Antichiropus spathion 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 : 60

Antichiropus spathion Car , n. sp.

( Figs 37 A–F, 41)

ZooBank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5D508929-5F57-4419-B044-380C79F1D631

Type material examined. Australia: Western Australia: holotype male (damaged), crown land reserve, SE. of Dampier, Pilbara Biological Survey site DRC 2, 20°46’05”S, 116°50’31”E, 12 November 2003 – 10 May 2004, ethylene glycol trap, CALM staff (Pilbara Biological Survey) ( WAM T7144579 ) . Paratypes: 2 males (badly damaged), collected with holotype ( WAM T76152) .

Other material examined. Australia: Western Australia: ca. 8 males, 8 females (all badly damaged), 13.5 km W. of Wickham, Pilbara Biological Survey site DRC11, 20°41’18.3”S, 117°00’24.9”E, May 2004, CALM staff (Pilbara Biological Survey) ( WAM T76051); 1 male, 19 km W. of intersection of Coongan River and Talga River, Pilbara Biological Survey site PHYC09 , 20°53’44”S, 119°36’09”E, 31 July 2005 – 12 May 2006, ethylene glycol pitfall trap, CALM staff (Pilbara Biological Survey) ( WAM T124600 , GenBank accession number 12S, MK 735764 ); 2 females (1 damaged), 19 km W. of intersection of Coongan River and Talga River, Pilbara Biological Survey site PHYC09 , 20°53’44”S, 119°36’09”E, 31 July 2005 – 12 May 2006, ethylene glycol pitfall trap, CALM staff (Pilbara Biological Survey) ( WAM T146749 ) .

Diagnosis. Gonopod: Antichiropus spathion Car , n. sp. is very similar to A. salutus Car , n. sp. ( Fig 32 ) but the prolongation of the gonopod femorite in the former is triangular and curved, whereas that of A. salutus is also triangular, but upright. In addition, A. spathion has two solenomere processes, one of which is two-pointed, whereas A. salutus has only one tiny, single solenomere process.

Description. Male holotype: Body ca. 15 mm long (last few segments missing); midbody ring ca. 1.5 mm wide, with distinct, smooth waist, prozonite and metazonite of similar widths.

Colour bleached, possibly chestnut brown ( Fig 37A ); leg colour similar. No paranota ( Fig 37B ).

Sternites without obvious processes/tubercles, sternal lamella broad, helmet-shaped. Leg coxal processes absent. Anterior spiracles at midbody ovoid, flat.

Head smooth, with no sculpturing; frons smooth, with few setae; face moderately narrow, maximum width ca. 3x the distance between antennal sockets; sockets separated by ca. 1.5x width of socket.

Antennae of moderate length, reaching to posterior edge of ring 2, antennomeres all similar shape.

Collum ca. 0.6x length of head (lateral view) ( Fig 37A ).

Gonopod reaching to ring 6; coxa (C) broader but shorter than femorite, with very slight ridge on anterior surface; prefemur (PF) ovoid with pronounced lip, shorter than femorite; femorite (F) 2/3 length of acropodite, slender at base, thickening towards apex; main femoral process (MFP) ¼ femorite length, relatively broad, pointed with dis- tinct ‘elbow’; second femoral process (fp1) small, pointing down towards femorite, curving between MFP and prof (not visible in Figure 37); prolongation of femorite (prof) ½ length of femorite, broad, triangular, partly translucent, pointed, asymmetrical; solenomere (S) moderately long, forming a loop, broadest in middle; solenomere tip broad, leaf-like; solenomere process (sp1) small, triangular, close to soltip; second solenomere process (sp2), two-pronged process at narrowing of solenomere near soltip (Figs 37C–F). Female: Similar to male, but slightly stouter and broader (c 2 mm) with shorter, more slender legs (WAM T124600). Distribution. This species appears to have a slightly larger distribution than most Pilbara millipede species, ranging from the Coongan River area, near Marble Bar to Wickham, Karratha in the Pilbara, a distance of ca. 500 km (Fig 41). Etymology. The species is named for the broad, flattened solenomere tip (Latin, noun, spathion spatula, di- minutive).

Figures

FIGURE 32. Antichiropus salutus Car, n. sp., holotype male (WAM T144617): 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, solenomere process 1. 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.