Pseudotremia fremens, Shear, William A., 2011

Shear, William A., 2011, Cave millipeds of the United States. X. New species and records of the genus Pseudotremia Cope. 2. Species from Virginia, USA (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Cleidogonidae), Zootaxa 3109, pp. 1-38 : 22

Pseudotremia fremens , n. sp.

Figs. 59–65

Type: Male holotype from Roaring Branch, Jefferson National Forest, Wise Co., VIRGINIA, collected 13 September 1994 by C. S. Hobson, D. Stevenson. The head, gonopods, ninth legs and some segments of the holotype are mounted on SEM stub WS23–3.

Diagnosis: This large, epigean species can be distinguished from other similar species by the very large, uniquely shaped VCP, which is in the form of a double decurved hook, large enough to extend between and beyond the angiocoxites. Additionally, the LAPs are small and unbranched.

Etymology: The species epithet is a Latin adjective meaning “roaring,” and refers to the type locality, Roaring Creek. Suggested vernacular name: Roaring Branch Rough-backed Milliped.

Description: Holotype male about 30 mm long, 2.6 mm wide, third antennal segment 1.45 mm long. Ocelli 22 on each side, well-developed, pigmented, contiguous (fig. 59). Segmental shoulders strong, both lobes delimited by raised rims (fig. 60); metazonites moderately rough, with about 10 elongate low rugae on each hemimetazonite; 10–12 well defined, mostly complete lateral striae on each side (fig. 61). Color evidently somewhat bleached, light tan mottled especially anteriorly with purplish brown.

Gonopods large, prominent (figs. 62–64). Angiocoxites well-separated basally, only a little convergent through their length; MAPs with long, anteriorly directed subapical spine, much shorter, erect apical spine (fig. 62); LAPs short, narrow, undivided, sinuously curved toward midline. Colpocoxites fused for much of their length, then strongly diverging, not mitten-shaped but with strong lateral processes approximately at level of origin of VCP; VCP very large, as two curved blades with apical hooks (figs. 63, 64) extending between and beyond angiocoxites; DCP absent. Ninth legs (fig. 65) typical of large epigean species, with femur and coxoprefemur subequal, latter with two basal knobs, distally only slightly swollen.

Notes: This species is typical of a number of Pseudotremia species known only from one or a very few epigean sites and single or a few specimens. That this pattern repeats frequently testifies to the relative rarity of epigean Pseudotremia , their small areas of distribution and occurrence in limited biotopes, and their presence near the surface at times when collectors are not often there to find them.

Figures

FIGURES 59 – 66. New species of Pseudotremia. Figs. 59 – 65, Pseudotremia fremens, n. sp. Fig. 59, ocelli. Fig. 60, diplosegment, dorsal view. Fig. 61, diplosegment, lateral view. Fib. 62, gonopods, anterior view. Fig. 63, gonopods, ventral view; vcp, ventral colpocoxite process. Fig. 64, gonopods, lateral view; as, apical spine; cc, colopocoxite map, median angiocoxal process; sas, subapical spine; vcp, ventral colpocoxite process. Fig. 65, left ninth leg, anterior view. Fig. 66, P. hubbardi n. sp., metazonite, lateral view.