Antichiropus georginae 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 : 31-33

Antichiropus georginae Car , n. sp.

( Figs 16 , 17 A–F)

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:648B7C31-211A-48CE-95B8-5BF7A02E2BBA

Type material examined. Australia: Western Australia: holotype male (damaged), 26 km WNW of Mt Berry , site WYE08, 22°25’31.1”S, 116°12’55.1”E, May 2004, ethylene glycol pitfall traps, CALM staff (Pilbara Biological Survey) ( WAM T145175 ) . Paratypes: 1 female, collected with holotype ( WAM T76076) 33.4 km SW. of); 1 male (badly damaged), 2 female, Mt Stuart Station , NE of the homestead, site WYE11, 22°24’29”S, 116°22’18”E, 26 November 2003 – 2 May 2004, ethylene glycol pitfall traps, CALM staff (Pilbara Biological Survey) ( WAM T75680) .

Other material examined. Australia: Western Australia: 1 male (damaged), Barlee Range Nature Reserve , site BR7 , 23°22’45”S, 115°52’50”E, 11–14 June 1994, dry pitfall traps, P.G. Kendrick and G.W. Kendrick ( WAM T71989) ; 1 male (badly damaged), Mt Stuart station , E of the homestead, site WYE10, 22°25’48”S, 116°16’47”E, 26 November 2003 – 2 May 2004, ethylene glycol pitfall traps, CALM staff ( Pilbara Biological Survey ) ( WAM T76144) ; 1 female (damaged), Pilbara Biological Survey site WYE 10, Mt Stuart Station , E. of homestead, 22°25’48”S, 116°16’47”E, 26 November 2003 – 2 May 2004, wet pitfall trap, CALM staff ( Pilbara Biological Survey ) ( WAM T76157) .

Diagnosis. Gonopod: Antichiropus georginae Car , n. sp. is very similar in appearance to A. uvulus Car , n. sp. ( Fig 38 ): A. georginae has, however, a small pointed process at the base of the main femoral process (anterior view) lacking in A. uvulus . The main femoral process is nearly half the length of the solenomere on the A. georginae gonopod but only 1/3 of solenomere length in A. uvulus .

Description. Male holotype: Body ca. 25 mm long; midbody ring ca. 2 mm wide, with distinct, smooth waist, prozonite and metazonite of similar width.

Colour (in alcohol) chestnut brown, cream ventrally ( Fig 17A ): leg colour, pale yellow-brown with chestnut brown tips. No paranota ( Fig 17B ).

Sternites without obvious processes/tubercles, sternal lamella square. Leg coxal processes absent. Anterior spiracles at midbody, small, ovoid, flat.

Head smooth without noticeable sculpturing; frons smooth with few setae; face narrow, cardines visible when viewed face-on, maximum width ca. 3x the distance between antennal sockets; sockets separated by ca. 2x width of socket.

Antennae short, reaching to collum, antennal segments of similar length and width.

Collum slightly shorter than head (in lateral view) ( Fig 17A ).

Gonopod short, reaching ring 6; coxa (C) slightly broader than femorite, with slight ridge on anterior surface; prefemur (PF) much shorter than femorite, setose, prefemoral lip pronounced; femorite (F) 2/3 acropodite length, upright, slightly thicker at apex; main femoral process (MFP) curved in the same orientation as solenomere, at least 2/3 femorite length, slightly broader at distal end, bird beak shaped with distinct asymmetrical point; second femoral process (fp1), small pointed process at base of the MFP, when viewed posteriory; second femoral process (fp1) absent; prolongation of femorite (prof) represented only by a transparent flange; femorite ending in a slight curve at distal end; solenomere (S) relatively short, broad and bulbous at base, dipping towards femorite, then forming an L-shape, narrowing to a distinct ‘waist’ near distal end, before terminating in a pincer-like structure; solenomere process (sp1) at solenomere tip, very small, upright pointed,; second solenomere process (sp2) near solenomere tip, relatively broad, pointed, leaf-shaped, forming pincer-like structure with solenomere tip ( Figs 17 C–F).

Female: Similar to the male, but generally more robust with shorter legs (WAM T75680).

Distribution. This species is known from a small area of the Pilbara, mainly Mt Stuart Station ( Fig 17 ).

Etymology. This species is named for Georgina Lambert, a dedicated volunteer in the Arachnology section of the Western Australian Museum.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Map showing the known distributions of A. cunicularis Car, n. sp., A. echinus Car, n. sp., A. filiolus Car, n. sp., A. forcipatus Car, n. sp., A. georginae Car, n. sp., and A. gibbus Car, n. sp.

FIGURE 17. Antichiropus georginae Car, n. sp.: A–B, holotype male (WAM T145175): 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; lp, lateral process; MFP, main femoral process; PF, prefemur; prof, prolongation of femorite; S, solenomere; sp1 and sp2, solenomere processes1 and 2. Scale bars: A = 2 mm; B = 2 mm; C–F = 0. 5 mm.

FIGURE 38. Antichiropus uvulus Car, n. sp., holotype male (WAM T71872): 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: F, femorite; fp1, second femoral process; MFP, main femoral process; PF, prefemur; prof, prolongation of femorite; S, solenomere; sp1 and sp2, solenomere processes 1 and 2. Scale bars: A = 2 mm; B = 1 mm; C–F = 0.5 mm.