Unixenus corringlensis Short & Huynh

Short, Megan & Huynh, Cuong, 2013, Four new species of Unixenus Jones, 1944 (Diplopoda, Penicillata, Polyxenida) from Australia, ZooKeys 278, pp. 75-90 : 79-81

Unixenus corringlensis Short & Huynh sp. n. Fig. 2 A–I

Holotype.

Female, Corringle State Forest, NSW, 33°22'12"S, 147°15'00"E, 21-26 March 1996, collected by D. Smith, AM KS.119541. Specimen mounted on slides, deposited in AM.

Paratypes.

1 male, same collection as holotype, AM KS.119540. 1 female and 1 male subadult stadium VII, Severn State Forest, Atholwood Loop Rd. 29°04'28"S, 151°00'53"E, wet pitfall traps 22 November– 13 December 2001, collected by L. Wilkie and H. Smith, AM KS.87406 (male), AM KS.119542 (female). 1 female adult, Newnes State Forest, Birds Rock Flora Reserve, 0.6 km from Sunnyside Ridge Rd., 33°19'43"S, 150°11'33"E, litter sampling 23 Feb 2006, collected by G.A. Milledge, J. Tarnawski and M. Beatson. AM KS.119543. All paratypes mounted on slides and deposited in AM.

Other material:

4 specimens (sex and stadia not determined), Severn State Forest, Atholwood Loop Rd. 29°04'28"S, 151°00'53"E, wet pitfall traps 22 November– 13 December 2001, collected by L. Wilkie and H. Smith. AM KS.87400, KS.87410, preserved in ethanol. 2 immature specimens, (sex and stadia not determined), Corringle State Forest, NSW, 33°22'12"S, 147°15'00"E, 21-26 March 1996, collected by D. Smith, AM KS.53604, preserved in ethanol.

1 male stadium VII, Newnes State Forest, Birds Rock Flora Reserve, 0.6km from Sunnyside Ridge Rd., 33°19'43"S, 150°11'33"E, litter sampling 23 Feb 2006, collected by G.A. Milledge, J. Tarnawski and M. Beatson, AM KS.119544, mounted on slide, poor quality.

Etymology.

For Corringle State Forest, the type locality; adjective.

Diagnosis.

Similar to Unixenus attemsi with biarticulate setae on leg segments and proximal position of seta on tarsus 2. Differs from Unixenus attemsi in being larger, having 2 setae on femur and 1 seta on tibia, maximum of 3 setae on coxa, broad gap between anterior rows of trichomes on vertex and posterior rows, and in arrangement of posterior rows.

Description.

As for Unixenus carnarvonensis sp. n., differing in the following details:

Measurements: Body length 2.3-2.5 mm with no differences between sexes, caudal bundle 0.3 mm.

No freshly collected specimens available. Specimens had been preserved in 70% ethanol. Body yellow brown in colour with tergal trichomes medium brown.

Number of trichomes in posterior rows of vertex of head each side varies 10-12 (anterior rows), 4-6 (posterior rows) (Fig. 2A). Antennal article VI with 3 thick basiconic sensilla, anterior sensillum shorter, coeloconic sensillum posterior to basiconic sensilla, setiform sensillum between basiconic sensilla 1 and 2 (Fig. 2B). Clypeo-labrum similar to Unixenus carnarvonensis sp. n. with 10 setae along posterior margin and fine sandy granular surface, granules decreasing in size to the posterior. Differs from Unixenus carnarvonensis sp. n. in having only 4 overlapping lamellar teeth each side of the median cleft. Lateral palp of gnathochilarium with 13 cylindrical sensilla, medial palp 20-21 sensilla.

Lateral protuberances of collum with 5-7 trichomes each. Tergites 2-9 with presence of median gap variable and narrow if present. Tergite 10 with median gap and reduced number of trichomes (Fig. 2C). Trichomes short barbate. Legs with similar chaetotaxy to Unixenus mjoebergi with coxa 1, 1 seta, coxa 2, 2 setae, coxae 3-13, 2-3 setae; prefemur, tibia and tarsus 2, 1 seta; femur, 2 setae; trochanter, postfemur and tarsus 1 lack setae (Fig. 2D). Setae same as for Unixenus attemsi , biarticulate with base lacking ridges and spines (Fig. 2E), seta on distal edge of femur with longer flagellum; setiform, tarsus 2 seta slightly longer and located more proximal than in Unixenus mjoebergi (Fig. 2F); telotarsus bearing anterior spinous projection longer than the wide claw which bears anterior process, posterior process not visible, small thin lamella process (Fig. 2G). Last sternal plate with 2 setae. Male with 2 pairs coxal glands on leg pairs 8 and 9.

Telson with ornamental trichome insertions numbering 7-10a, 1b, and 3c each side of the midline (Fig. 2I). Trichome b insertion points small, typical of the genus. Hooked caudal trichomes with 2-4 hooks on barbed stems, distal facing barbs along stem proximal to hooks, most distal barb larger. Caudal trichomes with 2 hooks only in both holotype and paratype from Corringle State Forest (Fig. 2H).

Distribution.

So far known only from State forest at two widely separated sites in mid NSW and one site in northern NSW (Fig. 5).