Retrorsia benedictae Shelley

Shear, William A. & Marek, Paul E., 2021, Three new genera and eighteen new species of miniature polydesmid millipedes from the northwestern United States (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Polydesmidae), Zootaxa 4975 (1), pp. 81-126 : 96-98

Retrorsia benedictae Shelley

Figs 29–39 , 122

Retrorsia benedictae Shelley, 2003:7

Type locality. Along Oregon Rt. 202, 3 mi (4.8 km) SE of Olney , Clatsop County, Oregon .

Diagnosis. The semicircular notch in the gonopod is prominent (rn, Fig. 36 ) but separated from the pulvillus (p, Fig. 35 ) by half the length of the terminal zone (see also Fig. 121 ). There are 16 or 18 setae in the anterior marginal row of the collum ( Fig. 30 ). A detailed description is available in Shelley (2003).

Notes. The male specimen we used for SEM examination ( Figs 29–39 ) had some interesting commensals/parasites, including a fungal capilliconidia (amphoromorph) of the genus Basidiobolus ( Enghoff & Reboleira 2017) on an antenna ( Fig. 38 ) and the hypopis of an unidentified mite attached to the fifth ring ( Fig. 39 ).

Distribution. Clatsop Co., Oregon ( Shelley 2003), and Pacific Co., Washington (new records below).

New records. WASHINGTON: Pacific Co.: 1.0 mi on Walberg Road , 0.4 mi west of Icwaco Water Park , 46.3236°, -123.9417°, 2 January 2005, W. Leonard, C. Richart, m f; 1.1 mi south of SR6 on Trap Creek Road , Bline , 46.5432°-123.6152°, 19 November 2005, W. Leonard, C. Richart, m; 2 mi west of Astoria Bridge on US 101, 10 ft asl, 46.2569, -123.9250 °, 2 January 2005, W. Leonard, C. Richart, mm ff; 3.5 mi south of Naselle on SR401 at Cement Creek , 46.3341°, -123.8003°, 15 January 2006, W. Leonard, C. Richart, mm; 4.5 mi north of SR4 on US 101, at Middle Nemah River , 46.4874°, -123.8865°, 15 January 2006, W. Leonard, C. Richart, mm ff; 5.9 mi south of SR6 on Trap Creek Road, Alder Creek drainage of Naselle River , 46.4973°, -123.6439°, 19 November 2005, W. Leonard, C. Richart, m; east side of Ellsworth Creek, The Nature Conservency Preserve, 100 ft asl, 46.3838°, -123.8679°, 12 January 2004, W. Leonard, mm ff; Long Beach, 30th St., 0.2 mi from US 101, 50 ft asl, 46.3239°, -124.0598°, 15 January 2006, W. Leonard, C. Richart, mm ff; Long Beach, Willows Road, 0.6 mi from 30th St., 46.3229°, -124.0575°, 16 January 2006, W. Leonard, C. Richart, mm ff; SR401 8 mi south of SR4, 40 ft asl, 46.2752°, -123.8158°, 2 January 2005, W. Leonard, mm ff .

Figures

FIGURES 29–31. Retrorsia benedictae Shelley. 29. Male, lateral view. 30. Head and anterior rings, dorsal view. 31. Pygidium, lateral view. SEM stub WS32-14.

FIGURES 32–36. Retrorsia benedictae Shelley. 32. Midbody ring, dorsal view. 33. Limbus. 34. Accessory sensory area on sixth segment of antenna, lateral view. 35. Gonopods in situ, posterior view. 36. Left gonopod, lateral view. SEM stub WS32-14. Abbreviations: ac, acropodite; cx, coxa; p, pulvillus; pf, prefemorite; rn, rounded notch distal to pulvillus; rp, retrorse process; tz, terminal zone.

FIGURES 37–39. Retrorsia benedictae Shelley. 37. Pulvillus of gonopod, posterior view. 38. Suspected fungal theca on antenna. 39. Hypopis of unidentified mite on fifth body ring. SEM stub 32-14.

FIGURES 121–126. Drawings of gonopods of polydesmid species. 121. Left gonopod of Retrorisia leonardi, mesal view. 122. Left gonopod of Retrorsia benedictae, mesal view. 123. Left gonopod of Retrorsia richarti,n. sp., mesal view. 124. Right gonopod of Retrorsia gracilis, n. sp., lateral view. 125, Gonopod tip of Retrorsia gracilis, mesal view. 126. Right gonopod of Retrorsia simplicissima, n. sp., lateral view.