length, the tips bent over in this curve at nearly a right angle to the basal axis of the telopodite and flattened dorsoventrally (i.e., anteroposteriorly if the telopodite were uncurved). Telopodite tip with a few very small teeth near the mesal edge and several processes: laterally a very small, acuminate and somewhat sinuous solenomerite pointing distad; more mesally a Y­shaped process very strongly flexed so that each short, blade­like, bluntly pointed arm of the ‘Y’ points toward the base of the telopodite; still more mesally a narrow, acutely pointed axial process.

Distribution and habitat: An uncommon, inconspicuous species in leaf and woody litter in wet eucalypt forest and Nothofagus rainforest over ca. 20 0 0 0 km 2 in the northwestern third of Tasmania, from near sea level to at least 1150 m ( Fig. 5 ); also found in forest plantations ( Bonham et al. 2002: 240; as ‘Genus D, sp. 2’).

Etymology: Latin innupta , spinster, noun in apposition. So named because the male/ female ratio in hand collections can be very low.

Remarks: Gonopod form varies very little across the range of this species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. General views of females of Procophorella innupta n. sp. (left) and Paredrodesmus sp., probably P. taurulus n. sp. (right). Both specimens are ca. 10 mm long.

FIGURE 2. Procophorella innupta n. sp. (A) somite 2, anterior view showing ventral ‘teeth’ (t), female, QVM 23:41523; (B) somite 12, posterior view, male, QVM 23:41420; (C) antenna, male, QVM 23:41420, apical cones and setation not shown; (D) somite 12 leg, female, QVM 23:41493, setation not shown. All drawings to same scale.

FIGURE 3. (Left) Procophorella innupta n. sp., lateral SEM view of mid­body paranotal ledge and ozopore, female, QVM 23: 41469; scale bar = 0.3 mm. (Right) Paredrodesmus bicalcar n. sp., lateral SEM view of mid­body ozopore, male, QVM 23: 41197; scale bar = 0.04 mm.

FIGURE 4. SEM views of gonopods in situ, anterior to the left. (Left) Procophorella innupta n. sp., QVM 23: 41403; scale bar = 0.3 mm. (Right) Procophorella bashfordi n. sp., QVM 23: 41385; scale bar = 0.4 mm.

FIGURE 5. Distributions in Tasmania of Procophorella bashfordi n. sp. (crosses), P. innupta n. sp. (large squares) and unidentified Procophorella females and juveniles (small squares). Circled locality in northeast Tasmania is Old Chum Dam (see text).