Antichiropus cucumeraceous 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 : 22-24

Antichiropus cucumeraceous Car , n. sp.

( Figs 10 A–F, 11).

ZooBank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:48885177-CA2A-4AA5-8D10-406D5C445113

Type material examined. Australia: Western Australia: holotype male (damaged, posterior segments missing), 15.5 km ENE. of Mt Bruce , site TCMBE02 , 22°35’00”S, 118°17’25”E, 2 August 2005 – 28 May 2006 , ethylene glycol pitfall traps, CALM staff (Pilbara Biological Survey) ( WAM T124598 ) . Paratypes: 3 males, 2 females, 1 juvenile (damaged remains), 16 km E. of Mt Bruce, site 7, CMBE05, 22°36’34”S, 118°17’57”E, 2 August 2005–28 May 2006, ethylene glycol pitfall traps, CALM staff (Pilbara Biological Survey (WAM T124596).

Other material examined. Australia: Western Australia: 1 male, ca. 9.9 km NW of Tom Price, site TP555, 22°38’07”S, 117°41’31”E, 11 March 2007, L. Beesley (WAM T73501).

Diagnosis. Gonopod: Antichiropus cucumeraceous Car, n. sp. is most similar to A. hystricosus Car, n. sp. (Fig 19) but separating the species is relatively simple: A. hystricosus has a series of serrations at the base of the soleno- mere (seen in lateral view) absent in A. cucumeraceous.

Description. Male holotype: Body ca. 15 mm long; midbody ring ca. 1 mm wide, with distinct, smooth waist, metazonite slightly broader than prozonite.

Colour (in alcohol) dark brown (Fig10A) few striations on lateral midbody segments: leg colour, slightly paler than body. No paranota (Fig 10B).

Sternites without obvious processes/tubercles, sternal lamella moderate width, heart-shaped. Leg coxal pro- cesses absent. Anterior spiracles at midbody, small, ovoid, flat.

Head smooth without noticeable sculpturing; frons moderately setose; face narrow, maximum width ca. 3x the distance between antennal sockets; sockets separated by ca. 3x width of socket.

Antennae short, reaching to collum edge, and robust.

Collum ca. 0.6x length of head (in lateral view) (Fig 10A).

Gonopod of medium length, reaching ring 5; coxa (C) more robust than femorite, 3/4 femorite length, with pronounced ridge on anterior surface; prefemur (PF) similar length to coxa, setose; prefemoral lip pronounced; femorite (F) ca. 2/3 acropodite length, slightly curved in posterior/ anterior views, slender for proximal half, thickest in apical half to narrow again at apex; main femoral process (MFP) slender, pointed; prolongation of femorite (prof) absent solenomere (S) moderately long, forming a circle, broadest at base, narrowing in apical 1/3, then flattening into a broad, translucent, asymmetrical tip; solenomere process (sp1) in apical 1/3 of solenomere, short, slender, curved spine solenomere process 2 (sp2) short, slender, pointed ( Figs 10 C-F) ( Figs 10 C–F).

Female: Similar to male but broader when viewed dorsally (ca. 1.5 mm wide) and stouter (lateral view) with shorter, more slender legs (WAM T124596).

Distribution. This species has been found only in a small area between Mt Bruce and Tom Price, Pilbara ( Fig 11 ).

Etymology. The species epithet refers to the resemblance of the femorite in anterior view to a cucumber (Latin, adjective, cucumeraceous , of cucumbers).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Antichiropus cucumeraceous Car, n. sp., holotype male (WAM T124598): A–B, habitus: A, lateral view; B, dorsal view; C–F, left gonopod: C, posterior view; D, anterior view; E, medial view; F, lateral view. Abbreviations: C, coxa; F, femorite; fp1, femoral process 2; MFP, main femoral process; PF, prefemur; S, solenomere; sp1, solenomere process 1. Scale bars: A = 2 mm; B = 2 mm; C–F = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 11. Map showing the known distributions of A. anguinus Car, n. sp., A. antius Car, n. sp., A. apricus Car, n. sp., A. cirratus Car, n. sp., A. confragus Car, n. sp., A. cristatus Car, n. sp. and A. cucumeraceous Car, n. sp.