Atelomastix grandis, Edward & Harvey, 2010

Edward, Karen L. & Harvey, Mark S., 2010, A review of the Australian millipede genus Atelomastix (Diplopoda: Spirostreptida: Iulomorphidae) 2371, Zootaxa 2371 (1), pp. 1-63 : 22-23

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2371.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6140530D-9F81-4443-AFD1-7EF84005E834
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5319910
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/19025A56-027B-43CD-A96F-20F6A6DDBB4A
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:19025A56-027B-43CD-A96F-20F6A6DDBB4A
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Atelomastix grandis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Atelomastix grandis View in CoL , sp. nov.

Figs. 9 View FIGURES 7–9 , 60, 102, 103.

Type material: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: holotype male, Mount Le Grand, Le Grand National Park , 33°59’25”S, 122°07’35”E, hand collected in soil, 27 December 2006, M.L. Moir, K.E.C. Brennan ( WAM T 83221) GoogleMaps . Paratypes: 5 males, 4 females, collected with holotype ( WAM T 78761) GoogleMaps ; 3 males, 13 females, Mount Le Grand, Le Grand National Park , summit, 33°59’41”S, 122°07’48”E, hand collected under granite rocks, 4 June 2007, M.L. Moir, M.C. Leng ( WAM T80740, T80741) GoogleMaps ; 1 female collected with holotype ( WAM T 78760) GoogleMaps .

Etymology: This species is named both for its distribution within Le Grand National Park and the great size of the male gonopods ( grandis, Latin : large, great, noble, etc.).

Diagnosis: Atelomastix grandis , although not the biggest millipede in length or number of segments, has the longest gonopod of all Atelomastix species (total gonopod length= 1.78–1.79 mm). It differs from all other species by several distinct gonopod morphological differences. Sclerite c is relatively straight, broad, indented sub-distally with a broad rounded distal tip. Sclerite b has a pointed narrow distal tip and does not extend to sclerite c. Sclerite a has a short but deep distal hood, entirely exposing an elongate pseudoflagellum.

Description: Male (holotype). Colour: generally chocolate-brown; legs, antennae, mouthparts, and head golden brown; well defined bands between segments; prozonites dark chocolate brown, metazonites brown to lighter brown in preserved specimens.

Body: ca. 48 mm long and ca. 2.9 mm wide at collum. With 54 trunk segments, 97 pairs of legs, last 2 segments without legs.

Head: with ca. 37 ocelli ( Fig. 60), arranged in 5 rows (4: 7: 8: 9: 9).

Gonopods: anterior gonopods ( Figs. 102, 103) heavily sclerotised, 2.5 times longer than broad; sclerite a with swollen base that forms short but deep curved distal hood; upper distal face of sclerite a with 21–22 (n=2) short blunt setae; pseudoflagellum elongate and entirely visible beneath distal hood; sclerite b narrowed and curved subdistally, with short, narrow rounded distal tip, 8–14 (n=2) short setae present on sub-distal edge; basal process of sclerite b rounded, 0.06 times length of main process; sclerite c relatively long and broad, indented sub-distally, with broad rounded distal tip, 7–10 setae (n=2) present near indentation; subbasal setae not visible where sclerites overlap and group of 15 (n=2) short setae sub-basally on sclerite c; posterior gonopods inconspicuous, small, with several small setae on interno-lateral face of each gonopod.

Dimensions (mm): holotype male (paratype male, WAM T78761): length ca. 48, width ca. 2.9, L/W=16.6; sclerite a 1.792 / 0.712 (1.784 / 0.680), setae 22 (21); sclerite b 0.680 (0.680), basal process of sclerite b 0.038 (0.045), setae 8 (14); sclerite c 1.360 (1.280), setae 7 (10).

Female. Similar to male, other than sexual characters, and slightly larger.

Distribution and habitat: Atelomastix grandis is only known from under rocks or in soil on granite outcrops and Agonis heath of Mount Le Grand in the Le Grand National Park ( Fig. 9 View FIGURES 7–9 ). It occurs in sympatry with A. brennani near the summit of Mount Le Grand and is larger than this species, thus possibly showing evidence of character displacement.