Atelomastix mainae, 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 : 25-26

Atelomastix mainae , sp. nov.

Figs. 5 , 64, 110, 111.

Atelomastix albanyensis Attems 1911: 194–195 (in part).

Type material: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: holotype male, Albany, Mount Clarence , 35°01’24”S, 117°53’53”E, hand collected under rotting logs and bark, 23 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 47955) . Paratypes: 9 males, 21 females, collected with holotype ( WAM T 69596) ; 1 male, collected with holotype ( WAM T 69589) .

Other material examined: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 6 males, collected with holotype ( WAM T69587, T69588, T69590- T 69593) ; 10 males, Albany, Mount Melville , 35°00’56”S, 117°52’05”E, hand collected under rotting logs and bark, 23 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69597-T69601, T69629– T 69633) ; 17 males, Albany, Torndirrup National Park , 35°05’17”S, 117°53’40”E, hand collected under rotting logs and bark, 23 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69585) ; 9 males, Albany, Torndirrup National Park , 35°05’17”S, 117°53’40”E, hand collected under rotting logs and bark, 23 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69575– T69578, T69580– T 69584) ; 1 male, Albany, Hamburger südwest-australischen Forschungsreise , Station 165, 35°01’S, 117°53’E, 13 August 1905, W. Michaelsen, R. Hartmeyer ( WAM 13 /7145; paralectotype of A. albanyensis ) ; 7 males, Elleker, Marbelup Nature Reserve , 34°59’11”S, 117°43’38”E, hand collected under rotting logs, 26 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69551–T69554, T69742, T69743, T69788) ; 3 males, Torbay, near West Cape Howe National Park , 35°04’45”S, 117°37’32”E, hand collected under rotting logs and bark of live karri trees, 25 July 2003, K.L. Edward, B.Y. Main ( WAM T 69564) ; 7 males, Torbay, near West Cape Howe National Park , 35°04’45”S, 117°37’32”E, hand collected under rotting logs and bark of live karri trees, 25 July 2003, K.L. Edward, B.Y. Main ( WAM T 69558–T69563, T69565) ; 6 males, Torbay, near West Cape Howe National Park , 35°04’39”S, 117°37’21”E, hand collected under rotting logs, 25 July 2003, K.L. Edward, B.Y. Main ( WAM T 69566– T 69571) ; 1 male, Torbay Head, Lot 40, west side of granite, 35°04’S, 117°37’E, wet pitfall trap, 20 April–14 May 1987, B.Y. Main ( WAM T 69574) .

Etymology: The specific epithet is a patronym in honour of Barbara York Main who has made significant contributions to our knowledge of historical biogeography in southwestern Western Australia.

Diagnosis: Atelomastix mainae is similar to A. attemsi , but differs in the shape and size of the lateral and medial processes of sclerite c. In this species the lateral and medial processes of sclerite c are asymmetrical with the lateral process longer and thinner than the medial process, whereas in A. attemsi the lateral process is broader and similar in length to the medial process. The basal process of sclerite b also differs in shape. Atelomastix mainae has a broad triangular process with a rounded tip 0.14 times the size of the main process, whereas A. attemsi has a longer, thinner process, 0.23 times the size of the main process.

Description: Male (holotype). Colour: Collum and anal segment dark brown; head, mouth parts, antennae, gonopod, ozopores and legs light golden-brown; prozonites blue-grey, metazonites brown to blue-grey.

Body: ca. 17 mm long and ca. 1.4 mm wide at collum. With 38 trunk segments, 65 pairs of legs, last 2 segments without legs.

Head: with ca. 29 ocelli ( Fig. 64), arranged in 4 rows (2: 5: 5: 7).

Gonopods: anterior gonopods ( Figs. 110, 111) small and complex in structure, 2.59 times longer than broad; sclerite a with swollen base and broad, curved distal hood; upper distal face of sclerite a with 18 short blunt setae; pseudoflagellum short, broad, and partially concealed within broadened distal hood; sclerite b elongate, curving to rounded hook at distal end, with 2–7 setae on subdistal edge (n=3); basal process of sclerite b short, triangular, with rounded end, 0.14 times length of main process; sclerite c shallowly bifurcate, same height as sclerite b, lateral and medial process asymmetrical, but both tapering to a blunt rounded tip, with 3–4 setae (n=3) positioned below division of lateral and medial processes; one setae present at sub basal end of sclerite c, where sclerites overlap; posterior gonopods inconspicuous, small, with several small setae on interno-lateral face of each gonopod.

Dimensions (mm): holotype male (paratype male, WAM T69589): length ca. 17, width ca. 1.3 (L/ W=13.1); sclerite a 0.928 / 0.358 (0.855 / 0.352), setae 18; sclerite b 0.410 (0.395), basal process of sclerite b 0.057 (0.053), setae 7 (2); sclerite c 0.590 (0.621), lateral process of sclerite c 0.137(0.131), medial process of sclerite c 0.074 (0.086), setae 3 (4).

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

Distribution and habitat: This species has a coastal distribution from Torbay to Albany along the south coast of Western Australia ( Fig. 5 ). Specimens can be found in mixed karri ( Eucalyptus diversicolor ) forest, mixed jarrah ( E. marginata ), blackbutt ( E. patens ) and marri ( Corymbia calophylla ) open woodland, and on granite outcrops. Collections of this species were from under rotting logs, under bark of fallen logs, under bark of live karri ( Eucalyptus diversicolor ) trees, and under leaf litter.

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. ().