Antichiropus cristatus Car, 2019

Car, Catherine A., Harvey, Mark S., Hillyer, Mia J. & Huey, Joel A., 2019, The millipede genus Antichiropus (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae), part 3: species of the Pilbara bioregion of Western Australia, Zootaxa 4617 (1), pp. 1-71 : 21-22

Antichiropus cristatus Car , n. sp.

( Figs 9 A–G, 11)

ZooBank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:EC0460D3-1048-43D6-89FB-DCDC2B8D75B5

Type material examined. Australia: Western Australia: holotype male (damaged), 11.5 km SSE. of Wheelara Hill , site BDR509, 23°28’00”S, 120°10’34”E, 6 September 2005 – 22 May 2006, ethylene glycol pitfall trap, CALM staff (Pilbara Biological Survey) ( WAM T146704 ) . Paratypes: 3 male, 2 females, 1 juvenile, 11.5 km SSE. of Wheelara Hill , site BDR509, 23°28’00”S, 120°10’34”E, 6 September 2005 – 22 May 2006, ethylene glycol pitfall trap, CALM staff (Pilbara Biological Survey) ( WAM T124640 ) .

Other material examined. Australia: Western Australia: 1 male, Orebody 35, ca. 8 km W of Newman, site 6–P7, 23°24’06.38”S, 119°34’28,18”E, 12 March–18 May 2010, pitfall trap, slope with spinifex J. Gollan ( WAM T104778 , GenBank accession number COI, MK 735861 ) .

Diagnosis. Gonopod: Antichiropus cristatus Car , n. sp. is most similar to A. spathion Car , n. sp. ( Fig 37 ) and A. procerus Car , n. sp. ( Fig 29 ) but is easily distinguished from the latter two species by its distinctively shaped, asymmetrical main femoral process and translucent leaf-shaped prolongation of the femorite.

Description. Male holotype: Body ca. 20 mm long; midbody ring ca. 2 mm wide, with smooth waist, prozonite and metazonite of similar width.

Colour (in alcohol) chestnut brown overall, paler ventrally ( Fig 9A ); leg colour as for body, paler at insertions into body. No paranota ( Fig 9B ).

Sternites without obvious processes/tubercles, sternal lamella broad, heart- shaped, moderately setose. Leg coxal processes absent. Anterior spiracles at midbody, small, flat. Head smooth, without noticeable sculpturing; frons smooth, sparsely setose; face narrow, cardines and stipes visible when viewed face-on, maximum width ca. 3x the distance between antennal sockets; sockets separated by ca. 2x width of socket.

Antennae of moderate length, reaching ring 2, antennomeres of similar size and shape and relatively slender. Collum ca. 0.75x head length (in lateral view) ( Fig 9A ).

Gonopod short, reaching ring 6; coxa (C) more robust and shorter than femorite with slight ridge on anterior surface; prefemur (PF) considerably shorter than femorite, setose, pronounced lip; femorite (F) ca. 2/3 of acropodite length in situ, upright, broadening slightly towards the apex; main femoral process (MFP) ca. 1/4 solenomere length), roughly triangular with a translucent flange attached to the asymmetrical point; second femoral process (fp1) absent; prolongation of femorite apex (prof) broad, leaf-shaped, translucent at tip, ca. 1/6 solenomere length; solenomere (S) moderately long, forming an open circle/loop, narrower than femorite, of similar thickness along its length, slightly broader mid-length, then narrowing to expand slightly again into an asymmetrically shaped tip; solenomere process 1 (sp1) small, narrow, near tip; solenomere process 2 (sp2) small, short point near tip; third solenomere process (sp3) large, triangular point near tip; fourth solenomere process (sp4) abutting onto sp3 (Figs 9C–G).

Female: Similar but slightly broader and stouter with shorter, more slender legs (WAM T124640).

Distribution. This species is known from only one site within range of Wheelara Hill, in the Pilbara region (Fig 11).

Etymology. The main femoral process of this species has a translucent flange at its tip, resembling a crest (Latin, adjective, cristatus, crested).

Figures

FIGURE 9. Antichiropus cristatus Car, n. sp., holotype male (WAM T146704), A,C, habitus: A, lateral view; C, dorsal view.; B, D-G, left gonopod:B tip of left gonopod in detail lateral view; D posterior view; E anterior view; F, medial view; G, lateral view. Abbreviations: C, coxa; F, femorite; MFP, main femoral process; PF, prefemur; prof, prolongation of femorite; S, so- lenomere; sp1, sp2, sp3 and sp4, solenomere processes 1,2, 3 and 4. Scale bars: A = 2 mm; B = 1 mm; C-F = 0.5 mm; G = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 29. Antichiropus procerus Car, n. sp., holotype male (WAM T144538):A–B habitus: A, lateral view; B, dorsal view; C–F, left gonopod: C, posterior view; D, anterior view; E, medial view; F, lateral view; Abbreviations: C, coxa; F, femorite; MFP, main femoral process; PF, prefemur; prof, prolongation of femorite; S, solenomere; sp1 and sp2, solenomere processes 1 and 2. Scale bars: A = 2 mm; B = 1 mm; C–F = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 37. Antichiropus spathion Car, n. sp., holotype male (WAM T144579): A–B, habitus: A, lateral view; B, dorsal view; C–F, left gonopod: C, posterior view; D, anterior view; E, medial view; F, lateral view. Abbreviations: C, coxa; F, femorite; MFP, main femoral process; PF, prefemur; prof, prolongation of femorite; S, solenomere; sp1 and sp2, solenomere processes 1 and 2. Scale bars: A = 2 mm; B = 1 mm; C–F = 0.5 mm.