Procophorella bashfordi, Mesibov, Robert, 2003

Mesibov, Robert, 2003, Two new and unusual genera of millipedes (Diplopoda: Polydesmida) from Tasmania, Australia, Zootaxa 368, pp. 1-32 : 7

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.157087

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6275156

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/4932B16D-9272-FFC7-C848-78C09DF8F914

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Procophorella bashfordi
status

sp. nov.

Procophorella bashfordi View in CoL n. sp.

Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 , map Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5

Holotype: Male, Weavers Creek , Tasmania, EQ312106 (41°27’19”S, 147°22’24”E), 630m, 19.vii.1994, R. Mesibov, QVM 23 View Materials :41384. GoogleMaps

Paratypes: Male , details as for holotype, AM KS86295 ; male (dissected), Weavers Creek , EQ319163 (41°24’14”S, 147°22’53”E), 970m, 8.i.1995, R. Mesibov & T. Moule, QVM 23:41387 GoogleMaps ; male, Weavers Creek , EQ305133 (41°25’52”S, 147°21’54”E), 620m, 23.iii.1995, R. Mesibov, QVM 23:41388 GoogleMaps ; 6 females, Weavers Creek , EQ320110 (41°27’06”S, 147°22’59”E), 530m, 22.iii.1995, R. Mesibov, QVM 23:41496 . GoogleMaps

Other material examined: 15 males, 79 females and 29 juveniles. See Appendix for details.

Diagnosis: Differs from P. innupta in having a less flexed telopodite tip and in bearing a prominent, subterminal uncus on the telopodite.

Description: As for the genus. Telopodite base ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ) concave on the distal surface, the distal portion of the telopodite directed cephalad and distad from the base before curving distad in a smooth arc, a few medium to long setae on the posterior surface to about two­thirds the telopodite length. Tip flattened dorsoventrally (i.e., anteroposteriorly if the telopodite were uncurved), bearing a very small, acuminate and somewhat sinuous solenomerite laterally, pointing distad; more mesally a short, narrow, acutely pointed axial process bent mesad, and a few very small teeth near the mesal edge of the tip; between the solenomerite and the narrow axial process a single blade­like process strongly flexed and slightly curved proximad and laterad. A short, somewhat swollen uncus on the posterolateral surface of the telopodite at about 0.8 of its length, its blunt tip directed proximad.

Distribution and habitat: An uncommon, inconspicuous species in leaf and woody litter in dry eucalypt forest, wet eucalypt forest and Nothofagus rainforest over ca. 7000 km 2 in northern and northeastern Tasmania, from near sea level to at least 1200 m ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ).

Etymology: In honour of Richard Bashford, Tasmanian forest entomologist.

Remarks: Over most of the range of this species there is very little variation in gonopod form. However, three males from the Old Chum Dam area (circled locality in Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ) differ in that the strongly flexed process just mesal to the solenomerite is club­like rather than blade­like.

QVM

QVM

AM

Australian Museum

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