Anaulacodesmus panterae, Parra-Gómez & Pérez-Schultheiss & Means & Ivanov, 2023

Parra-Gómez, Antonio, Pérez-Schultheiss, Jorge, Means, Jackson C. & Ivanov, Kaloyan, 2023, Two new species of Anaulacodesmus Attems, 1898 (Polydesmida: Dalodesmidae) from temperate forest fragments in southern Chile, Revista Chilena de Entomología (Rev. Chil. Entomol.) 49 (3), pp. 557-569 : 559-562

Anaulacodesmus panterae sp. nov.

( Figs. 1-4B )

Holotype. 1 male: CHILE. Los Ríos, Valdivia Province, Valdivia, Parque Santa Inés , in a cut trunk; rotten and hollow inside, - 39.8110 S - 73.2563 W, ca. 25 m elev., 26-X-2018, AP-17 (field code), col. Antonio Parra-Gómez [ MNHNC 8399 ] . Paratypes. 1 male: CHILE. Los Ríos. Valdivia Province, Valdivia, Arboretum UACh, under a trunk, - 39.7881 S - 73.2626 W, ca. 35 m elev., 12-X-2018, AP-0 (field code), col. Antonio Parra-Gómez [ MNHNC 8400 ] . 1 male, 1 female: Same locality, at base of a tree, grouped in a crevice with other individuals, - 39.7946 S - 73.2650 W, ca. 64 m elev., 19-X-2018, AP-15/AP-15-a (field code), col. Antonio Parra-Gómez [ MNHNC 8401 , 8402 ] . 1 male: Near Puente Cruces , under a trunk, - 39.8264 S - 73.2685 W, ca. 20 m elev., 01-XI-2018, AP-19 (field code), col. Antonio Parra-Gómez [ APGC] . 1 male: Near Parque Urbano El Bosque , inside decaying trunk, - 39.8409 S - 73.2439 W, ca. 17 m elev., 15-XI-2018, AP-31 (field code), col. Antonio Parra-Gómez [ APGC] . 1 male: Arboretum UACh, under a trunk, - 39.8012 S - 73.2610 W, ca. 35 m elev., 29-XII-2018, AP-46 (field code), col. Antonio Parra-Gómez [ MNHNC 8403 ] . 1 male: Same locality, under a trunk, - 39.8007 S - 73.2620 W, ca. 40 m elev., 29-XII-2018, AP-49-a (field code), col. Antonio Parra-Gómez [ MNHNC 8404 ] . 1 male: Same locality, under a rock, - 39.7878 S - 73.2624 W, ca. 18 m elev., 11-XI-2019, AP-138 (field code), col. Antonio Parra-Gómez [ APGC] . 1 male: Parque Saval , in leaf litter, - 39.7891 S - 73.2632 W, ca. 43 m elev., 29-XII-2020, AP-165 (field code), col. Antonio Parra-Gómez [ APGC] . 1 male: Near the “Valdivia” sign, north exit of Valdivia , under a rock, - 39.7305 S - 73.1752 W, ca. 14 m elev., 24-I-2022, APG16 (field code), col. Antonio Parra-Gómez [ APGC] . 1 male: Parque Harnecker , under a piece of putrefied wood, - 39.8212 S - 73.2360 W, ca. 11 m elev., 17-XI-2022, PG-8-V (field code), col. Antonio Parra-Gómez [ MNHNC 8405 ] .

Etymology. Dedicated to Pantera, the name of the first author’s beloved cat, a great companion through difficult times.

Diagnosis. Gonopods. Solenomere ( Figs. 3 A-C) located at apex, posterior to and considerably shorter than the anterior and medial branches (see Figs. 3B , 4B ) in contrast to the two other species with distally swollen telopodites, i.e., Anaulacodesmus dahli Chamberlin, 1957 (solenomere placed between the anterior and medial branches, all subequal in length) and Anaulacodesmus enkrates ( Attems, 1898) (gonopod with three branches plus solenomere, the middle one remarkably longer than the rest). Body. Length greater than that of all congeners ( Tab. 1).

Description. Male (holotype, AP-17). Head. Clypeolabrum moderately setose, vertigial region less setose; epicranial suture thin and evident, tip with 2+2 setae (one side abraded). Antennae long and slender, reaching ring 4 when extended posterodorsally; relative length of antennomeres: 2> 3> 4 = 5 = 6> 7> 1; antennomeres 5 and 6 with a small dorsodistal patch of minute bacilliform sensilla. Body. Ca. 29 mm in length. Midbody (ring 8) prozonae ca. 2.4 mm and metazonae ca. 3.0 mm wide. Coloration in life, marbled brown with a poorly defined triangular dark spot on metaterga; legs pale yellowish brown ( Fig. 2 ). Body slightly moniliform, with 20 rings ( Figs. 1-2 ). Width: head <collum <ring 3 <2 <4 <5 <6 = 7 <8 = 9 = 10 = 11, thereafter body gradually tapering towards telson. Collum elliptical with subtriangular rounded lateral margins, slightly concave posteriorly, rimmed, bearing 3 rows of setae. Paraterga poorly developed, rimmed only dorsally, with broadly rounded margins, set at ca. 1/3 of midbody height. Paraterga of ring 2 laterally subquadrate and reaching lower than the collum and ring 3. Paraterga slightly produced caudally behind tergal margin, dentiform on rings 16-19. Sides below paraterga typically with arcuate striae. Metaterga predominantly smooth. Rings 8-18 with a very shallow sublateral sulcus above paraterga, more pronounced on posterior segments. Tergal setae distributed in a single row (largely abraded). Pleurosternal carinae present as a small ridge. Ozopore arrangement typical for Polydesmida (5, 7, 9-10, 12-13, 15-19). Ozopores dorsolateral, lying slightly in front of caudal corner. Body surface glossy ( Figs. 1-2 ), texture mostly smooth throughout and microalveolate. Limbus microspiculate. Axial line absent. Stricture dividing pro- and metazonae broad and shallow. Epiproct long, tip subtruncate, with several long setae borne on small knobs. Paraprocts bearing 2+2 setae borne on small, well separated knobs. Hypoproct subtriangular with a tri-lobed tip ( Fig. 4A ), caudal (1+1) setae borne on small, well separated knobs. Ventral side of ring 2 with a small shallow pit near the lateral margins. Sternal surface with sparse short setae. Side near proximal part of coxae of sternites 6-7 with a small bulge pointing outwards. Sternites 3-5 and 9 bulging, rest without modifications; transverse cross impressions evident, longitudinal ones indistinct. Legs. Long and incrassate; midbody legs (ring 8) ca. 1.4 times body height; leg pairs 1 and 2 distinctly setose ventrally, prefemora of legs 3-7 strongly swollen laterally. Gonopore small and rounded with few small setae across margins, opening on a short distomedial bulge on coxae of leg 2. Most legs with prefemur, femur, and postfemur with brushes of small, medially branched setae ventrally, reduced on tibia. Tibia and tarsus with ventral sphaerotrichomes, tip of tarsus with simple setae covering distal and lateral angles. Coxa, prefemur, and tibia bearing a single long seta. Gonopods. Aperture subcircular, with posterior margins slightly extended outwards. Gonocoxites fused medially, setose at base. Telopodite sides parallel for most of their length, inserted at 90° relative to coxae, suberect, with rows of setae posteriorly, transversally compressed and swollen subapically. Telopodite with two contiguous branches, situated anteriorly on the opposing side of the swelling; middle branch (mb) arcuate towards tip of suberect longer anterior branch (ab); solenomere (sl) held at apex, separated from the two branches by a pit, about half the length of the middle branch, slightly bent outwards ( Figs. 3 A-C, 4B).

Female (paratype, AP-15-a). All characters as in male except as follows ( Fig. 1 ): Head. Antennae shorter than in male, reaching ring 3 when extended posterodorsally; relative length of antennomeres: 2> 3> 6> 5> 4> 7> 1. Body. Ca. 24 mm in length; midbody pro- and metazonae (ring 10) ca. 2.6 and ca. 3.0 mm wide, respectively. Width: head <ring 3 = 4 <collum <2 <5 <6 <7 = 8 <9 = 12 = 13 <10 = 11, remaining body rings gradually tapering towards telson. Paraterga of ring 2 with flabellate lateral margins, reaching lower than the collum and ring 3. Ventral side of ring 2 unmodified. Epigyne extended into a long, linguiform tooth. Sternite 3 slightly bulging, others with no modifications. Legs. Short and slender, midbody legs (ring 12) ca. 1.1-1.2 times body height. Leg pairs 1 and 2 distinctly setose ventrally, pair 2 with a small triangular process at the posterior side of coxa, and a small rounded spiniform process at the proximal end of prefemur. Most legs with prefemur, femur, postfemur, and tibia bearing distally branched setae ventrally, variable in length. Tarsus with simple setae. Sphaerotrichomes absent.

Remarks. Adult males (26-29 mm) are the largest known members of the genus. For comparison, A. enkrates ranges between 18 and 25 mm, while the single known specimen of A. dahli only reaches 14 mm ( Tab. 1). This species appears to reach adulthood in late spring and despite numerous collecting efforts in the same areas, no adults were found during autumn and winter. When disturbed, specimens rapidly discharge chemical defenses and volvate for a few seconds before fleeing. This defensive behavior appears true for most, if not all Anaulacodesmus species (Parra-Gómez pers. obs.). Due to the resemblance between A. panterae sp. nov. and A. dahli gonopods, Parra-Gómez & Fernández (2022) supplementary material 1 (names and occurrences of Chilean millipede species) mistakenly assign A. panterae sp. nov. localities from Isla Teja and Valdivia as new records for A. dahli .

Figures

Figure 1. Anaulacodesmus panterae sp. nov., paratypes, lateral view, top: female, bottom: male. Scale: 4.0 mm. / Anaulacodesmus panterae sp. nov., paratipos, vista lateral, arriba: hembra, abajo: macho. Escala: 4,0 mm.

Figure 2. Anaulacodesmus panteraesp. nov. A. Habitat. B-C. Habitus./ Anaulacodesmus panterae sp. nov. A. Hábitat. B-C. Hábito.

Figure 3. A-C. Gonopods of Anaulacodesmus panterae sp. nov. (not to scale). A. Posterior view. B. Lateral view. C. Anterior view. Base of right gonopod slightly damage with a transversal cut. / A-C. Gonópodos de Anaulacodesmus panterae sp. nov. (no tomado a escala). A. Vista posterior. B. Vista lateral. C. Vista anterior. Base del gonópodo derecho levemente dañada con un corte transversal.

Figure 4. A. Hypoproct of Anaulacodesmus panterae sp. nov., ventrolateral view (not to scale). B. Left gonopod of Anaulacodesmus panterae sp. nov., lateral view. Scale: 0.2 mm. C. Left gonopod of Anaulacodesmus picassovallebuonai sp. nov., lateral view. Scale: 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: mb – middle branch;ab – anterior branch;sl – solenomere;me – medial branch./A. Hipoprocto deAnaulacodesmus panterae sp. nov., vista ventrolateral (no tomado a escala). B. Gonópodo izquierdo de Anaulacodesmus panterae sp. nov., vista lateral. Escala: 0,2 mm. C. Gonópodo izquierdo de Anaulacodesmus picassovallebuonai sp. nov., vista lateral. Escala: 0,2 mm. Abreviaciones: mb – rama media; ab – rama anterior; sl – solenomero; me – rama medial.