Lophoturus molloyensis, Huynh, Cuong & Veenstra, Anneke A., 2018

Huynh, Cuong & Veenstra, Anneke A., 2018, Two new Lophoturus species (Diplopoda, Polyxenida, Lophoproctidae) from Queensland, Australia, ZooKeys 741, pp. 133-154 : 140-144

Lophoturus molloyensis sp. n.

Holotype.

Adult male, stadium VIII - stage 13 leg pairs, was collected from Mount Molloy, Cairns region, Queensland; 16°41'10.50"S, 145°19'49.43"E, elevation 396 m, 8 December 2016.

Paratypes.

1 male, 4 females and one 12 leg pairs (subadult), collected with holotype.

Etymology.

Lophoturus molloyensis sp. n. is named after the collection location, Mount Molloy in the Cairns region of far north Queensland, Australia.

Diagnosis.

L. molloyensis , has 3 sensilla on the 6th antennal article, and labrum has two linguiform processes. These features are typical of Lophoturus . In live, this species is white in colour with rounded body shape, covered with shorter trichomes. Body length of adults ranges from 1.4-1.8 mm, which distinguishes it from the longer Lophoturus species.

Description.

Measurements: Holotype male body length 1.4 mm; females (paratypes) (n = 4) range from 1.6-1.8 mm. Caudal bundle of male is slightly narrower in width and 0.2 mm in length than that of the female with 0.3 mm (Fig. 11 A–B).

Colouration. Head white and dark reddish brown in eye area; body yellowish-white with dull white pleural trichomes and bright white in caudal bundle (Fig. 2C).

Head. Ommatidia absent. Vertex with two posterior trichome groups, a large gap presents between them. Each group consists of 2 rows, the anterior, oblique row has similar sized trichomes. Posterior row has fewer trichome sockets with a narrow space between the anterior and posterior rows (Figs 8A, 11C). Holotype male has 10 + 10 trichome sockets in anterior rows and 4 + 4 trichome sockets in posterior rows; paratypes indicate that variation is common in this species, ranging from 9-11 (anterior rows) and 3-6 (posterior rows). Trichobothria: This species has the same structure and arrangement of trichobothria as seen all Lophoturus species: Trichobothria a and b are typically thin sensory hairs with narrow cylindrical funicles compared to trichobothrium c, with a claviform funicle. (Figs 8F, 11D).

Antennae. 8 articles, 7th and 8th antennal articles are equal in length (Fig. 9C). The 6th antennal article has 3 thick bacilliform sensilla (T): Medium sensillum posteriorly (Tp), the longest, thicker intermediate sensillum (Ti), a short sensillum anteriorly (Ta) with its socket distal to other, and a conical sensillum posteriorly (c) (Figs 9B, 11E). The 7th antennal article has 2 thick bacilliform sensilla (T), the anterior one (Ta) shorter than (Tp) located posteriorly, with one setiform sensillum (s) between them and a conical sensillum (c) in the posterior position (Figs 9A, 11E).

Clypeo-labrum. Holotype has 10 setae, all shorter than half the width of the labrum. Setae on the paratypes ranged from 10-12. Labrum surface setose, with tiny, backward facing hairs. Anterior margin of labrum has two whole lamellae, and a linguiform process present on each side of median cleft of labrum (Figs 8E, 11F).

Gnathochilaria. Medial palps only, 58 sensilla on the palp of holotype (male) and 18-22 sensilla on paratypes (females) (Fig. 8G).

Trunk. Comprised of 10 segments, 9 pleural projections, excluding the telson and caudal bundle; 13 pairs of legs. Collum with trichome sockets arranged in 2 oval shapes laterally, connected by a posterior row of trichome sockets forming a line with a large gap in the middle. Lateral protuberances have a small number of trichome sockets. In holotype, the collum has 26 trichome sockets on both sides and the lateral protuberances have 7 trichome sockets on each side (Figs 8B, 11C). Numbers varied in paratype females within a range of 26-29 trichome sockets in the collum and the number of lateral protuberances trichome sockets range 4-6. All other tergites, from tergites 2 to 10, have a pair of pleural projections located antero-laterally. The arrangement of tergal trichome sockets from tergites 2 to 9 typically have 2 latero-posterior oval groups with a few sockets extending on both ends with these groups separated by a large gap. Trichome sockets of tergite 2 in the holotype have 33 on each side (Figs 8C, 11C), tergite 10 has two groups of 18 sockets both sides without any extended sockets, (Fig. 8D). In contrast, the trichome sockets of tergite 2 in paratypes ranged 30-34 and tergite 10 range was 16-19 trichome sockets.

Legs. Leg segments are named following Manton (1956). Legs 1 and 2 are without trochanter, leg 1 also lacks tarsus 1. Chaetotaxy as follows: coxa 1: 2 pubescent oval setae, coxa 2: 3 pubescent oval setae, coxae 3-13: 0-4 pubescent oval setae; pre-femur, femur and post-femur with 1 pubescent oval seta (Fig. 10 A–B), tarsus 2 with a spine (Fig. 10C). Posterior edge of last sternite has 0-4 pubescent oval setae, similar those present on the coxa and the number of these pubescent oval setae varies: 4 on the holotype and 0-4 on the paratypes. Sex organs in male: A pair of penes on the 2nd coxa and coxal glands absent.

Telotarsus - Claw: robust with two latero-dorsal denticles (ldd) equal length, a basal denticle (bd) and a small denticle (smd) present near the middle of the claw (Fig. 10D).

Telson. Dorsal ornamental trichome sockets symmetrically arranged on each side, with 6 sockets of trichome a in the holotype; paratype females have 4-6 sockets of trichome a, a single trichome b and two large protruding base sockets of trichome c: c1 and c3 (Fig. 10E).

Caudal bundles. These caudal structures similar in both sexes and like those of L. boondallus described above.

Remark.

L. molloyensis differs from both L. queenslandicus and L. boondallus in size, body length (about 1.6 mm), form and colouration. Body trichomes are short. The 12 leg pairs stage of this species may initially be confused with L. madecassus Marquet & Condé, 1950 as they have the same body length and appearance. Both have 8 pleural projections, but L. molloyensis has 12 leg pairs in subadult stage compared to L. madecassus which has 11 leg pairs in the adult stage.