Trigenotyla vaga Causey

Shear, William A., 2003, The milliped family Trichopetalidae, Part 1: Introduction and Genera Trigenotyla Causey, Nannopetalum n. gen., and Causeyella n. gen. (Diplopoda: Chordeumatida, Cleidogonoidea), Zootaxa 321, pp. 1-36 : 25-26

Trigenotyla vaga Causey

Figs. 20, 21

Trigenotyla vaga Causey 1959:76 , figs. 1, 2.

Types: Male holotype from “a river ravine,” Latimer Co., Oklahoma, collected 9 December 1933 by J. R. Carpenter (AMNH). The body of the male holotype is in the American Museum collection, but the gonopods are not. According to a label in the type vial, the gonopods were mounted on a microscope slide; the slide cannot be found (L. Sorkin, pers. comm. 2002). A box of slides of trichopetalid gonopods is in the FSCA but one of T. vaga is not among them. Absent the crucial information from the gonopods, we must rely on Causey’s original description and drawings to establish the identity of T. vaga . Fortunately the drawings are good ones and show a number of salient features; they were probably made from the slide using a camera lucida or similar device.

Etymology: The species name is a Latin adjective, “wandering,” and doubtless refers to the distance separating it from T. parca .

Diagnosis: very similar to T. seminole but differing in the broader gonopod ectal coxites, larger size and definite pigmentation. Besides these features, Causey’s drawings show the fimbriate branch as lamelliform, as seen in two new species of Causeyella described below. The branch is more typically fimbriate in the material I have seen from Murray and Johnston Cos. The specimens from Wild Woman Cave described below are much paler than surface­collected ones, but otherwise do not seem to show any adaptations for cave life. Specimens from in or near Latimer Co. are required to safely pin down the identity of the Murray and Johnston Cos. specimens.

Male from Wild Woman Cave: Length, 6.5 mm, width, 0.9 mm. Segmental shoulders pronounced, segmental setae nearly equal to body width. Color pale yellow to gray. Ocelli 15–17 in triangular eyepatch.

Gonopods ( Fig. 20 ) much as in T. seminole , differing in greater breadth of ectal coxite, tighter clustering of lateral setal groups. Ninth legpair ( Fig. 21 ) as in T. parca , lacking vestigial terminal joints. Tenth and eleventh legpairs with coxal glands.

Female from Wild Woman Cave: Length, 6.3 mm, width 0.9 mm. Nonsexual characters as in male.

Distribution: Material examined (all FSCA): OKLAHOMA: Murray Co.: Wild Woman Cave, R. Harrell, 7, 28 February 1959, 2 March 1962, R. Harrell, 3 males, 3 females; Bitter Enders Cave, 29 December 1973, J. H. Black, male, female. Johnston Co: Horse Thief Cave # 2, 4 mi. SE of Pontotoc, 12 May 1970, J. H. Black, female. LeFlore Co: Choctaw Nation Historic Site, 27 September 2002, C. T. McAllister, female, probably this species. Literature Records: Black (1971) reported the Wild Woman Cave and Horse Thief Cave #2 records, but confounded under “ Trigenotyla sp.” probable records of blacki , seminole and vaga .

The type locality is inexactly located, so on Fig. 33 the Latimer County record is simply indicated as the approximate center of the county. The LeFlore County record is of interest because the site is literally only a few meters from the border of Oklahoma with Arkansas, and makes it almost certain that T. vaga will be found in the latter state. Likewise, because of the continuity of habitat, I would expect this species to eventually be recorded from Texas. All T. vaga records to date are from south of the Canadian River; this stream appears to be an effective barrier separating vaga from the other species.

Figures

FIGURE 33: Inset map shows the eastern and midwestern United States; filled circles are records of species of Nannopetalum, box shows area of larger map (parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri). On larger map, dashed lines are state borders, dotted lines county borders; open squares, Causeyella dendropus; filled squares, C. causeyae; half­filled squares, C. youngsteadtorum; filled circles, Trigenotyla parca; open circles, T. vaga; circles with lower half filled, T. blacki; circles with upper half filled, T. seminole.

FIGURES 20, 21. Trigenotyla vaga Causey. 20, gonopods, anterior view. 21, male ninth legs, posterior view. Scale lines = 0.1 mm (100 µm).