Dibologonus sladei, Mesibov, 2025

Mesibov, Robert, 2025, Dalodesmid millipedes from alpine and subalpine habitats in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Dalodesmidae), ZooKeys 1262, pp. 303-333 : 303-333

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1262.176273
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FCCCF129-31BF-4258-BF12-1D1887B901AA
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17880985
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/2D992188-62B7-5E58-BF3E-964194519223
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Dibologonus sladei
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Dibologonus sladei sp. nov.

Figs 9 A View Figure 9 , 10 View Figure 10 , 16 A View Figure 16

Type material.

Holotype. Male, Dargo High Plains Road (Vic), 90 m S by W of King Spur Track junction, site HS 10-C-L 3 , -37.1134, 147.1662 ± 25 m, 1575–1595 m, coll. Nicholas Porch, 2024-04 - 14, 1 m 2 litter sample from closed snow gum woodland, NMV K 15999 GoogleMaps . Paratypes. 13 M, 24 F, details as for holotype, NMV K 16005 GoogleMaps ; 6 M, 14 F, same details but 0.14 km SE by E of King Spur Track junction, site HS 10-C-L 1 , -37.1134, 147.1677 ± 25 m, 1565–1585 m, NMV K 16002 GoogleMaps ; 1 M, same details but in 95 % EtOH, NMV K 15998 GoogleMaps ; 12 M, 13 F, same details but 0.13 km S by E of King Spur Track junction, site HS 10-C-L 2 , -37.1137, 147.1669 ± 25 m, 1570–1590 m, NMV K 16004 GoogleMaps .

Additional material.

11 M, 15 F from five other sites. See Suppl. material 1 for details.

Diagnosis.

Much larger than D. minor sp. nov. and D. oedipus sp. nov. Solenomere with apex not expanded as in D. major sp. nov. and D. oedipus sp. nov.; major telopodite division into medial branch and solenomere at ca 1 / 3 telopodite height vs 2 / 3 height as in D. minor sp. nov.

Description.

As for the genus, with the following details. Colour in alcohol brownish-yellow with pale brown at collum and paranotal margins. Adult male / female approximate measurements: length 14 / 14 mm, maximum midbody width 1.5 / 1.5 mm. Brush setae dense, tips curving distally and with mid-height notch on distal surface (Fig. 10 A View Figure 10 ); sphaerotrichomes with slightly flattened globular base, shafts with rounded tips curving distally (Fig. 10 B View Figure 10 ).

Gonopod telopodites (Figs 9 A View Figure 9 , 10 C View Figure 10 ) almost reaching legpair 4 when retracted, setose posterolaterally to ca 1 / 3 telopodite height. Telopodite divided into medial branch and solenomere at ca 1 / 3 telopodite height. Medial branch divided at ca 1 / 2 telopodite height into parallel anteromedial and posterolateral processes, both processes somewhat flattened; anteromedial process with blunt, rounded tip below level of solenomere; posteromedial process shorter than anteromedial, with truncate tip. Solenomere divided at ca 3 / 4 telopodite height into anterolateral process and much shorter, parallel, posteromedial process, the latter somewhat flattened and tapering to point. Anterolateral process somewhat flattened, curving a little laterally, bending medially at apex and dividing into two short, tooth-like processes, the prostatic groove opening on the proximal tooth. On the anterior surface of the telopodite at ca 1 / 2 telopodite height, a prominent triangular tab (Fig. 10 C View Figure 10 ) with apex directed anterobasally.

Female approximately the same length as male but a little stouter and with thinner legs. Epigynum raised medially in low, rounded triangle; cyphopods not examined.

Name.

Noun in the genitive case, in honour of George Hermon Slade (1910–2002), Australian chemist, orchidologist and founder of the Hermon Slade Foundation for support of research in the natural sciences.

Distribution.

Collected over a ca 55 km linear range from Mt Buffalo National Park to the Dargo High Plains (Fig. 16 A View Figure 16 ), in subalpine woodland from 1500 to 1640 m.

Remarks.

None of the males examined have modified legs as seen in D. oedipus sp. nov.