Boreohesperus vascellus, Car & Harvey, 2017

Car, Catherine A. & Harvey, Mark S., 2017, New species of Boreohesperus (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae) from north-western Australia, European Journal of Taxonomy 320 (320), pp. 1-11 : 8-10

Boreohesperus vascellus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:75C21DCD-E403-4B9E-A72E-DFEA369EEED7

Figs 4–5

Diagnosis

This species can be distinguished from all other species in the genus by combined features of the male gonopod: this has an extremely broad femorite, a distinctively shaped (flame-shaped, broadest at its mid-point) non-seminiferous branch and a relatively long, pointed curved posterior process.

Etymology

The gonopod of this species is reminiscent of a small vase (from the Latin ‘ vascellum ’, noun dim., vessel, vase).

Type material

Holotype

WESTERN AUSTRALIA: ♂, Koolan Island , 16º07′45″ S, 123º 46′49″ E, dry pitfall trap, 20–24 Jan. 2006, B. Maryan leg. ( WAM T137095 ).

Paratypes

WESTERN AUSTRALIA: 2 ♂♂, same data as for holotype ( WAM T 73954).

Description

Male (holotype)

Body approximately 18 mm long; mid-body approximately 1.5 mm wide dorsally with distinct waist between prozonite and metazonite; legs of moderate length, approximately equal to length of 1–2 mid-body rings. Colour uniform chestnut brown. Paranota absent. Sternites, other than those of the fifth body ring, with no noticeable features. Anterior spiracles at mid-body, very small, flat, ovoid, slightly posteriorly facing. Antennae not obviously clavate, sixth antennomere only slightly wider than proximal ones, short, not extending to body ring 2, antennomeres moderately slender ( Fig 4A ). Gonopod ( Fig. 4D ) extending to posterior edge of fifth body ring; coxa (C) robust and approximately 2× as long as broad; prefemur (PF) short, sub-globose; femorite (F) half the length of acropodite, narrow at base, then broadening considerably; non-seminiferous branch (NSB) extending almost to solenomere tip as an upright, very broad, process, narrowing abruptly to a pointed tip; process on medial surface of NSB (nsbp) very short and pointed, arising approximately midway on the length of the NSB; solenomere (S) relatively long and slender, arising midway between NSB tip and prefemur, curving away slightly from NSB and tip curling back towards gonopod midline to form a small loop; solenomere tip with small process (stp); solenomere process (sp) absent; separate posterior process (pp) arising near solenomere base, slender, pointed, curving away almost a right angles from the solenomere to abut against the NSB.

Female

Unknown.

Distribution

This species in known from only three males on Koolan Island ( Fig. 5 ).

Figures

Fig. 4. Boreohesperus vascellus sp. nov. A. Paratype, ♂, habitus (WAM T73954). B. Holotype, ♂, habitus (WAM T137095). A. Lateral view. B. Dorsal view. C, E–F. Paratype, ♂, left gonopod (WAM T73954). D. Holotype, ♂, left gonopod (WAM T137095). C. Posterior view. D. Anterior view. E. Medial view. F. Lateral view. Abbreviations: bs = solenomere base; C = coxa; F = femorite; NSB = nonseminiferous branch; nsbp = non-seminiferous branch process; PF = prefemur; pp = posterior process; S = solenomere; stp = solenomere tip process. Scale bars: A = 2 mm; B = 1 mm; C–F = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 5. Map of the Kimberley region of north-western Australia showing the distributions of the three new species of Boreohesperus Shear, 1992.