Antichiropus apricus 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 : 16-17

Antichiropus apricus Car , n. sp.

( Figs 6 A–F, 11)

ZooBank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5D6A7C33-0161-4102-AC10-8D747AEE9F91

Type material examined. Australia: Western Australia: holotype male (damaged), Marble Bar, Iron Clad Hotel , 21°10’21”S, 119°44’43”E, 22 January 2012, hand collected from verandah, P. Bolton (Sulphur Springs MB59 ) ( WAM T144590 ) . Paratypes: 1 male, collected with holotype) ( WAM T120063 , GenBank accession number COI, MK 735886 ); 11 males (damaged), 3 females, Marble Bar, Iron Clad Hotel , 21°10’21”S, 119°44’43”E, 22 January 2012, hand collected from verandah, P. Bolton (Sulphur Springs MB59 ( WAM T146701 ).

Other material examined. Australia: Western Australia: 2 males, collected with holotype ( WAM T120061 ) ; 1 male, collected with holotype ( WAM T120062 ) ; 1 male, collected with holotype ( WAM T125295 , GenBank accession number 12S, MK 735769 ; 28S, MK 735827 ; COI, MK 735892 ; COIII, MK 735948 ; CytB, MK 735997 ) ; 1 female (damaged), 150 km W of Marble Bar , 21°05’53”S, 119°11’10”E, 25 January 2012, hand collected riverine area, P. Bolton (Sulphur Springs site 2-134) ( WAM T125297 ) .

Diagnosis. This species is recognised by its broad, squat, slightly bulbous femorite. Several other species have broad femorites but only one other species, A. verutus Car , n. sp. ( Fig 39 ) has a short, broad femorite. The latter has a distinctive, horizontally orientated main femoral process (MFP) which A. apricus Car , n. sp. does not.

Description. Male holotype: Body ca. 17 mm long; midbody ring ca. 1 mm wide, with shallow, smooth waist, metazonite and prozonite of similar width.

Colour (in alcohol) uniform dark chestnut brown, slightly paler ventrally ( Fig 6A ): leg colour dark chestnut brown, paler coxae. No paranota ( Fig 6B ).

Sternites without obvious processes/tubercles, sternal lamella broad, short, rectangular.

Leg coxal processes absent but for slight protuberances on leg pair 2. Anterior spiracles at midbody small, ovoid, flat.

Head smooth without noticeable sculpturing; frons almost devoid of setae; face broad, punctate, maximum width ca. 5x the distance between antennal sockets; sockets separated by ca. 1.5x width of socket.

Antennae of moderate length, reaching to ring 2, relatively robust, slightly clavate.

Collum ca. 0.6x as long as head (lateral view) ( Fig 6A ).

Gonopod short, reaching anterior edge of ring 6; coxa (C) shorter and more robust than femorite, with distinct ridge on anterior surface; prefemur (PF) much shorter than femorite, pronounced lip, setose where it joins coxa; femorite (F) 2/3 acropodite length, stout, widest at midpoint, narrower towards apex; main femoral process (MFP) moderately long, ca. 1/4 solenomere length, asymmetrically pointed; second femoral process (fp1) absent; prolongation of femorite (prof), broad, triangular, pointed; solenomere (S) relatively short, forming open loop, thinner than femorite, generally of similar thickness along length but slightly thicker mid-length; solenomere tip curved, broad, flattened, roundly pointed end; solenomere process (sp1) at solenomere tip, small, double-pointed ( Figs 6 C–F).

Female: Similar in colour and general appearance to male but body stouter (ca. 1.5 mm wide) and legs relatively shorter (WAM T120063).

Intraspecific variation in femorite shape. The gonopod femorites of all but one examined specimen fit the description given above. One specimen (WAM T120063) however, has a femorite of similar width along its length, narrowing to apex: it conforms to the species’ description in all other aspects of its gonopodal morphology.

Distribution. This species has been found only at the hotel in Marble Bar, one of the hottest places in Western Australia (Australian Bureau of Meteorology 2018) ( Fig 11 ).

Etymology. This millipede species survives at Marble Bar, where conditions are semi-arid and extremely hot.

The name reflects the species’ living conditions (Latin, adjective, apricus , exposed to the sun).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Antichiropus apricus Car, n. sp. holotype male (WAM T144590): 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;; MFP, main femoral process; PF, prefemur; prof, prolongation of femorite; S, solenomere; sp1, solenomere process 1. Scale bars: A = 2 mm; B = 1 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.

FIGURE 39. Antichiropus verutus Car, n. sp., holotype male (WAM T146806): 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; MFP, main femoral process; PF, prefemur; prof, prolongation of femorite; S, solenomere; sp1, solenomere process 1. Scale bars: A = 2 mm; B = 1 mm; C–F = 0.5 mm.