Desmoxytes pilosa ( Attems, 1937 )

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 : 495-497

Desmoxytes pilosa ( Attems, 1937)

Figs 9–10 .

Centrodesmus pilosus Attems, 1937: 124 (D).

Centrodesmus pilosus — Attems, 1938: 238 (D).

Pratinus pilosus — Jeekel, 1964: 62 (D, M); 1968: 61 (M).

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

Desmoxytes pilosa — Golovatch & Enghoff, 1994: 48, 59 (D, M); Enghoff et al., 2004: 38 (R); Nguyen et al., 2006: 257 (D); Nguyen & Sierwald, 2013: 1242 (R).

Holotype male (NHMW-7989), Vietnam, Ninhthuan Province, Phan Rang City, 1000 m a.s.l., 31.07.1930, leg. C. Dawydoff.

Redescription. Length 19 mm (male), width of midbody pro- and metazonae 2.2 and 4.7 mm (male), respectively (versus width of midbody pro- and metazonae 1.65 and 4.3 mm (male), respectively, as given in the original description ( Attems, 1937, 1938)).

Coloration of alcohol material upon long-term preservation red-brown, venter and legs pale yellowish ( Fig. 9 ) (versus dark chestnut brown, as given in the original descriptions ( Attems, 1937, 1938)).

Clypeolabral region and vertex densely setose, epicranial suture distinct. Antennae very long, reaching segment 7 when stretched dorsally. In width, head <collum <segment 2 <3 <4 <5 <6–15; thereafter body gently and gradually tapering. Collum with three transverse rows of prominent setigerous spines: 3+3 anterior, 1+1 intermediate, and 3+3 posterior; paraterga antler-shaped, directed dorsolaterad, with three strong spines anteriorly, median one being largest ( Fig. 9 A & B). Tegument invariably dull, prozonae coarsely shagreened, metazonae coarsely granulate, surface below paraterga coarsely microgranulate, sterna delicately microgranulate ( Fig. 9 A–G). Metaterga with two transverse rows of spines, 3+3 small anterior and 3+3 thorn-shaped posterior spines, lateral spines of posterior rows being much longer than others, metaterga 2–5 each with 2+2 anterior and 3+3 posterior spines; following segments with 2+2 anterior and 4+4 posterior spines, except for metaterga 6 and 11 with 2+2 anterior and 3+4 posterior spines ( Fig. 9 A, B, C, E & F). Tergal setae mostly abraded. Axial line invisible. Paraterga antler-shaped, upturned, directed dorsolaterad, tip bent posteriad; segments 2–9 each with a prominent anterior spine at about 3/4–2/3 extent of paraterga and another evident spine near tip; following segments with a prominent anterior spine near base and two evident spines at 2/3 extent of paraterga ( Fig. 9 A–G). Ozopores (Op) lateral, located distal to notch, but lower than base of large spine ( Fig. 9 D). Transverse sulcus traceable on segments 2–18, very shallow, line-shaped, rather wide, not reaching bases of paraterga. Stricture between pro- and metazonae narrow, shallow, ribbed at bottom down to base of paraterga. Pleurosternal carinae complete crests only in segment 2, roughly granulate crests with a caudal tooth in segments 3 and 4, remaining only a front tooth in segments 5–8, absent thereafter. Epiproct unusual ( Fig. 9 E–G), flattened dorsoventrally, with 4+4 setigerous spines near a subtruncate tip. Hypoproct subtriangular, evident setiferous knobs at a slightly convex caudal edge rather large and well-separated.

Sterna sparsely setose, without modifications; cross-impressions shallow; two evident, rounded, fully separated, but nearly contiguous, setose cones between male coxae 4, carrying a rounded tubercle at each corner ( Fig. 9 H & I). Legs very long and slender, midbody ones ca 1.9–2.0 (male) as long as body height. Prefemora without modifications. Male tarsal brushes absent.

Gonopods ( Fig. 10 ) suberect. Coxite rather large. Prefemur densely setose, as long as femorite. Femorite stout, slightly curved, strongly enlarged distad, seminal groove running entirely on mesal face. Solenophore (= lamina medialis) well-developed, with two evident processes; Solenomere rather short, flagelliform, well separated at base from solenophore.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Desmoxytes pilosa (Attems, 1937), male holotype. A, B: anterior part of body, dorsal and lateral views, respectively. C: segments 10 and 11, dorsal view. D: segments 9 – 11, lateral view. E – G: posterior part of body, lateral, dorsal and ventral views, respectively. H, I: sternal cones between coxae 4, subcaudal and sublateral views, respectively.

FIGURE 10. Desmoxytes pilosa (Attems, 1937), male holotype. A, B: left gonopod, mesal and lateral views, respectively. Depicted not to scale.