Atelomastix rubricephala, 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 : 33-34

Atelomastix rubricephala , sp. nov.

Figs. 2 , 5 , 23–33 , 71, 128, 129.

Type material: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: holotype male, S. of Mount Manypeaks, Waychinicup Nature Reserve , 34°54’29”S, 118°16’07”E, hand collected in gully, 14 March 2005, M.S. Harvey, J.M. Waldock, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 71606) . Paratypes: Waychinicup Nature Reserve : 2 males, collected with holotype ( WAM T71607, T72608) ; 8 males, 13 females, collected with holotype ( WAM T 69936) ; 1 male, Robinsons Gully, Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve , 34°59’30”S, 118°11’52”E, hand collected under granite rocks, 28 May 2004, M.S. Harvey ( WAM T 71759) .

Other material examined: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 4 males, 9 females, Waychinicup Nature Reserve , gully, 34°54’14”S, 118°23’57”E, hand collected under leaf litter, 24 October 2006, M.L. Moir, A. Sampey ( WAM T 78632– T 78633) ; 1 male, gully, Waychinicup Nature Reserve , 34°54’14”S, 118°23’57”E, tullgren funnel, under leaf litter, 24 October 2006, M.L. Moir, A. Sampey ( WAM T 81064) ; 3 males, 4 females, Mount Manypeaks, granite outcrop, Waychinicup Nature Reserve , 34°53’45”S, 118°18’07”E, hand collected under leaf litter, 26 October 2006, M.L. Moir, A. Sampey ( WAM T 78767– T 78768) ; 5 females, Mount Manypeaks, granite outcrop, Waychinicup Nature Reserve , 34°54’02”S, 118°15’58”E, hand collected under granite rock, 1 December 2006, M.L. Moir, K.E.C. Brennan, B. Atkinson ( WAM T 78769– T 78770) ; 7 males, 9 females, Mount Manypeaks, gully near summit, Waychinicup Nature Reserve , 34°53’49”S, 118°15’57”E, hand collected under logs, 1 December 2006, M.L. Moir, K.E.C. Brennan, B. Atkinson ( WAM T 78773– T 78774) ; 4 females, Mount Manypeaks, Waychinicup Nature Reserve , 34°53’57"S, 118°15’43"E, hand collected under logs and rocks, 1 December 2006, M.L. Moir, K.E.C. Brennan, B. Atkinson ( WAM T 78775– T 78776) ; 2 males, 3 females, Waychinicup Nature Reserve , 34°54’12”S, 118°23’59”E, hand collected under leaf litter, 24 October 2006, M.L. Moir, A. Sampey ( WAM T 78626– T 78627) ; 4 males, 2 females, Waychinicup Nature Reserve , 34°54’12”S, 118°23’59”E, tullgren funnel, under leaf litter, 24 October 2006, M.L. Moir, A. Sampey ( WAM T 81065) ; 3 males, 3 females, S. of Mount Manypeaks, Surprise Gully , 34°54’11”S, 118°23’57”E, hand collected under leaf litter, 13 March 2007, M.L. Moir et al. ( WAM T 78955) ; 1 male, Robinsons Gully, Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve , 34°59’30”S, 118°11’52”E, hand collected under granite rocks, 28 May 2004, M.S. Harvey ( WAM T 71760) ; 3 males, 5 females, Robinsons Gully, Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve , 34°59’30”S, 118°11’52”E, hand collected under granite rocks, 28 May 2004, M.S. Harvey ( WAM T 69939) ; 2 males, 4 females, Fishermans gully, Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve , 35°00’37”S, 118°11’30”E, hand collected, 19 October 2006, M.L. Moir, J.M. Waldock ( WAM T 78605– T 78606) ; 3 females, Fishermans gully, Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve , 35°00’37”S, 118°11’30”E, Tullgren funnel, 19 October 2006, M.L. Moir, J.M. Waldock ( WAM T 81067) ; 6 males, 4 females, Fishermans gully, Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve , 35°00’39”S, 118°11’25”E, hand collected under leaf litter, 19 October 2006, M.L. Moir, J.M. Waldock ( WAM T 78603– T 78604) ; 1 male, 12 females, Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve , granite outcrop, 35°00’20”S, 118°11’10”E, hand collected under granite rocks, 19 October 2006, M.L. Moir, J.M. Waldock ( WAM T 78607– T 78608) ; 3 males, 4 females, Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve , granite outcrop, 34°59’18”S, 118°11’44”E, hand collected under granite rocks, 14 October 2006, M.L. Moir, J.M. Waldock ( WAM T 78593– T 78594) ; 5 males, 6 females, Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve , marri forest, 34°59’11”S, 118°11’28”E, hand collected in marri leaf litter, 14 October 2006, M.L. Moir, J.M. Waldock ( WAM T 78595– T 78596) ; 6 males, 15 females, Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, marri forest, Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve , 34°59’11”S, 118°11’28”E, tullgren funnel, under leaf litter, 14 October 2006, M.L. Moir, J.M. Waldock ( WAM T 81066) ; 3 males, 4 females, Robinson’s gully, Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve , 34°59’41”S, 118°11’58”E, hand collected in sedges, 14 October 2006, M.L. Moir, J.M. Waldock ( WAM T 78591– T 78592) ; 1 male, 8 females, Wayslot gully, Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve , 35°00’12”S, 118°11’02”E, hand collected under logs, 19 October 2006, M.L. Moir, J.M. Waldock ( WAM T 78601– T 78602) .

Etymology: This species is named for its distinctive red head (rubra-, Latin, red; kephale, Greek, head).

Diagnosis: This species is characterised by a distinctive red head and collum, and grey brown body. The shape of the male gonopod sclerites is also distinctive. Atelomastix rubricephala has a medially bifurcated sclerite c, with the medial process much longer and broader than the smaller lateral process. Sclerite b is broad, straight, and the tip is longer and extends beyond sclerite c.

Description: Male (holotype). Colour ( Fig. 2 ): live specimens with red head and collum fading slightly when preserved, legs yellow-brown, anal segment brown, prozonites grey-brown, metazonites dark brown to pale grey in preserved specimens.

Body: ca. 30 mm long and ca. 1.9 mm wide at collum. With 50 trunk segments, 89 pairs of legs, last 2 segments without legs.

Head ( Figs. 23, 25 ): with ca. 30 ocelli ( Fig. 71), arranged in 4 rows (5: 8: 8: 9).

Gonopods: anterior gonopods ( Figs. 29–33 , 128, 129) lightly sclerotised, 2.5 times longer than broad; sclerite a with swollen base and curved distal hood; upper distal face of sclerite a with 10–12 (n=3) short blunt setae; pseudoflagellum short and distally visible; sclerite b flat, broad, and distally rounded, 9–15 (n=3) distal setae; basal process of sclerite b very small, 0.009 times length of main process; sclerite c bifurcate, lateral process much smaller than broad medial process, 4 setae (n=3) in row below bifurcation and 1–3 (n=3) on medial process; 1–3 (n=3) sub-basal setae where sclerites overlap and group of 10 (n=3) short setae subbasally 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 T71607): length ca. 30 (32), width ca. 1.9 (1.8), L/W=15.5 (17.3); sclerite a 1.136 / 0.448 (1.088/0456), setae 10 (12); sclerite b 0.491 (0.445), basal process of sclerite b 0.01 (0.02), setae 15 (11); sclerite c 0.803 (0.0.773), setae 5 (7).

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

Distribution and habitat: This species has been collected from a number of sites beneath granite rocks, in marri ( Corymbia calophylla ) leaf litter, and amongst sedges in Waychinicup Nature Reserve and Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, east of Albany ( Fig. 5 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. 1: Atelomastix montana, sp. nov., from Stirling Range National Park, Western Australia (WAM T54251); 2: Atelomastix rubricephala, sp. nov., from Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, Western Australia (WAM T69939); 3: Atelomastix tigrina, sp. nov., from Stirling Range National Park, Western Australia (WAM T74312).

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 23–28. Atelomastix rubricephala, sp. nov., male and female from Waychinicup Nature Reserve, Western Australia (WAM T78633), scanning electron micrographs: 23: head, female, anterior view; 24: anal somite, female, posterior view; 25: Gnathochilarium, male, ventral view; 26: distal edge of gnathochilarium, male, ventral view; 27: second leg pair, male; 28: tip of leg 2, male.

FIGURES 29–33. Atelomastix rubricephala, sp. nov., male from Waychinicup Nature Reserve, Western Australia (WAM T78633), scanning electron micrographs, anterior gonopods: 29: entire right gonopod, internolateral aspect; 30: entire left gonopod, externolateral aspect; 31: group of short setae positioned sub-basally on sclerite c, internolateral aspect of right gonopod; 32: distal tip of right gonopod, internolateral aspect; 33: distal tip of left gonopod, externolateral aspect.