Ovaskella sinuosa, Shear & Richart & Wong, 2020

Shear, William A., Richart, Casey H. & Wong, Victoria L., 2020, The millipede family Conotylidae in northwestern North America, with a complete bibliography of the family (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Heterochordeumatidea, Conotyloidea), Zootaxa 4753 (1), pp. 1-78 : 26

Ovaskella sinuosa , new species

Figs. 92–101

Types: Male holotype, five male and four female paratypes from WASHINGTON: Skamania Co., Cape Horn , Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area , elev. 58 m., 45.5747°N, - 122.1933°W, collected 19 November 2004, by W. Leonard .

Diagnosis: The slightly sinuous, sharp-tipped gonopods, coupled with a markedly reduced fimbriate branch and blunt tip on the posterior gonopod coxites distinguish this species from all others.

Etymology: The species is named for the sinuous appearance of the anterior gonopods. The species epithet is an adjective.

Description: Paratype male from Cape Horn: Length, 10.5 mm. 22 ocelli in triangular eyepatch. Metazonites with low shoulders on rings 4–26. Color pale tan, without darker spotting or mottling. Legpairs one and two reduced, three to seven enlarged, with mesal knobs on femora of legpairs four to seven; absent on femora 3, angular or coarsely toothed ( Figs. 95–99 ). Anterior gonopods ( Figs. 92 , 100 ) tapering to acute tip, slightly sinuously curved. Posterior gonopod coxites ( Figs. 90, 91 , 101 ) bearing reduced, only slightly fimbriate branch distal of midlength, terminating bluntly, with concavity receiving tip of fimbriate branch, minutely toothed on lateral edge. Legpair 10 coxae of normal size, with small glands, legpair 11 femora with long, thin, dorsally directed knobs.

Female 10.0 mm long, similar to male in nonsexual characters.

Distribution: In addition to the type locality: OREGON: Multnomah Co., 2 mi W of Warrendale, Ainsworth State Park, elev. ca. 45 m, ca. 45.595°N, - 122.051°W (estimated coordinates taken from Ainsworth State Park parking lot), 12 December 2002, W. Leonard, m (CAS).

Notes: Cape Horn is a massive basalt cliff outcrop located on the Washington side of the Columbia River , approximately 10 miles upriver from Washougal, Washington. A popular hiking trail provides access .

In Fig. 101 , the mass at the base of the anterior gonopod posterior branch, with clusters of needle-like crystals, is an artifact that could not be removed by ultrasonic cleaning.

Figures

FIG. 89–99. Ovaskella spp. Figs. 89–91. Ovaskella ovaskae. Fig. 89. Anterior gonopods, posterior view. Fig. 90. Left posterior gonopod, posterior view. Fig. 91. Left posterior gonopod coxite, posterior view. Figs. 92–99. Ovaskella sinuosa. Fig. 92. Right anterior gonopod, posterior view. Fig. 93. Right posterior gonopod coxite, posterior view. Fig. 94. Tip of right posterior gonopod coxite, posterior view. Figs. 95–99. Male legs 3–7, respectively.

FIGS. 100–104. Ovaskella ovaskae and Vancouvereuma shawi. Figs. 100, 101. Ovaskella sinuosa. Fig. 100.Anterior gonopods, posterior view. Fig. 101. Right posterior gonopod coxite, posterior view. Figs. 102–104. Vancouvereuma shawi. Fig. 102. Anterior gonopods, posterior view. Fig. 103. Right posterior gonopod coxite, posterior view. Fig. 104. Posterior gonopods, posterior view.