Pyrgodesmus permutatus (Attems, 1936), comb. nov.

Figs 9–30

Pyrgodesmus obscurus — Silvestri, 1920: 120, figs 1–3 (D), non Pyrgodesmus obscurus Pocock, 1892: 155 .

Klimakodesmus permutatus Attems, 1936: 246, nom. nov. pro Pyrgodesmus obscurus in the sense of Silvestri, 1920: 118 (D).

Klimakodesmus permutatus — Attems, 1940: 271, figs 384–386 (D, R); De Zoysa et al., 2016: 477 (R, M); Aswathy et al., 2021: 374 (D, R).

Remark. As noted above, the original description and illustrations of this species were most detailed (Silvestri 1920), albeit misidentified as belonging to Pyrgodesmus obscurus . Silvestri’s iconography is reproduced in full (Figs 9–30).

Brief redescription. Body length ca 11.5 mm. Coloration mostly black-brown, regardless of tegument being heavily coated with an earth crust (Figs 9–12) or clean (Figs 13–18).

All main characters as in P. obscurus, except as follows.

Paramedian tubercles/crests (PM) slightly less strongly developed, high, largely fully separated and not fused medially even at base (except for PM 19), inclined anteriad on collum and on rings 2 and 3 (Figs 9–18). Surface below PM regularly microgranulate, with neither DL nor i, nor Am, nor Cm discernible beneath an earth crust (Figs 9–12), but readily visible in a clean animal (Figs 13–18). Tip of epiproct invisible from above between basally fused PM 19 (Fig. 26).

Gonopods (Figs 29 & 30) much as in P. obscurus, but gonocoel slightly less deep, coxites apparently neither conspicuously microsetose nor micropapillate, telopodites/solenomeres more clearly exposed, but stout, their tips being somewhat curved dorsad.

Distribution. Paradenyia, Sri Lanka.