Published February 25, 2010 | Version v1

Atelomastix francesae Edward & Harvey 2010, sp. nov.

Description

Atelomastix francesae, sp. nov.

Figs. 5, 58, 98, 99.

Type material: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: holotype male, Walpole, near Tree Top Walk, 34°58’48”S, 116°53’31”E, hand collected under rotting logs and leaf litter, 29 July 2003, K.L. Edward (WAM T 47953). Paratypes: 1 male, 5 females, collected with holotype (WAM T 69719); 6 males, collected with holotype (WAM T 69811); 1 male, Walpole, Peaceful Bay Road, 34°58’36”S, 116°55’54”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 26 July 2003, K.L. Edward (WAM T 69739).

Other material examined: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 15 males, collected with holotype (WAM T69810, T69705– T 69718); 1 male, 2 females, Keystone State Forest, Deep River and Meredith Road junction, 34°58’59”S, 116°37’53”E, hand collected under karri bark, 27 May 2004, M.S. Harvey, B.Y. Main (WAM T 69744); 4 males, Walpole-Nornalup National Park, Valley of the Giants road, 34°58’50”S, 116°53’22”E, hand collected in karri forest, 9 July 2003, M.S. Harvey, F. Harvey, E. Harvey, K.L. Edward and R. Teale (WAM T 69807); 1 female, Walpole–Nornalup National Park, Hilltop Road, near Big Tingle Tree, 34°58’53”S, 116°46’30”E, hand collected under karri bark, 13 March 2005, M.S. Harvey, J.M. Waldock, K.L. Edward (WAM T 69808); 2 males, 1 juvenile, Mount Frankland National Park, 34°43’10”S, 116°31’02”E, hand collected from mixed marri, jarrah forest, 10 July 2003, K.L. Edward, R. Teale (WAM T 69809); 5 males, Kordabup Nature Reserve, 34°57’39”S, 117°09’43”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 30 July 2003, K.L. Edward (WAM T 69687– T 69691); 2 females, Kordabup Nature Reserve, 34°57’39”S, 117°09’43”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 30 July 2003, K.L. Edward (WAM T 69692); 11 males, Walpole, Rose Road Reserve, 34°56’57”S, 116°55’03”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 29 July 2003, K.L. Edward (WAM T 69693– T 69703); 1 female, Walpole, Rose Road Reserve, 34°56’57”S, 116°55’03”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 29 July 2003, K.L. Edward (WAM T 69704); 9 males, Denmark, Scotsdale Road Reserve, corner of Scotsdale Road and Harewood Road, 34°54’49”S, 117°15’11”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 26 July 2003, K.L. Edward (WAM T69812, T69722– T 69729); 2 males, 1 female, Denmark, Scotsdale Road Reserve, 34°54’49”S, 117°15’11”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 26 July 2003, K.L. Edward (WAM T 69730); 6 females, Denmark, Scotsdale Road Reserve, 34°54’49”S, 117°15’11”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 26 July 2003, K.L. Edward (WAM T 69731); 9 males, Walpole, Peaceful Bay Road, 34°58’36”S, 116°55’54”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 26 July 2003, K.L. Edward (WAM T 69732– T 69740); 4 females, Walpole, Peaceful Bay Road, 34°58’36”S, 116°55’54”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 26 July 2003, K.L. Edward (WAM T 69741); 1 male, Walpole-Nornalup National Park, East of town along South Coast Highway, 34°59’36”S, 116°50’50”E, hand collected under logs, bark, 9 July 2003, M.S. Harvey, F. Harvey, E. Harvey, K.L. Edward, R. Teale (WAM T 69745); 6 males, Walpole-Nornalup National Park, “Tingle Tree”, 35°00’S, 116°38’E, 2 July 1980, S.B.S. Peck (WAM T 47938).

Etymology: The specific epithet is a patronym in honour of Frances Harvey, who helped collect specimens of Atelomastix in Walpole and Denmark.

Diagnosis: Atelomastix francesae is similar to A. albanyensis, but can be distinguished by the shape of sclerites b and c. Sclerite b is blunt, broadly shaped, and does not taper or curve to a point distally. Sclerite c, which is deeply bifurcated, does not have a curved lateral process, and the medial process is much more elongated, exhibiting a number of setae medially rather than on the distal edge.

Description: Male (holotype). Colour: Dorsal part of head dark brown; rest of head, mouth parts, antennae, gonopod, ozopores and legs light golden-brown; prozonites pale yellow brown, metazonites dark to bluegrey.

Body: ca. 16 mm long and ca. 1.4 mm wide at collum. With 39 trunk segments, 67 pairs of legs, last 2 segments without legs.

Head: with ca. 24 ocelli (Fig. 58), arranged in 5 rows (2: 4: 5: 6: 7).

Gonopods: anterior gonopods (Figs. 98, 99) complex, relatively large, compact, broad, and heavily scleritised, 2.19 times longer than broad; sclerite a with swollen base and broad, curved distal hood; upper distal face of sclerite a with 22 short blunt setae; pseudoflagellum short, broad, and partially concealed within broadened distal hood; sclerite b broad and slightly curved distally, with 2–7 setae on distal edge (n=15); basal process of sclerite b small with rounded tip, 0.09 times the length of the main process; sclerite c deeply bifurcate, lateral process slightly curved forming a blunt tip, medial process triangular in shape with 3–8 setae (n=15) spread over middle of process; one small setae present at sub basal end of sclerite, and group of 9 very short setae present basally; posterior gonopods inconspicuous, small, with several small setae on interno-lateral face of each gonopod.

Dimensions (mm): holotype male (paratype male, WAM T69739): length ca. 16, width ca. 1.4 (L/ W=11.1); sclerite a 0.997 / 0.456 (0.992 / 0.454), setae 22; sclerite b 0.450 (0.447), basal process 0.039 (0.023), setae 5 subdistal + 1 distal (4 subdistal); sclerite c 0.749 (0.760), lateral process of sclerite c 0.272 (0.269), medial process of sclerite c 0.225 (0.237), setae 7 (7).

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

Distribution and habitat: Atelomastix francesae has been recorded from several localities between Walpole to Denmark along the south coast of Western Australia (Fig. 5). Specimens can be found under and within rotting logs, moist leaf litter, and in the soil under rocks in a variety of different habitats, including tall karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor) and tingle (E. jacksonii) forests, open jarrah (E. marginata) / marri (Corymbia calophylla) woodlands, and granite outcrops. This species has been found to exist in sympatry with A. ellenae at a number of locations within its distribution.

Notes

Published as part of Edward, Karen L. & Harvey, Mark S., 2010, A review of the Australian millipede genus Atelomastix (Diplopoda: Spirostreptida: Iulomorphidae) 2371, pp. 1-63 in Zootaxa 2371 (1) on pages 19-20, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2371.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5312214

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Additional details

Biodiversity

Collection code
WAM, T
Event date
1980-07-02 , 2003-07-09 , 2003-07-10 , 2003-07-26 , 2003-07-29 , 2003-07-30 , 2004-05-27 , 2005-03-13
Verbatim event date
1980-07-02 , 2003-07-09 , 2003-07-10 , 2003-07-26 , 2003-07-29 , 2003-07-30 , 2004-05-27 , 2005-03-13
Scientific name authorship
Edward & Harvey
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Order
Spirostreptida
Family
Iulomorphidae
Genus
Atelomastix
Species
francesae
Taxon rank
species
Taxonomic status
sp. nov.
Type status
holotype , paratype
Taxonomic concept label
Atelomastix francesae Edward & Harvey, 2010