Kanparka leki, Waldock, Julianne & Edgecombe, Gregory D., 2012

Waldock, Julianne & Edgecombe, Gregory D., 2012, A new genus of scolopendrid centipede (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendrini) from the central Australian deserts, Zootaxa 3321, pp. 22-36 : 24-27

Kanparka leki n. gen. n. sp.

Figs. 2–12

Type specimens. Holotype WAM T99422 ( Figs. 3–6, 8 , 12 ). AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Gibson Desert, Walter James Range, site 11, 24 °48'02.8''S 128°47'50.3''E, 20–27.ix.2006, J.M. Waldock, K.E.C. Brennan, dry pitfall. Paratypes: WAM T117570, 2 specimens (one with mouthparts dissected), same data as holotype; WAM T79351, 2 specimens, same data as holotype.

Other material examined. Western Australia: WAM T 101788, 1 specimen, Little Sandy Desert, 20.8 km NNE of Kulonoski East Well, site LSD-B5-F2, 24 °30'33"S 120°18'31"E, iv.1997, S. van Leeuwen, B. Bromilow, wet pitfall; WAM T 111923, 1 specimen, Little Sandy Desert, 15.2 km NE of Kulonoski East Well, site LSD-B2-F1, 24 °34'29"S 120°18'31"E, iv.1997, S. van Leeuwen, B. Bromilow, wet pitfall trap; WAM T 111924, 1 specimen, Little Sandy Desert, 20.8 km NNE of Kulonoski East Well, site LSD-B5-F1, 24 °30'33"S 120°18'31"E, x.1996, S. van Leeuwen, B. Bromilow, wet pitfall trap.

Northern Territory: WAM T 111917, 1 specimen, Tanami Desert, ca. 108 km SE of Mt Tanami, site 6, 20 °45'S 130°17'E, 19.x.1985, S.R. Morton; WAM T 111921, 2 specimens, Tanami Desert, ca. 108 km SE of Mt Tanami, 20°45'S 130°17'E, 9.iv.1985, S.R. Morton.

Diagnosis. As for genus.

Etymology. An epiphet to honour Dr Lucien E. Koch, in recognition of his work on the Scolopendridae of Australia.

Description. Body length up to 66 mm.

Antennae, legs, tergites and sternites yellow in alcohol.

Cephalic plate lacking sutures. Four ocelli. Antenna with 14–20 articles, most commonly either 17 or 18; 14, 15, 16 or 20 articles observed on one side of specimens that have 17 or 18 on the other side; basal six or seven articles relatively strongly tapering distally ( Figs 2–3 ), bearing sparse short setae, more distal articles densely setose; number of sparsely setose articles usually the same on both antennae. Labrum with strong midpiece tooth; tooth plate sclerotized along length of labral part of epipharynx ( Fig. 7 ); border between labral and clypeal parts of epipharynx weakly curved; cluster of sensilla on median clypeal part of epipharynx a large field.

Claw of second maxilla with a slender accessory spine on each side. Article 2 with a dorsal spine. Coxosternite with a complete median suture.

Forcipular tooth plate moderately long, usually with four teeth, innermost smaller than the medial two, outermost considerably posteriad of the other three ( Fig. 5 ); single specimens have either three or five teeth on one tooth plate but four on other; trochanteroprefemoral process projecting furthest anteriad at its mesial edge, with a weak shoulder at its lateral corner. Coxosternum with short median suture; sinuous diagonal sutures diverging from inner edge of tooth plate bases ( Fig. 4 ).

T1 lacking sutures ( Fig. 2 ). Paramedian sutures complete from TT 3–20 in specimens from Walter James Range and Little Sandy Desert, on TT 4–20 in specimens from the Tanami Desert. T21 with longitudinal median suture except for posterior extremity.

Spiracles on segments 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20. Spiracles and inner margin of peritrema both ovate with rounded apices, long axes oriented horizontally; atrium divided by three-flapped valve. Inner edge of valves lined with robust conical projections covered with setae (setose cones: Fig. 8 ).

Tarsal articulations strong on legs 1–20. Pretarsi of legs 1–20 with pair of moderately long accessory claws, variably shorter on leg 20.

Sternites 2–20 with pair of complete paramedian sutures; S21 with moderately convergent margins; posterior margin transverse ( Fig. 6 ).

Coxopleural process short, with similar frequencies of three, four or five spines at its apex, a single specimen with seven spines; one lateral spine. Coxopleural pore field terminating well anteriad of posterior margin of coxopleuron and slightly anteriad of posterior margin of sternite 21 ( Fig. 6 ). All podomeres of leg 21 densely covered in short, slender sensilla. Total number of prefemoral spines (excluding those on distomedial process) 20–55 (mean 34.7, N=23). Apex of distomedial prefemoral process most commonly with three large spines, otherwise usually four (two and seven in single specimens); large spines supplemented by two or three tiny spines in a few specimens. On ultimate leg femur, only largest pair of spines on ventromedial edge obviously aligned in a longitudinal row ( Fig. 10 ); small and mid-sized spines on medial surface irregularly scattered ( Fig. 12 ), total spines number 6– 32 (mean 17.6, N=22); two regenerated legs lack femoral spines. Tibia gently widening distally to a width equal to its length, bearing up to 12 spines (mean 7.5, N=22) mostly on its medial surface; tibia lacking spines on one leg in a small specimen. Tarsus 1 ca. 60% length of tibia, as wide as long; a single specimen has one spine on one side of tarsus 1; tarsus 2 ca. one-third length of tarsus 1 ( Fig. 11 ). Pretarsus with smooth ventral margin, lacking serration.

Ecology. The type locality in the Gibson Desert was dominated by the desert thryptomene, Aluta maisonneuvei . The material from the Little Sandy Desert was collected in areas of open scrub mallee ( Eucalyptus oldfieldii ) over low scrub and open hummock grass ( Triodia sp.) on sandstone ridge or flat terrain with low woodland of mulga, Acacia aneura , dwarf scrub over low open grasses. The Tanami Desert sites were sandplain dominated by Triodia schinzii and emergent wirewood, Acacia coriacea .

Discussion. A consistent pattern of geographic variation is observed with respect to segmental distribution of paramedian sutures on the tergites, these being found on segments 3–20 in all specimens from Western Australia but on segments 4–20 in the three specimens from the Tanami Desert, Northern Territory.

WAM T 111924 from the Little Sandy Desert is an outlier with respect to several meristic features, having more spines on both its coxopleural process (seven on each side as opposed to 3–5 in all other specimens) as well as its distomedial prefemoral process. It is the only specimen with 20 articles on one antenna.

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 8. Kanparka leki n. gen. n. sp. 2. Dorsal view of head and T 1. Scale = 1 mm. 3. Dorsal view of antennae. Scale = 0.5 mm. 4. Ventral view of forcipules and maxillae. Scale = 0.5 mm. 5. Detail of forcipular tooth plates. Scale = 250 µm. 6. Ventral view of segment 21. Scale = 0.5 mm. 7. Epipharynx. Scale = 100 µm. 8. External view of spiracle on segment 3. Scale = 100 µm. All holotype WAM T 99422 except 2, WAM T 79350, 7, WAM T 117570.

FIGURES 9 – 12. Kanparka leki n. gen. n. sp. 9 – 11, dorsal, ventral and lateral views of segment 21, WAM T 79351. 12, mesial view of leg 21, holotype WAM T 99422. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.