Desmoxytes cervaria ( Attems, 1953 )

Likhitrakarn, Natdanai, Golovatch, Sergei I. & Panha, Somsak, 2015, Two new species of dragon millipedes, genus Desmoxytes Chamnerlin, 1923, from Laos (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae), with redescriptions of all four species of Attems from Vietnam, Zootaxa 3931 (4), pp. 483-504 : 500-502

Desmoxytes cervaria ( Attems, 1953)

Figs 13–14

Centrodesmus cervarius Attems, 1953: 175 (D).

Pratinus cervarius — Jeekel, 1964: 61 (D, M); 1968: 61 (M).

Hylomus cervarius — Jeekel, 1980: 657 (M, R); Golovatch, 1983: 181 (M).

Desmoxytes cervaria — Golovatch & Enghoff, 1994: 48, 60 (D, M); Enghoff et al., 2004: 37 (R); Nguyen et al., 2006: 257 (D); Nguyen & Sierwald, 2013: 1241 (R).

Lectotype male (NHMW-3525), Vietnam, Laocai Province, Fanxipan Mountain, 1938–1939, leg. C. Dawydoff. Paralectotypes. 1 male, 1 female (NHMW-3525), same locality, together with lectotype.

Lectotype designation proposed herewith is necessary to ensure the species is based on a complete male.

Description. Length ca 23–24 mm (male) or 28 mm (female), width of midbody pro- and metazonae 1.3–1.7 and 3.8–4.0 mm (male) or 2.3 and 4.0 mm (female), respectively (versus length ca 25 mm (unknown sex), width 2.3 mm (unknown sex), respectively, as given in the original description (Attems, 1953)).

Coloration of alcohol material upon long-term preservation red-brown to yellow-brown ( Fig. 13 ); paraterga and epiproct pale yellow-brown (versus head, antennae and collum dark chestnut brown, metaterga sometimes lighter, paraterga brown, venter yellow-brown, as given in the original description (Attems, 1953)).

Clypeolabral region and vertex densely setose, epicranial suture distinct. Antennae very long, reaching segment 6 (both sexes) when stretched dorsally. In width, head <collum <segment 2 <3 <4 <5–17 (both sexes); thereafter body gently and gradually tapering. Collum with three transverse rows of setiferous spines: 3+3 anterior, 1+1 intermediate, and 3+3 posterior rows, posterior mesal ones strongest; paraterga antler-shaped, directed dorsolaterad, with two setigerous incisions anteriorly ( Fig. 13 A & B). Tegument dull, prozonae finely shagreened, metazonae coarsely granulate, surface below paraterga coarsely microgranulate, sterna delicately microgranulate ( Fig. 13 A–G, K & L). Metaterga with two transverse rows of setigerous spines, 2+2 small anterior and 3+3 thornshaped posterior, lateral spines of posterior rows being much longer than others, intermeditate ones shorter, mesal ones shortest except for segments 2–4 with 2+2 anterior and 2(3)+2(3) posterior spines, mesal ones being largest ( Fig. 13 A, C, F, K & L). Axial line faint. Paraterga antler-shaped, especially well so in male, upturned, directed dorsolaterad, tips bent posteriad; with a prominent anterior spine at 1/3–1/2 extent of paraterga and a small setigerous notch near tip in segments 2–4; a prominent spine located lower to 1/4 extent of paraterga in segments 5–9; with two setigerous notches at about midway and 2/3 extent of paraterga in following segments ( Fig. 13 A–F, K & L). Ozopores lateral, lying distal to base of basal spine ( Fig. 13 D). Transverse sulcus incomplete on segments 5–18, line-shaped, narrow, wide, reaching bases of paraterga; incomplete on segment 4, absent from 19th ( Fig. 13 A, C, F, K & L). Stricture between pro- and metazonae narrow, shallow, beaded at bottom down to base of paraterga ( Fig. 13 A-F, K & L). Pleurosternal carinae complete crests only in segments 2 and 3, with an anteriorly dentate edge, absent thereafter. Epiproct ( Fig. 13 E, F & G) conical, flattened dorsoventrally, apical papillae very small; pre-apical papillae small, but visible, lying close to a convex tip. Hypoproct subtrapeziform, setiferous knobs at a slightly convex caudal edge medium-sized and well-separated.

Sterna sparsely setose, without modifications; cross-impressions shallow; an elevated, subquadrate, setose lamina between male coxae 4, carrying a rounded tubercle at each corner ( Fig. 13 H & I). Legs very long and slender, midbody ones ca 1.4–1.6 (male) or 1.1–1.3 times (female) as long as body height. male prefemora 6 with a very evident, rounded, mesal, densely pilose apophysis in distal 2/3, male prefemora 7 clearly inflated medially ( Fig. 13 J). Male tarsal brushes absent.

Gonopods ( Fig. 14 ) suberect. Prefemur sparsely setose, about half as long as fermorite + postfemoral part. Femorite rather slender, enlarged distad, seminal groove running entirely on mesal face. Solenophore (= lamina medialis) well-developed, falcate and rather condensed, with two apical lobes. Solenomere rather short, flagelliform, well separated at base from solenophore.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Desmoxytes cervaria (Attems, 1953), male lectotype (A-J), female paralectotype (K, L). A, B: anterior part of body, dorsal, lateral and dorsal views, respectively. C, D: segments 10 and 11, dorsal and lateral views, respectively. E – G, L: posterior part of body, lateral, dorsal, ventral and dorsal views, respectively. H, I: sternal cones between coxae 4, subcaudal and sublateral views, respectively. J: legs 5 – 7, lateral view. K: segments 9 – 11, dorsal view.

FIGURE 14. Desmoxytes cervaria (Attems, 1953), male lectotype. A, B: left gonopod, mesal and lateral views, respectively. Depicted not to scale.