Gasterogramma imber, Mesibov, 2003

Mesibov, Robert, 2003, The millipede genus Gasterogramma (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Dalodesmidae) in Tasmania, Australia, with descriptions of seven new species, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 60 (2), pp. 207-219 : 211-212

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.24199/j.mmv.2003.60.21
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F6470A-FFFF-D75B-FCD2-370306B7F9C3
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Gasterogramma imber
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Gasterogramma imber View in CoL sp. nov.

Figure 3 View Figure 3 , 12 View Figure 12 (map)

Material examined. Holotype. Male. Australia, Tasmania. Little Florentine R., DN525683 [42º44´10´´ 146º25´10´´], 440 m, pitfall emptied 10 Apr 1986, R. Bashford, QVM 23 View Materials :24958.

Paratypes. Male, details as for holotype, QVM 23 View Materials : 40586; male, Tarraleah, DP 473196 [42º16´25´´ 146º21´39´´], 750 m, 4 May 1992, R. Mesibov, oldgrowth wet eucalypt forest with rainforest understorey, QVM 23 View Materials : 8048; male, Needles Picnic Ground, DN 512656 [42º45´37´´ 146º24´12´´], 470 m, 23 Feb 1994, R. Mesibov, oldgrowth wet eucalypt forest with rainforest understorey, QVM 23 View Materials : 13840; 5 males, Tarraleah, DP 473197 [42º16´22´´ 146º21´39´´], 780 m, 5 May 1992, R. Mesibov, oldgrowth wet eucalypt forest with rainforest understorey, AM KS85098 (formerly QVM 23 View Materials :8045) .

Other material. 49 males from 26 unique localities in central, southwestern and western Tasmania, including Argent R., Boyd R., Denison R., Franklin R., Frenchmans Cap, Gordon R., Humboldt Divide, Huon R., Kallista Creek, Little Florentine R., Mossy Marsh Creek, Queenstown, Scotts Peak Dam, Taffys Creek , Tarraleah, Trappes Inlet, Wedge Inlet and Wedge R ..

Diagnosis. Gonopod without tibiotarus; femoral process unbranched; prefemoral process slender, straight, without tooth-like projections, flexed sharply at tip; solenomerite rising near base of prefemoral process.

Description. Males c. 17–20 mm long and c. 1.8–2.0 mm wide at midbody. Body in both sexes darkly mottled with pink-purple pigmentation. Gonopod telopodites massive at base (fig. 3), lightly joined mesally for about half their length, a few short, coarse basal setae, setate area extending just outside aperture. Aperture more or less ovoid, long axis transverse, posterior margin not noticeably raised. Telopodite narrowing near its base, bending slightly in anterior direction at about half telopodite length, narrowing greatly and abruptly at bend and extending from anteromesal corner of top of base as a spearlike, sharply pointed prefemoral process flexed sharply posteriolaterally at about three-quarters of its length. (In life and in alcohol preservative, axis of prefemoral process parallels that of telopodite; prefemoral processes in SEM image in fig. 3 bend laterally at their bases as a result of drying-out during specimen preservation) Tibiotarsus not evident. Femoral process massive, arising from posterior face of telopodite base and directed laterally and distally, bending sharply anteriorly and distally at about two-thirds its length and tapering to a blunt point. Solenomerite a short, helical, tapering, somewhat flattened process arising between bases of femoral and prefemoral processes. Prostatic groove running first posteriorly and distally across mesal face of telopodite base to its posterior surface, then curving laterally, distally and mesally around base of femoral process, then extending distally to enter solenomerite base on its mesal side.

Distribution. In rainforest and wet eucalypt forest over at least 6000 km 2 in western Tasmania (fig. 12), at altitudes c. 50– 800 m. Syntopic with G. psi at various locations through its range.

Etymology. Latin imber , shower, noun in apposition. This species occurs in the highest rainfall zone in Tasmania.