Lissodesmus montanus, Mesibov, 2005

Mesibov, Robert, 2005, The millipede genus Lissodesmus Chamberlin, 1920 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Dalodesmidae) from Tasmania and Victoria, with descriptions of a new genus and 24 new species, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 62 (2), pp. 103-146 : 120

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.24199/j.mmv.2005.62.4
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F70083BA-29DD-4E6E-AEF3-19C31465A5A7
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8066873
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03BDAA31-F551-FFB5-87EC-F3674C6889D5
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Lissodesmus montanus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Lissodesmus montanus View in CoL sp. nov.

Figures 54, 55, 69mon, 70mon, 71mon, 73 (map)

Material examined. Holotype. Male, Australia, Tasmania. Lake Lea , DP View Materials 083989 (41°33'22''S 145°54'01''E), 950 m, 18.xii.1993, R. Mesibov & T. Moule, QVM 23 View Materials :17717. GoogleMaps

Paratypes. Male , Algonkian Mountain, approx. DP220059 View Materials (42°23'42''S 146°03'08''E), 1020 m, 26.ii.1987, S.J. Smith, ex WHA sample ML011, QVM 23 View Materials GoogleMaps : 17715, dissected; female, same details, QVM 23 View Materials : 17714; male, Algonkian Mountain , approx. DP229067 View Materials (42°23'16''S 146°03'48''E), 1020 m, 26.ii.1987, S.J. Smith, ex WHA sample ML005, QVM 23 View Materials GoogleMaps : 17716, dissected; male, same details, AM KS91180 ; female, Squires Creek , DP240255 View Materials (42°13'07''S 146°04'44''E), 650 m, 16.ii.1994, R. Mesibov, QVM 23 View Materials GoogleMaps : 40813; male, Mt Murchison summit, CP850703 View Materials (41°48'38''S 145°36'55''E), 1250 m, 11.iv.1998, R. van Riet & B. Dudman, QVM 23 View Materials GoogleMaps :40744.

Description. Male c. 23 mm long, H = 2.4 mm. In alcohol, well-coloured specimens under low magnification an almost uniform light red-brown in body colour (unusually, extending to legs and antennae) with small pale brown patches medially and anteriorly on metatergites, and laterally on paranota. Antenna fairly short, fairly slender ( Fig. 69 View Figure 69 mon). Paranota fairly wide, R = 1.5 ( Fig. 70 View Figure 70 mon), posterior corners not turned up. Legs robust, tarsus longer than femur ( Fig. 71 View Figure 71 mon). Telopodite ( Figs 54 View Figure 54 , 55 View Figure 55 ) narrowing sharply at prefemoral process origin, reaching leg 5 when retracted. Solenomere arising at one-third to half the telopodite height, directed basally at c. 45° to telopodite axis, curving gradually distally, terminating with a toothed subapical collar at about one-third the prefemoral process height. Tibiotarsus as large as solenomere but diverging from it and curving laterally, greatly expanding apically and deeply and broadly notched, thus terminating in two large spine-like structures. Femoral process arising just distal to solenomere origin, blade-like with a slight posterior shoulder apically, pressed close to prefemoral process, terminating at about half the prefemoral process height (distal to solenomere tip). Prefemoral process at origin about half as wide as telopodite base, bending first mesally then distally, the tip curving posteriorly with a comb of c. 20 long, mainly posterobasally teeth on mesal edge, the comb continued proximally as a row of more irregular “sawteeth” to about the level of solenomere tip. Uncus small, arising centrally just proximal to solenomere tip.

Distribution and habitat. Known from four localities over a range of c. 500 km 2 in central western Tasmania ( Fig. 73 View Figure 73 ), from 650 to 1250 m. At Algonkian Mountain, Lake Lea and Squires Creek the habitat was cool temperate rainforest, while on Mt Murchison L. montanus was found walking by day among bare rocks (R. van Riet, pers. comm.).

Etymology. Latin montanus (“of mountains”), adjective.