Dalodesmus orator Hoffman, 1974

Wesener, Thomas, Akkari, Nesrine & Golovatch, Sergei I., 2025, Revision of the millipede family Dalodesmidae in Madagascar, with descriptions of two new Malagasy species of Dalodesmus Cook, 1896 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida), ZooKeys 1223, pp. 185-220 : 185-220

Dalodesmus orator Hoffman, 1974

Fig. 10

Dalodesmus orator Hoffman, 1974: 225, figs 1–9 (D); Golovatch and Hoffman 1989: 162 (L); Enghoff 2003: 623 (L); Wesener and Enghoff 2022: 926 (L).

Remark.

This species was described from a ♂ holotype, two ♂ and two ♀ paratypes, all coming from Ambohimitombo, central Madagascar ( Hoffman 1974), in the collection of the Natural History Museum in London, United Kingdom.

Brief description.

(After Hoffman 1974.) ♂ holotype ~ 26.5 mm long and up to 2.3 and 5.3 mm wide on pro- and metazona, respectively; ♀ up to 4.5 mm wide. Colouration light reddish brown with yellow paratergal apices and legs. Paraterga largely clearly upturned above dorsum and directed more laterad than caudad, at ca 45 °, tips elongate and sharpened caudally; dorsal surface between paraterga mostly vaguely areate (Fig. 10 A ).

Gonopods (Fig. 10 B – D ) showing bare femorites (fe), coupled with rather complex acropodites: an unusually short and small solenomere (sl) directed ventrad, lying between the highest, suberect, distally unequally bifid mesal branch (mb) and a much shorter and strongly folded lateral branch (lb) directed ventrad.

Figures

Figure 10. Dalodesmus orator Hoffman, 1974, ♂ holotype, modified from Hoffman 1974 A midbody tergite, dorsal view B gonopod, posterior view C acropodite, mesal view D gonopod, lateral view. Abbreviations: lb = lateral branch; mb = mesal branch; pfe = postfemorite; sl = solenomere branch. Not to scale.