Atelomastix gibsoni, 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 : 21-22

Atelomastix gibsoni , sp. nov.

Figs. 7 , 59 , 100, 101.

Type material: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: holotype male, Ravensthorpe Ranges South , 235 m elevation, 33°38’02”S, 120°10’55”E, hand collected under rocks, 15 May 2007, M.C. Leng, M.L. Moir, S. Comer ( WAM T 83220) . Paratypes: 3 males, 5 females, collected with holotype ( WAM T 80858) ; 4 males, 3 females, Mount Chester, Ravensthorpe Ranges South , 319 m elevation, 33°36’18”S, 120°08’34”E, hand collected under rocks, 10 September 2007, M.C. Leng ( WAM T 81295) ; 4 males, 8 females, Ravensthorpe Ranges South , 176 m elevation, 33°34’51”S, 120°08’17”E, hand collected under rock, 12 September 2007, M.C. Leng, J. Newell ( WAM T 81299) ; 1 male, 6 females, Mount Desmond Lookout, Ravensthorpe Ranges South , 336 m elevation, 33°36’51”S, 120°09’08”E, hand collected in leaf litter and under rock, 13 September 2007, M.C. Leng, J. Newell ( WAM T 81292) .

Other material examined: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 1 female, collected with holotype ( WAM T 80857) ; 4 males, 3 females, 14 juveniles, Mount Chester, Ravensthorpe Ranges South , 319 m elevation, 33°36’18”S, 120°08’34”E, tullgren funnel leaf litter extraction, 24 May 2007, M.C. Leng, M.L. Moir ( WAM T 80994) ; 24 males, 24 females, Mount Chester, Ravensthorpe Ranges South , 319 m elevation, 33°36’18”S, 120°08’34”E, hand collected under rocks, 10 September 2007, M.C. Leng ( WAM T 80988) ; 10 males, 7 females, Mount Desmond Lookout, Ravensthorpe Ranges South , 336 m elevation, 33°36’51”S, 120°09’08”E, hand collected in leaf litter and under rock, 16 May 2007, M.C. Leng, M.L. Moir ( WAM T80863, T80862) ; 10 males, 26 females, Mount Desmond Lookout, Ravensthorpe Ranges South , 336 m elevation, 33°36’51”S, 120°09’08”E, tullgren funnel leaf litter extraction, 16 May 2007, M.C. Leng, M.L. Moir ( WAM T 80866) ; 13 males, 16 females, Ravensthorpe Ranges South , 242 m elevation, 33°37’06”S, 120°09’45”E, hand collected in leaf litter, under rotting logs and bark, 15 May 2007, M.C. Leng, M.L. Moir ( WAM T 80851– T 80852) ; 2 males, 10 females, Ravensthorpe Ranges South , 253 m elevation, 33°36’56”S, 120°09’43”E, hand collected in leaf litter and under bark, 16 May 2007, M.C. Leng, M.L. Moir ( WAM T 80859– T 80860) ; 17 males, 12 females, Ravensthorpe Ranges South , 155 m elevation, 33°34’34”S, 120°08’29”E, hand collected in leaf litter and under rock, 19 May 2007, M.C. Leng, M.L. Moir ( WAM T 80913– T 80914) ; 12 males, 7 females, Ravensthorpe Ranges South , 218 m elevation, 33°38’19”S, 120°11’16”E, hand collected in leaf litter and under rock, 28 May 2007, M.C. Leng, M.L. Moir ( WAM T 88779– T 88781, 81013 ) ; 8 males, 13 females, Ravensthorpe Ranges Mid , 152 m elevation, 33°34’45”S, 120°09’25”E, hand collected in leaf litter and under rock, 24 May 2007, M.C. Leng, M.L. Moir ( WAM T 81004) ; 28 males, 39 females, Ravensthorpe Ranges Mid , 201 m elevation, 33°34’59”S, 120°07’36”E, hand collected in leaf litter and under rock, 28 May 2007, M.C. Leng, M.L. Moir ( WAM T81027–81028 ) ; 41 males, 43 females, Ravensthorpe Ranges North , 279 m elevation, 33°32’35”S, 120°06’17”E, hand collected in leaf litter and under rock, 21 May 2007, M.C. Leng, M.L. Moir ( WAM T 80945– T 80946) ; 30 males, 16 females, Archer Drive Lookout, Ravensthorpe Ranges North , 383 m elevation, 33°30’55”S, 120°02’52”E, hand collected in leaf litter and under rock, 22 May 2007, M.C. Leng, M.L. Moir ( WAM T 80962– T 80963) ; 3 males, 7 females, Ravensthorpe Ranges North , 379 m elevation, 33°31’13”S, 120°03’34”E, hand collected under rock, 23 May 2007, M.C. Leng, M.L. Moir ( WAM T 80976) ; 6 males, 20 females, Ravensthorpe Ranges North , 314 m elevation, 33°31’48”S, 120°04’20”E, hand collected in leaf litter and under rocks, 23 May 2007, M.C. Leng, M.L. Moir ( WAM T 80978) ; 1 male, Ravensthorpe Ranges North , 314 m elevation, 33°31’48”S, 120°04’20”E, tullgren funnel leaf litter extraction, 23 May 2007, M.C. Leng, M.L. Moir ( WAM T 80981) .

Etymology: This species is named for Neil Gibson, who facilitated a research project in the Ravensthorpe Range in which many Atelomastix specimens were collected.

Diagnosis: Atelomastix gibsoni differs from all other species of the genus as the male gonopod sclerite b is greatly enlarged distally forming a large wedge-shape that extends to overlap the broad distal hood of sclerite a. Sclerite c is reduced in size, broad sub-distally and tapering slightly to a broad slightly curved tip, with a slight concavity on the externo-lateral surface where setae are situated.

Description: Male (holotype). Colour: generally chocolate-brown, legs, anal segment, and antennae light brown, mouthparts slightly lighter; prozonites chocolate brown, metazonites chocolate brown to light fawn in preserved specimens.

Body: ca. 24 mm long and ca. 1.8 mm wide at collum. With 56 trunk segments, 101 pairs of legs, last 2 segments without legs.

Head: with ca. 34 ocelli ( Fig. 59 ), arranged in 6 rows (2: 7: 7: 7: 6: 5).

Gonopods: anterior gonopods ( Figs. 100, 101) with medium sclerotisation, 2.3 times longer than broad; sclerite a with swollen base that forms broad, curved distal hood that overlaps and extends beyond tip of sclerite b; upper distal face of sclerite a with 24–30 (n=2) short blunt setae; pseudoflagellum relatively short and partially visible beneath broad distal hood; sclerite b very broad and enlarged distally, forming a wedge shape, with 4–8 (n=2) short setae; basal process of sclerite b very short, 0.01 times length of main process; sclerite c shorter than sclerite b, slightly concave on externo-lateral surface, slightly tapering to blunt rounded tip, with 1 seta on interno-lateral side of sclerite c and 5 setae within externo-lateral concavity of sclerite c (n=2); subbasal setae absent where sclerites overlap and group of 10–12 (n=2) short setae sub-basally on sclerite c; posterior gonopods inconspicuous, small, with several small setae on interno-lateral face of each gonopod.

Dimensions (mm): holotype male (paratype male, WAM T80858): length ca. 24, width ca. 1.5, L/W=16.0; sclerite a 0.944 / 0.419 (0.880 / 0.416), setae 24 (30); sclerite b 0.320 (0.294), basal process of sclerite b 0.01 (0.01), setae 4 (8); sclerite c 0.582 (0.563), setae 1+5 (1+5).

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

Distribution and habitat: This species is known from a number of sites in the Ravensthorpe Ranges ( Fig. 7 ) characterised by Hakea, Banksia , Eucalyptus woodlands and mallee heath and was found amongst leaf litter and under rotting logs, bark and rocks.

Figures

FIGURES 7–9. Recorded distributions of Atelomastix species: 7: A. brennani, sp. nov. (●), A. culleni, sp. nov. (․), A. flavognatha, sp. nov. (♦), A. gibsoni, sp. nov. () and A. melindae, sp. nov. (̝); 8: A. anancita, sp. nov. (●), A. dendritica, sp. nov. (․), A. lengae, sp. nov. (♦), A. longbottomi, sp. nov. () and A. priona, sp. nov. (̝); 9: A. grandis, sp. nov. (●), A. psittacina, sp. nov. (․) and A. sarahae, 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).