Desmoxytes philippina, Nguyen & Sierwald, 2010

Nguyen, Anh D. & Sierwald, Petra, 2010, A New Dragon Millipede (Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae: Paradoxosomatinae: Orthomorphini) From The Philippines, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 58 (2), pp. 173-177 : 173-176

Desmoxytes philippina , new species

( Figs. 1–11 )

Material examined. − Holotype: male ( FMNH-INS 856 ), South Slope, Mt. Balabag, Mantalingajan Range , southern Palawan Island , Pandanus , 4,500 ft (~ 1,370 m), coll. E. G. Werner, 10 May 1947. Diagnosis. − This new species can be distinguished from all other dragon millipedes by such unique characters as the very simple gonopod featuring only a single branch: the solenomere curves down and forms a full circle; the seminal groove runs on the lateral side of femorite. The second branch, the solenophore, as present in other Desmoxytes species, is absent.

Etymology. − The name “ philippina ” is an adjective, referring to the type locality, the Philippines.

Description. − Size: length ca. 26.3; width of midbody, pro- and metazona, 1.3 and 1.7, respectively. Distance between two paratergal tips on midbody bodyrings ca. 3.1.

Colouration: generally chestnut-brown, some parts darker.

Head: somewhat smaller than collum and other bodyrings; epicranical suture thin but obvious and distinct; frons sparsely setose along the epicranical suture.

Antenna: slender but extremely long, ca. extending back to bodyring 7. Antennomeres subequal: 3, 4, 5> 2, 6> 1, 7 ( Fig. 1 ).

Collum: sub-trapezoidal with evident transverse sulcus at 2/3 length; surface shagreened with 2+2 setae near front margin, and 2+2 small granulations near rear margin. Paraterga subtriangular, wing-shaped with a pointed tip, anteriorly with two lateral incisions.

Body: collum<=2<=3<=4-17, thereafter gradually tapering. Prozona, metazona and even pleura shagreened, shiny without any trace of microgranulation. Tranverse sulcus present from metaterga 2, deep and distinctly evident, extending to paratergal base. Metaterga with 2+2, and 2+2 traces of setae in front of and behind the transverse sulcus. Constriction dividing pro- and metazona narrow and thin, with neither striations nor granules ( Figs. 2-4 ).

Paraterga well-developed, spiniform, only slightly elevated above dorsum on bodyrings 2–3, thereafter well-elevated. Paraterga on pore-less bodyrings relatively smaller with two small teeth at 1/3 and 2/3 lateral length, while on pore-bearing bodyrings larger with only one small tooth at 1/3 of its length, and the ozopore at 2/3 lateral length. Latero-distal corner of paraterga usually strongly pointed, paler than body colour. Paraterga on bodyring 19 very small. Axial line completely absent. Pleurosternal carinae absent.

Telson: Epiproct with one lateral setiferous tubercle on each side, tip broadly truncated. Hypoproct trapezoid with laterodistal setiferous knobs. Paraprocts semi-circular ( Fig. 5 ).

Legs: slender and extremely long, ca. 3 times longer than midbody height. Tibia and tarsi of legs 1–4 with ventral brushes. Femur very long, without any modifications ( Fig. 6 ).

Sterna: sparsely setose, cross impression evidently deep, with an anteriad bi-tubercled lamina between coxae 4 originating on sternite 5 ( Fig. 7 ).

Gonopod ( Figs. 8–11 ): simple; coxa subcylindrical with a densely setose ventrodistal part. Prefemorite rather long, densely setose, separated from femorite by oblique demarcation. Femorite long, slender and slightly curved mesad; demarcation between femorite and postfemoral region present laterally ( Fig. 9 ). The postfemoral region simple, with only one branch, the solenomere curving down to form the complete circle; tibiotarsus (=solenophore) missing.

Seminal groove running mesally until end of prefemur, turning onto lateral side and running laterally along femur and entering the solenomere.

Figures

Figs. 1–11. Desmoxytes philippina new species, male holotype: 1, Antenna; 2, anterior part of body, dorsal view; 3, segment 10, dorsal view; 4, segments 11–12, dorsal view; 5, leg 10; 6, telson, ventral view; 7, sternum 5, posterioventral view; 8–11, gonopod, mesal view (8, 11), lateral view (9), dorsal view (10), arrow indicates postfemoral cingulum. Scale bar = 1 mm.