Tasmaniosoma alces, Mesibov, 2010

Mesibov, Robert, 2010, The millipede genus Tasmaniosoma Verhoeff, 1936 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Dalodesmidae) from Tasmania, Australia, with descriptions of 18 new species, ZooKeys 41 (4), pp. 31-80 : 40-42

Tasmaniosoma alces sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:10C7B840-CBC0-45C1-89FF-67A67B1A7296

Figs 6F, 6G , 7B ; map Fig. 24

Holotype. Male , Australia, Tasmania, NW of Triabunna, 42°27'50"S 147°54'56"E ± 25 m, 100 m, 25 August 2009, R. Mesibov, QVM 23 :51552.

Paratypes. 3 males, Salmons Creek, Tas, 42°28'57"S 147°50'54"E ( EN 696961) ± 100 m, 150 m, 17 April 1991, R. Mesibov, QVM 23:46762.

Other material. None known.

Diagnosis. Metatergites without tubercles; ring 6 sternite with discrete setal brushes on anterior margin; gonopod telopodite with stout, rod-like setae in longitudinal tract on posteromedial surface and large, fishtail-shaped process arising at about 3/4 telopodite height and directed laterally.

Description. Male ca 16 mm long; ring 12 paranota width ca 1.5 mm. Live colour as for T. armatum ; in alcohol, decoloured with traces of reddish pigmentation distally on legs, antennae and paranota.

Most non-gonopodal details as for T. armatum , but relative widths tergite 6>5>head>(3,2)>collum; ring 12 paranota 1.3 × as wide as prozonite; leg 6 with prefemur unusually swollen, i.e. more so than leg 5 or 7 ( Figs 6F, 6G ); relative podomere lengths tarsus>prefemur>femur>(postfemur, tibia); leg 6 tarsus 1.7 × as long as femur. Ring 6 sternite with legs 6 a little closer together than legs 7; leg 6 tab short, without setae; leg 7 tab long, thin, with rounded knob anterodistally bearing numerous fine setae pointed in all directions; anterior margin of sternite medially with brush of fine setae on low protuberance, i.e. as in T. armatum but without evident separation into paired conjoined brushes.

Gonopod telopodite similar to that of T. armatum , but process 2 topologically replaced by flat, broadly round-tipped tab curving anteromedially and closely applied to anterior surface of laminate process; the latter broadly round-edged, without hook-like posterior extension. Solenomere flattened mediolaterally and bifid; distal branch bearing the end of the prostatic groove, acute, curving medially; basal branch acute. Process 4 bent posteriorly at ca 45° angle. In addition, large, fishtail-shaped process arising posterolaterally at ca 3/4 telopodite height and directed laterally, the concave outer edge variably toothed. Posteromedial row of short, stout setae from ca 1/3 to 2/3 telopodite height, frequently broken off. Longitudinal lateral setal row with 4–8 setae.

Female not yet recognised.

Distribution. Known from two sites ca 6 km apart in dry eucalypt forest northwest of Triabunna on the east coast of Tasmania ( Fig. 24 ). Possibly sympatric with T. armatum , which has been found ca 2 km from one of the T. alces sites.

Etymology. Latin alces , “elk”, noun in apposition. Th e gonopods in situ remind me of the head of a male elk with antlers.

Figures

Figure 6. Tasmaniosoma armatum Verhoeff, 1936, topotypical male ex QVM 23:46567, legs 6 A and 7 B. T. australe sp. n., voucher male QVM 23:46573, left leg 6 lateral C and dorsal view D. T. bruniense sp. n., paratype male ex QVM 23:51633, left leg 6 E. T. alces sp. n., paratype male ex QVM 23:46762, legs 6 F and 7 G. Setation not shown; scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figure 7. A Tasmaniosoma armatum Verhoeff, 1936, topotypical male ex QVM 23:46567 B Tasmaniosoma alces sp. n., paratype male ex QVM 23:46762. Left posteroventral views of gonopods in situ, showing solenomere S, laminate process L and processes numbered in text. Medial bend in laminate process on T. alces telopodite is a preparation artifact. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

Figure 24. A Localities as of 31 January 2010 for Tasmaniosoma alces sp. n. (filled triangles), T. aureorivum sp. n. (crosses), T. australe sp. n. (filled squares), T.bruniense sp. n. (stars), T. hesperium sp. n. (open circles), T. laccobium sp. n. (open triangle), T. maria sp. n. (filled circles) and T. warra sp. n. (open squares). See also Fig. 23. Scale bar = 50 km. (B) Map of Tasmania showing location of main map (rectangle).