A revision of dragon millipedes III: the new genus Gigaxytes gen. nov., with the description of three new species (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae) Srisonchai, Ruttapon Enghoff, Henrik Likhitrakarn, Natdanai Panha, Somsak European Journal of Taxonomy 2018 2018-09-27 463 1 43 3G2FC Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha 2018 [403,1002,691,717] Diplopoda Paradoxosomatidae Gigaxytes GBIF Animalia Polydesmida 30 31 Arthropoda species suratensis gen. et sp. nov.  ( Figs 19–24)    Diagnosis Male femora 5, 6 and 7 with an apophysis. Similar in this respect to  G. parvoterga gen. et sp. nov., but differs from this species by having paraterga longer; collum usually with 4+4 cones/spines (intermediate row); metaterga 2–8 usually with 4+4 cones/spines (anterior row), 4+4 cones/spines (intermediate row) and 4+4 cones/spines (posterior row); metaterga 9–12 usually with 5+5 cones/spines (anterior row), 5+5 cones/spines (intermediate row) and 5+5 cones/spines (posterior row); metaterga 13–19 usually with 6+6 cones/spines (anterior row), 6+6 cones/spines (intermediate row) and 6+6 cones/spines (posterior row).    Etymology The specific epiteth is a Latin adjective, referring to the province where the typelocality occurs.    Material examined    Holotype  THAILAND: ♂, Surat Thani Province, Phanom District, Ban Song Phi Nong, 8º50′54″ N, 98°44′16″ E, ca.  117 ma.s.l.,  7 Aug. 2016, ASRUmembers leg. (CUMZ-pxDGT00182).    Paratypes  THAILAND: 3 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀, 13 juveniles, same data as for holotype(CUMZ-pxDGT00183-204); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same data as for holotype( ZMUC00040248).  Additional specimens  THAILAND–  Surat Thani Province: 1 ♂, 1 broken ♂– right gonopod lost, 1 ♀, 1 broken  ♀, 4 juveniles, Ban Ta Khun District, Ratchaprapa Dam, 8º57′22″ N, 98°48′22″ E, ca. 53 ma.s.l., 8 Oct. 2008, ASRUmembers leg. ( CUMZ); 1 ♂– gonopods lost, Ban Ta Khun District, Khao Wong Water Supply Station, 8º55′47″ N, 98°56′25″ E, ca. 91 ma.s.l., 9 Oct. 2008, ASRUmembers leg. ( CUMZ); 1 ♂, Khirirat Nikhom District, Wat Satit Khirirom, 9º01′48″ N, 98°59′12″ E, ca. 50 ma.s.l., 10 Jul. 2017, ASRUmembers leg. ( CUMZ); 4 broken ♂♂, 3 broken ♂♂– gonopods lost, 1 ♀, Phanom District, Khlong Phanom National Park, 8º52′44″ N, 98°40′26″ E, ca. 68 ma.s.l., 28 Aug. 2007, ASRUmembers leg. ( CUMZ); 1 juvenile, Phanom District, Wat Tham Wararam, 8º53′07″ N, 98°40′01″ E, ca. 51 ma.s.l., 5 Aug. 2014, ASRUmembers leg. ( CUMZ); 1 ♂remaining rings 14–20, 1 ♂– gonopods lost, 1 broken  ♀, Unknown location (probably in Ban Ta Khun District), ASRUleg. ( CUMZ).    Description SIZE. Length 36–40 mm(male), 38–40 mm(female); width of midbody metazona ca. 2.9 mm (male), 3.7 mm (female). Width of head <collum <2 ± 3 <4 <5–16, thereafter body gradually tapering towards telson. COLOUR ( Fig. 19A–E). Specimens in life with body pinkish brown; some specimens with a dark middorsal band; paraterga and antennae dark brown (except distal part of antennomere 7 and antennomere 8 whitish); head, epiproct and legs brown; metaterga, prozona and surface below paraterga (upper part) pinkish brown; collum pinkish brown/brown; surface below paraterga (lower part) brownish pink; tip of paraterga and sterna pale brown to whitish; a few basal podomeres pale brown. Colour in alcohol: after 10 years changed to pale brown; head, antennae, collum, metaterga, paraterga, surface below paraterga, sterna, epiproct and legs pale brown. COLLUM ( Fig. 20A). With three transverse rows of setiferous cones/spines, 5(6)+5 cones/spines in anterior row, 4(3)+4(3) cones/spines in intermediate row and 4(3/5)+4(5) cones/spines in posterior row (lateral cones/spines of anterior row located at base of collum paraterga; lateral cones/spines of posterior row displaced anteriad almost halfway to intermediate); paraterga of collum elevated at ca. 30º–45º. ANTENNAE ( Fig. 20D). Moderately long and slender, reaching to body ring 5 or 6 (male) and 4 or 5 (female) when stretched dorsally. TEGUMENT. Stricture between prozona and metazona wide, quite deep. METATERGA ( Fig. 20A–C). With three transverse rows of setiferous cones/spines; metaterga 2–8 with 4(5)+4(5) cones/spines in anterior row, 4(3)+4(3/5) cones/spines in intermediate row and 4(3/5)+4(3/5) cones/spines in posterior row; metaterga 9–12 with 5(6/7)+5(6) cones/spines in anterior row, 5(6)+5(6) cones/spines in intermediate row and 5(6/7)+5(6/7) cones/spines in posterior row; metaterga 13–19 with 6(5/7/8)+6(5/7/8) cones/spines in anterior row, 6(5/7/8)+6(5/7/8) cones/spines in intermediate row and 6(5/7/8)+6(5/7/8) cones/spines in posterior row. PLEUROSTERNAL CARINAE. On body ring 2 long, crest-like; on ring 3 a long ridge; on ring 4 a short ridge; thereafter missing. PARATERGA ( Figs 20A–C, I, 21A–B). Moderately long, directed caudolaterad on body rings 2–17, elevated at ca. 45º–60º (male) 40º–50º (female), directed increasingly caudad on body rings 18–19. TELSON ( Fig. 21C–G). Tip of epiproct usually subtruncate (in some specimen slightly emarginate); apical tubercles inconspicuous. Hypoproct subtrapeziform; caudal margin usually subtruncate (in some specimens slightly round), with inconspicuous setiferous tubercles. STERNUM ( Fig. 21H–J). On body ring 5 with a swollen lobe; posterior surface of lobe with a pore borne on a short cylindrical stalk. LEGS ( Fig. 20E–H). Male femora 5, 6 and 7 with an apophysis. GONOPODS ( Figs 22–23). Coxa subequal in length to femorite. Cannula quite short and stout. Femorite long, slender, curved. Solenophore wide laterally: lamina lateralis broad: lamina medialis very wide, distally blunt, in situdirected mesoventrad.    Distribution and habitat   Gigaxytes suratensis gen. et sp. nov.is known only from Surat Thani Province. It has been collected from limestone habitats hiding under dead leaves. We cound not access many isolated limestone moutains nearby the typelocality, we assume, however, that this species might have a distribution running along the huge limestone mountain ranges in Khaosok and Khlong Phanom National Parks. According to the current data, the new species is dispersed narrowly, we therefore regard  G. suratensis gen. et sp. nov.as endemic for Thailand. The new species was found together with  Desmoxytes corythosaurus Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha, 2018at Ban Song Phi Nong and Wat Satit Khirirom;  Desmoxytes cervinaat Wat Satit Khirirom.    Remarks Across the range of this species there are some variations in tip of epiproct (subtruncate in some specimens, slightly emarginate in others) and in shape of caudal margin of hypoproct (subtruncate in some specimens, in others slightly round). 1931387712 2016-08-07 ASRU Thailand 117 8.848333 Ban Song Phi Nong 21 98.73778 Phanom District 30 31 1 Surat Thani holotype 2620323301 [234,359,1445,1471] 30 31 paratype