Desmoxytes aspera Attems 1937

Desmoxytes aspera (Attems, 1937)

Figs 7 & 8.

Centrodesmus asper Attems, 1937: 125 (D).

Centrodesmus asper — Attems, 1938: 240 (D).

Pratinus asper — Jeekel, 1964: 62 (D, M); 1968: 61 (M).

Hylomus asper — Jeekel, 1980: 657 (M, R); Golovatch, 1983: 181 (M).

Desmoxytes aspera — Golovatch & Enghoff, 1994: 48, 60 (D, M); Enghoff et al., 2004: 37 (R); Nguyen et al., 2006: 257 (D); Nguyen & Sierwald, 2013: 1240 (R).

Lectotype male (NHMW-4243), Vietnam, Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, Bana Mountain, 1400 m a.s.l., 18.09.1931, leg. C. Dawydoff.

Paralectotype. 1 female (NHMW-4243), same locality, together with lectotype.

Lectotype designation proposed herewith is necessary to ensure the species is based on a male.

Redescription. Length ca 18 mm (male) or 22 mm (female), width of midbody pro- and metazonae 1.1 and 2.3 mm (male) or 1.8 and 3.0 mm (female), respectively (versus width of midbody pro- and metazonae 1.0 and 2.3 mm (male) or 1.65 and 3.0 mm (female), respectively, as given in the original descriptions (Attems, 1937, 1938)).

Coloration of alcohol material upon long-term preservation red-brown (Fig. 7 A–L); venter and legs yellowbrown, paraterga and epiproct yellow-brown to pale yellowish (Fig. 7 A–L) (versus dark chestnut brown, tip of paraterga and posterior spines of metazonae pale yellowish; first three legs and antennae brown, as given in the original descriptions (Attems, 1937, 1938)).

Clypeolabral region and vertex sparsely setose, epicranial suture distinct. Antennae rather long, reaching segment 4 (both sexes) when stretched dorsally. In width, head <collum <segment 2 <3 = 4 <5–17 (both sexes); thereafter body gently and gradually tapering. Collum with three transverse rows of prominent setigerous spines: 4+4 anterior, 2+2 intermediate, and 2+2 posterior; paraterga antler-shaped, directed dorsolaterad, with one evident spine each anteriorly near base and at 3/4 extent of paraterga (Fig. 7 A & B). Tegument dull, prozonae finely shagreened, metazonae, including surface below paraterga, coarsely microgranulate, sterna delicately microgranulate (Fig. 7 A–G & J–L). Metaterga with two transverse rows of setigerous spines, 3+3 small anterior and 3+3 thorn-shaped posterior, lateral spines of posterior rows being much longer than others; intermeditate ones shorter, mesal ones shortest, thereafter gently and gradually reduced until segment 19 (Fig. 7 A, C, F & J–L). Axial line invisible. Paraterga antler-shaped, especially well so in male, upturned, directed dorsolaterad, tip bent posteriad, with a prominent anterior spine at 1/4 extent of paraterga and two small setigerous notches thereafter (Figs 7 A–G, J–L). Ozopores visible (Op) from above, lying at base of first setigerous notch (Fig. 7 C & D). Transverse sulcus complete on segments 5–17, line-shaped, rather narrow, shallow, reaching bases of paraterga; incomplete on segments 4 and 18, absent from segment 19 (Fig. 7 A, C, F, J–L). Stricture between pro- and metazonae narrow, very shallow, ribbed at bottom down to base of paraterga (Fig. 7 A–F, J–L). Pleurosternal carinae poorly developed, with a front bulge and a caudal tooth increasingly reduced in size until segment 4 (both sexes). Epiproct (Fig. 7 E, F & G) conical, flattened dorsoventrally, apical papillae very small; tip subtruncate; preapical papillae small, but visible, lying close to tip. Hypoproct nearly semi-circular, setigerous knobs at a slightly convex caudal edge rather large and well-separated.

Sterna sparsely setose, without modifications; cross-impressions shallow; an elevated, subrectangular, setose lamina between male coxae 4, carrying a rounded tubercle at both corners (Fig. 7 H & I). Legs long and slender, midbody ones ca 1.2–1.4 (male) or 0.9–1.1 times (female) as long as body height. Prefemora without modifications. male tarsal brushes absent.

Gonopods (Fig. 8) suberect. Prefemur sparsely setose, as long as femorite. Femorite very stout, slightly enlarged distad, with seminal groove running entirely on mesal face. Solenophore (= lamina lateralis) welldeveloped, falcate and condensed apically, supporting a rather short flagelliform solenomere well separated at base from solenophore (versus similar to D. pilosa (Attems, 1937), but differing in solenophore stretched and bent, without processes, as given in the original descriptions (Attems, 1937, 1938)).