Atelomastix ellenae, Edward & Harvey, 2010

Edward, Karen L. & Harvey, Mark S., 2010, A review of the Australian millipede genus Atelomastix (Diplopoda: Spirostreptida: Iulomorphidae) 2371, Zootaxa 2371 (1), pp. 1-63 : 17-18

Atelomastix ellenae , sp. nov.

Figs. 6 , 56 , 92, 93.

Type material: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: holotype male, Walpole, reserve next to Rose Road along the Valley of the Giants Road , Walpole-Nornalup National Park , 34°56’5”S, 116°55’03”E, hand collected under rotting logs and bark, 29 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 47954) . Paratypes: 5 males, 10 females, collected with holotype ( WAM T 69668) ; 1 male, Denmark, Hicks Road Reserve, corner of Hicks Road and Lindsay Road , 34°54’32”S, 117°18’57”E, hand collected under rotting logs, 27 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69664) ; 4 males, 12 females, Denmark, Mount Hallowell, Sheila Hill Memorial track, 35°00’12”S, 117°19’39”E, hand collected under rotting logs, 24 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69644) .

Other material examined: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 1 male, collected with holotype ( WAM T 69667) ; 15 males, Denmark , 34°59’14”S, 117°20’48”E, hand collected in karri, marri forest, 8 July 2003, M.S. Harvey, F. Harvey, E. Harvey, K.L. Edward, R. Teale ( WAM T 69813) ; 8 males, Walpole, corner of Plain street and South Coast Highway , 34°58’21”S, 116°42’51”E, hand collected in karri, marri forest, 10 July 2003, K.L. Edward, R. Teale ( WAM T 69814) ; 4 males, Denmark, Hicks Road Reserve, corner of Hicks Road and Lindsay Road , 34°54’32”S, 117°18’57”E, hand collected under rotting logs, 27 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T69662, T69663, T69665, T69666) ; 9 males, Denmark, Mount Hallowell, Sheila Hill Memorial track, 35°00’12”S, 117°19’39”E, hand collected under rotting logs, 24 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69636– T69643, T69645) ; 12 males, Denmark, Harewood forest walk, Scotsdale Road , 34°55’34”S, 117°17’20”E, hand collected under logs, in soil, 27 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69646–T69652, T69654) ; 7 males, Denmark, Frankland River, W of bridge along South Coast Highway , 34°59’42”S, 116°48’38”E, hand collected under logs, 27 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69655– T 69660) ; 3 males, 19 females, Walpole, Tree Top Walk , 34°58’48”S, 116°53’31”E, hand collected under rotting logs and leaf litter, 29 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69671) ; 1 male, 1 female, Kordabup Nature Reserve , 34°57’39”S, 117°09’43”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 30 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T69673, T69674) ; 1 male, 10 females, Denmark, Scotsdale Road Reserve , 34°54’49”S, 117°15’11”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 26 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69675) ; 1 male, Lindsay Road , 3km W of William Road intersection, 34°52’22”S, 117°17’00”E, hand collected under logs, 23 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69681) ; 1 male, Bow Bridge area , 1.5km W of Kent River, 34°57’56”S, 117°03’18”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 9 July 2003, M.S. Harvey, F. Harvey, E. Harvey, K.L. Edward, R. Teale ( WAM T 69679) .

Etymology: The specific epithet is a patronym in honour of Ellen Harvey, who helped collect specimens of this species from southwestern Western Australia.

Diagnosis: Atelomastix ellenae can be distinguished from all other Atelomastix by the distinct morphology of the anterior gonopods. Gonopods of this species exhibit reduced setal numbers and simplification of the sclerite shape. Sclerites a and c are only slightly curved toward the distal end, sclerite a has a small distal hood and a small exposed pseudoflagellum, and sclerite b is relatively straight and thin.

Description: Male (holotype). Colour: head, antennae, gonopods, legs, ozopores and anal valves light yellow-brown, anterior section of collum and anal segment darker; prozonites light blue grey, metazonites golden brown.

Body: ca. 12 mm long and 1.0 mm wide at collum. With 39 trunk segments, 67 pairs of legs, last 2 segments without legs.

Head: with ca. 12 ocelli ( Fig. 56 ), arranged in 3 rows (3: 4: 5).

Gonopods: very pale and weakly sclerotised, anterior gonopods ( Figs. 92, 93) relatively small and simplified in structure, 2.92 times longer than wide; sclerite a with swollen base that narrows sub-distally, and broadens slightly at distal end; lower surface of distal end rough in texture and 6 short blunt setae on distal face of sclerite a; pseudoflagellum extends to distal end of sclerite a where it is entirely exposed; sclerite b thin, short, relatively straight, and tapers to a point, usually with one setae positioned on sub-distal edge (range 0–1, n=7); basal process of sclerite b very small and round, only 0.09 times length of main process; sclerite c shorter than other sclerites, curves slightly to thin, blunt, rounded tip, swollen medial section exhibits 4–5 long setae situated close to one another (n=7); lacks sub basal setae where sclerites overlap; posterior gonopods inconspicuous, small, and exhibit numerous small setae on interno-lateral face of each gonopod.

Dimensions (mm): holotype male (paratype male, WAM T69664): length ca. 12, width ca. 1.0 (L/W=12); sclerite a 0.770 / 0.264 (0.824 / 0.352), setae 6 (11); sclerite b 0.347 (0.352), basal process of sclerite b 0.031 (0.010), setae 1 (1); sclerite c 0.476 (0.483), setae 4 (5).

Female. Similar to male, other than sexual characters, and slightly larger.

Distribution and habitat: This species has been recorded from localities between Walpole to Denmark along the south coast of Western Australia ( Fig. 6 ). Specimens were found in a number of different habitats from tall karri ( Eucalyptus diversicolor ) forests to mixed open jarrah ( E. marginata )/marri ( Corymbia calophylla ) woodlands, and were collected under rotting logs, bark, and soil. This species occurs in sympatry with Atelomastix francesae at a number of locations within its distribution. In some instances individuals of both species have been found under the same rotting log and show evidence of character displacement with A. francesae exhibiting a significantly larger body size compared with A. ellenae ( Edward, 2003) .

Figures

FIGURES 4–6. Recorded distributions of Atelomastix species: 4: A. nigrescens Attems (●) and A. bamfordi, sp. nov. (․); 5: A. danksi, sp. nov. (●), A. francesae, sp. nov. (․), A. julianneae, sp. nov. (♦), A. mainae, sp. nov. (), A. rubricephala, sp. nov. () and A. tigrina, sp. nov. (̝); 6: A. albanyensis Attems (●), A. attemsi, sp. nov. (․), A. ellenae, sp. nov. (♦), A. montana, sp. nov. (), A. poustiei, sp. nov. () and A. tumula, sp. nov. ().

FIGURES 48–59. Lateral view of head: 48: Atelomastix albanyensis Attems, male from Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, Western Australia (WAM T76043); 49: A. anancita, sp. nov., male holotype from Cape Arid National Park, Western Australia (WAM T83177); 50: A. attemsi, sp. nov., male paratype from Millinup Pass, Porongurup Range National Park, Western Australia (WAM T69763); 51: A. bamfordi, sp. nov., male paratype from Mount Jackson, Western Australia (WAM T86852); 52: A. brennani, sp. nov., male holotype from Mount Le Grand, Le Grand National Park, Western Australia (WAM T83222); 53: A. culleni, sp. nov., male paratype from Mount Groper, Western Australia (WAM T78621); 54: A. danksi, sp. nov., male paratype from Toolbrunup Peak, Stirling Range National Park, Western Australia (WAM T70203); 55: A. dendritica, sp. nov., male holotype from Woody Island, Recherche Archipelago, Western Australia (WAM T47933); 56: A. ellenae, sp. nov., male paratype from Walpole, Valley of the Giants Road, Western Australia (WAM T69668); 57: A. flavognatha, sp. nov., male holotype from Quaalup Homestead, Western Australia (WAM T73955); 58: A. francesae, sp. nov., male holotype from near Tree Top Walk, Walpole, Western Australia (WAM T47953); 59: A. gibsoni, sp. nov., male holotype from Ravensthorpe Ranges, Western Australia (WAM T83220).