Tasmaniosoma warra, Mesibov, 2010

Mesibov, Robert, 2010, The millipede genus Tasmaniosoma Verhoeff, 1936 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Dalodesmidae) from Tasmania, Australia, with descriptions of 18 new species, ZooKeys 41 (4), pp. 31-80 : 73-74

Tasmaniosoma warra sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C2EDE9C4-E146-4F5B-A848-74068E27C92B

Figs 3A , 22 ; map Fig. 24

Holotype. Male, Australia, Tasmania, Huon River (Manuka Road), 43°05'36"S 146°43'03"E ( DN 769286) ± 100 m, 100 m, 29 April 1997, R. Mesibov, plot 1 R4 , QVM 23 :46037.

Paratypes. 1 male, details as for holotype, QVM 23 :46038 ; 1 female, details as for holotype but 43°05'42"S 146°42'41"E ( DN 764284) ± 100m, 110 m, plot 1 R1 , 28 April 1997, QVM 23 :46587 ; 1 female, same details but 43°05'49"S 146°42'28"E ( DN 761282) ± 100m, 80 m, 14 May 1997, plot 1M6, QVM 23 :46588 ; 1 male, same details but 43°05'36"S 146°42'45"E ( DN 765286) ± 100m, 130 m, 15 May 1997, plot 1 R5 , QVM 23 :46039 ; 1 female, same details but 43°05'33"S 146°42'41"E ( DN 764287) ± 100m, 140 m, plot 1 R6 , QVM 23 :46589 ; 1 female, Huon River (Arve Road), Tas, 43°5'56"S 146°44'45"E ( DN 792280) ± 100m, 170 m, plot 3M4, 20 May 1997, R. Mesibov, QVM 23 :46590 .

Other material examined. 12 males and 10 females from 16 other sites (see Appendix).

Diagnosis. Metatergites without tubercles; ring 6 sternite with discrete setal brushes on anterior margin; gonopod telopodite with stout, rod-like setae in longitudinal tract on posteromedial surface and two large, upright (distally directed) processes arising anterolaterally near apex, the taller, more lateral one Y-shaped, the more anterior one with broad, minutely dentate apical margin.

Description. Male/female approximate measurements: length 16/ 16 mm, ring 12 paranota width 1.8/ 2.2 mm. Male as for T. armatum in live colour, colour in alcohol and most non-gonopod details, but overall widths tergite 6>5>4>(3,2,head)>collum, ring 12 paranota 1.3 × as wide as prozonite, 6–7 small setae in transverse rows on midbody metatergites ( Fig. 3A ), ozopore opening very close to paranotal margin. Ring 6 sternite as for T. armatum , but with paired paramedian brushes of fine setae on anterior margin separated by shallow notch.

Gonopod telopodite ( Fig. 22 ) straight, slightly constricted just above base, with narrow buttress near base on anterolateral surface. Divided between 2/3 and 3/4 telopodite height into five processes (noted here lateral to medial): (a) large, anteroposteriorly flattened process, widely expanded distally, distal margin lower medially and minutely dentate, lateral end of margin broadly acuminate; (b) large, Y-shaped process, flattened anteroposteriorly, divided at ca 2/3 process height, tips roundly acuminate; (c) mediolaterally flattened laminate process, hook-shaped posteriorly; (d) solenomere with slender, distally directed, posteriorly curving distal branch and short, broad, posteriorly directed basal branch; (e) small, slender medial process arising basal to solenomere origin, directed posterodistally, with expanded, truncate tip. Posterodistally directed tract of 20–30 stout, rod-like setae on posteromedial surface from ca 1/3 to 2/3 telopodite height; small group of fine setae on posterolateral surface just above base; longitudinal row of 5–6 fine setae laterally at mid-height on telopodite. Prostatic groove running distally and slightly posteriorly on posteromedial surface to base of solenomere.

Female more robust than male; posterior margin of epigynum slightly elevated at both ends and produced medially as small, rounded triangle.

Distribution. Common in wet eucalypt forest (with and without a cool temperate rainforest understorey) over ca 2500 km 2 on the southeast Tasmanian mainland and on South Bruny Island, from near sea level to at least 370 m ( Fig. 24 ). On the Tasmanian mainland, not yet found more than a few kilometres north of Grove, south of Dover or west of Mt Weld. Co-occurs with T. bruniense sp. n. on Bruny Island; possibly parapatric with T. australe sp. n., as the two species occur within ca 7 km of each other and have not yet been found together.

Etymology. Noun in apposition, for the type locality in the Warra Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site in the Southern Forests.

Figures

Figure 3. A, B Dorsal views of ring 12 metatergite of A Tasmaniosoma warra sp. n., paratype male QVM 23:46038, showing smooth surface, and B T. barbatulum sp. n., paratype male ex QVM 23:51512, showing three transverse rows of large, low, contiguous tubercles. C, D Ventral views of legpair 2 of C T. armatum Verhoeff, 1936, topotypical female ex QVM 23:46567, and D T. australe sp. n., paratype female ex QVM 23:46575, showing prefemoral swelling (s) and peg-like projection (p). Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Figure 22. Tasmaniosoma warra sp. n., paratype male, QVM 23:46038 A and voucher male QVM 23:46040 B–D. A Right posterolateral view of gonopods in situ B medial, C anterior and D lateral views of right gonopod telopodite. Setation not shown in B–D; dashed line marks course of prostatic groove. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

Figure 24. A Localities as of 31 January 2010 for Tasmaniosoma alces sp. n. (filled triangles), T. aureorivum sp. n. (crosses), T. australe sp. n. (filled squares), T.bruniense sp. n. (stars), T. hesperium sp. n. (open circles), T. laccobium sp. n. (open triangle), T. maria sp. n. (filled circles) and T. warra sp. n. (open squares). See also Fig. 23. Scale bar = 50 km. (B) Map of Tasmania showing location of main map (rectangle).