Antichiropus vindicatus 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 : 66-67

Antichiropus vindicatus Car , n. sp.

( Figs 40 A–F, 41)

ZooBank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:535FB477-5E89-4BD6-A63A-CABCB96B43BB

Type material examined. Australia: Western Australia: holotype male (damaged) 36 km NW. of Balfour Downs Homestead, Pilbara Biological Survey site BDRN11 , 22°30’59”S, 120°39’34”E, 11 September 2005 – 16 May 2006 , ethylene glycol pitfall trap, CALM staff (Pilbara Biological Survey) ( WAM T146791 ) . Paratypes: 2 males, 1 juvenile (damaged), collected with holotype ( WAM T124599 ); 1 male (damaged, posterior segments missing), 23 km NNW. of Balfour Downs Homestead, Pilbara Biological Survey site BDRN05 , 22°36’12”S, 120°47’00”E, 10 September 2005 – 14 May 2006 ethylene glycol pitfall trap, CALM staff (Pilbara Biological Survey) ( WAM T124622 ) .

Diagnosis. The gonopods of A. vindicatus Car , n. sp. and A. procerus Car , n. sp. ( Fig 29 ) are very similar to each other but may be separated from each other by the shape of the prolongation of the femorite: A. procerus has a triangular, pointed curved structure whereas that of A. vindicatus is large, broad, irregularly-shaped with a blunt tip. The solenomere tip of A. vindicatus has only one well-developed pointed process just behind the tip: A. procerus has a relatively broader, more leaf-like solenomere tip, also carrying a process, but the well-developed process just behind the tip is branched with two distinct points.

Description. Male holotype: Body ca. 15 mm long (hind segments missing); midbody ring ca. 2 mm wide, with distinct, smooth waist, prozonite and metazonite of similar width.

Colour (in alcohol) pale brown overall, possibly bleached ( Fig 40A ); leg colour as for body. No paranota on posterior rings, barely visible on anterior ( Fig 40B .).

Sternites without obvious processes/tubercles, sternal lamella broad, mushroom shaped. Leg coxal processes absent. Anterior spiracles at midbody small, flat.

Head smooth, without noticeable sculpturing; frons relatively short, face relatively narrow, maximum width ca. 3x the distance between antennal sockets; sockets separated by ca. 2x width of socket.

Antennae slender, short, reaching to posterior edge of collum, not obviously clavate, terminal antennal segment only slightly broader than remaining segments. Collum 1x as long as head, triangular (in lateral view) ( Fig 40A ).

Gonopod of medium length, reaching posterior edge of ring 5; coxa (C) robust,>1/2 length of femorite with no obvious ridge; prefemur (PF) shorter than femorite with pronounced lip; femorite (F) ca. 2/3 of acropodite length in situ, long, slightly curved (in lateral view), much broader than solenomere, narrowest at base, broadening to base of solenomere where it narrows; main femoral process (MFP) ca. 1/4 solenomere length, irregularly shaped, flattened with a sharp point; prolongation of femorite (prof) large, broad, triangular, translucent, slightly curved, coming to a point, ca. 1/3 solenomere length; solenomere (S) broader mid length; moderately long reaching down to middle of femorite, more slender at base and close to apex; solenomere tip relatively broad and flattened; solenomere process 1 (sp1) minute spine near tip; solenomere process 2 (sp2) at point at which solenomere tip flattens out, two-pronged pointed process ( Figs 40 C–F).

Female: Unknown.

Distribution. This species was found in the Balfour Downs region of the Pilbara ( Fig 41 ).

Etymology. The specimens in this species were initially thought to belong to Antichiropus procerus Car , n. sp., but, because they had a different distribution from A. procerus , doubts were raised as to whether they were not, in fact, a separate species. On closer examination, those doubts were justified (Latin, adverb, vindicatus , justified).

Figures

FIGURE 29. Antichiropus procerus Car, n. sp., holotype male (WAM T144538):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 and sp2, solenomere processes 1 and 2. Scale bars: A = 2 mm; B = 1 mm; C–F = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 40. Antichiropus vindicatus Car, n. sp., holotype male (WAM T146791): 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; MFP, main femoral process; PF, prefemur; prof, prolongation of femorite; S, solenomere; sp1 and sp2 solenomere processes 1 and 2.: A = 2 mm; B = 1 mm; C–F = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 41. Map showing the known distributions of A. servulus Car, n. sp., A. simmonsi Car, n. sp., A. sloanae Car, n. sp., A. spathion Car, n. sp., A. uvulus Car, n. sp., A. verutus Car, n. sp. and A. vindicatus Car, n. sp.