Antichiropus literulus Car, 2019

Car, Catherine A., Harvey, Mark S., Hillyer, Mia J. & Huey, Joel A., 2019, The millipede genus Antichiropus (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae), part 3: species of the Pilbara bioregion of Western Australia, Zootaxa 4617 (1), pp. 1-71 : 38

Antichiropus literulus Car , n. sp.

( Figs 21 A–G, 25)

ZooBank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1356FE51-A508-4637-A324-9A138E975374

Type material examined. Australia: Western Australia: holotype male (badly damaged, lacking posterior segments), 29 km NNW of Balfour Downs Homestead, Pilbara Biological Survey site BDR7, 22°32’39”S, 120°47’57”E, 10 September 2005 – 14 May 2006, ethylene glycol pitfall trap, CALM staff ( WAM T144608 ) . Paratypes: 1 male (damaged), collected with holotype ( WAM T137471 ); 1 male, 2 females (damaged), collected with holotype ( WAM T146716 ) .

Diagnosis. Gonopod: A. literulus Car , n. sp. is a minute species, similar in that regard to A. filiolus Car , n. sp. ( Fig 14 ) but the former can be recognised by its distinctive L-shaped main femoral process.

Description. Male holotype: Body, ca. 10 mm long; midbody ring ca. 1.5 mm wide, with distinct, smooth waist, prozonite and metazonite of similar widths.

Colour unknown, specimen bleached ( Fig 21A ); leg colour bleached. No paranota ( Fig 21B .).

Sternites without obvious processes/tubercles, sternal lamella broad, relatively square. Leg coxal processes absent. Anterior spiracles at midbody, flat.

Head smooth, with no sculpturing; frons smooth, with some setae; face moderately narrow, maximum width ca. 3x the distance between antennal sockets; sockets separated by ca. 1.5x width of socket.

Antennae of moderate length, reaching to ring 2, antennomeres not obviously clavate. Collum ca. 0.75x length of head (in lateral view) ( Fig21A ).

Gonopod of medium length, reaching ring 5; coxa (C) more robust and much shorter than femorite; prefemur (PF) considerably shorter than femorite, slightly setose with noticeable lip; femorite (F) 2/3 length of acropodite, slender at base, thickening suddenly one-third along its length; main femoral process (MFP) 1/4 femorite length, relatively broad, pointed with distinct ‘elbow’ (L-shaped) and a translucent flange in anterior view; prolongation of femorite (prof) 1/2 length of femorite, narrow, curved, pointed; solenomere (S) broadest in the proximal half; solenomere tip slender, narrow, rounded; solenomere process (sp1) bifurcate; second solenomere process (sp2) tiny, pointed, triangular, halfway along solenomere ( Figs 21 C–G).

Female: Similar to male, but broader (ca. 2 mm dorsally) and stouter (lateral view): legs shorter (WAM T13771).

Distribution. This species has been collected only from a single locality near Balfour Downs Homestead ( Fig 25 ).

Etymology. Antichiropus literulus is named for its L-shaped main femoral process (Latin, noun, literula, diminutive form of the letter L).

Figures

FIGURE 14. Antichiropus filiolus Car, n. sp., holotype male (WAM T116433): A–B, habitus: A, lateral view; B, dorsal view; C–E, left gonopod: C, posterior view; D, medial view; E, lateral view. Anterior view not available. Abbreviations: F, femorite; MFP, main femoral process; PF, prefemur; prof, prolongation of femorite; S, solenomere; sp1 and 2, solenomere processes1 and 2. Scale bars: A = 2 mm; B = 0.5 mm; C–E = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 21. Antichiropus literulus Car, n. sp., holotype male (WAM T144608): A–B, habitus: A, lateral view; B, dorsal view; C–G, left gonopod: C, posterior view; D, anterior view; E, medial view; F, lateral view; G, detail of MFP. Abbreviations: C, coxa; F, femorite; MFP, main femoral process; PF, prefemur; prof, prolongation of femorite; S, solenomere; sp1 and sp2, solenomere processes 1 and 2. Scale bars: A = 2 mm; B = 1 mm; C–F = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 25. Map showing the known distributions of A. hystricosus Car, n. sp., A. julianneae Car, n. sp., A. literulus Car, n. sp., A. lucyae Car, n. sp., A. patriciae Car, n. sp. and A. nicholasi Car, n. sp.