Agathodesmus parapholeus, Mesibov, Robert, 2013

Mesibov, Robert, 2013, New species of Agathodesmus Silvestri, 1910 from Australia (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Haplodesmidae), ZooKeys 325, pp. 33-64 : 54

Agathodesmus parapholeus sp. n. Fig. 9D

Holotype.

Male, Tower near The Crater, Qld, 17°27'23"S, 145°29'12"E ± 500 m, 1230 m a.s.l., 23 November 1994, G. Monteith, QM berlesate 878, rainforest, sieved litter, QM S96056 (ex QM S46994).

Paratypes.

QM: 12 males, 4 females, 1 stadium 6 male, 1 stadium 6 female, details as for holotype, S96057; 1 male, 2 females, same details but 16 May 1995, QM berlesate 886, rainforest, stick brushing, S96058.

Other material.

QM: 1 female, 21 km S of Atherton, Qld, 17°26'41"S, 145°28'35"E ± 500 m, 1000 m a.s.l., 5 November 1983, D. Yeates and G. Thompson, QM berlesate 616, rainforest, sieved litter, S96059; 3 males, 1 female, same details but QM berlesate 617, S96060; 1 male, 1 female, Kjellberg Road, Mt Fisher, Qld, 17°32'34"S, 145°33'31"E ± 500 m, 1100 m a.s.l., 18 May 1995, G. Monteith, QM berlesate 892, rainforest, sieved litter, S96061; 16 males, 5 females, 2 stadium 6 females, 2 stadium 5 females, Mt Murray Prior, Qld, 16°55'59"S, 145°50'59"E ± 500 m, 770 m a.s.l., 30 October 1995, G. Monteith, QM berlesate 894, rainforest, sieved litter, QM S96062. ANIC: Longlands Gap Road, 27 km S of Atherton, Qld, 17°28'S, 145°29'E ± 2 km, 11 November 1969, J.G. Brooks, ANIC berlesate 169, leaf mould, rainforest, 64-000339.

Diagnostic description.

Male and female with head + 19 rings. Colour in alcohol pale yellow. Male/female ca 8.0/9.0 mm long; ring 12 maximum diameter ca 0.75/0.85 mm, maximum width ca 0.75/0.85 mm. Metatergal tubercles in ca 12 irregular transverse rows, mainly without setae; metatergal setae short with slightly flared tips; lateralmost tubercles not enlarged, not forming pseudo-paranotum. Male leg 6 coxa with prominent mediodistal projection. Telopodite (Fig. 9D) with pp straight; at in transverse plane, short, rounded-triangular, tip not curving posteriorly; dp directed posterobasally and laterally at base; mab deeply divided into 2 lobes; anterior mab lobe subdivided, its posterior portion curving medially; posterior mab lobe with cup-like partial fold at midlength, the distal margin bent into narrow shelf and with small notch near medial edge; meb curving behind mab, divided at base into 2 subequal, closely appressed, needle-like processes.

Distribution.

Known from rainforest on the Atherton Tableland and the coastal range just southeast of Cairns in tropical north Queensland (Fig. 13B); the two areas are ca 70 km apart. Co-occurs with Agathodesmus quintanus sp. n. on the Atherton Tableland.

Name.

Greek para, 'near', and pholeos, 'hole'; adjective. The type locality is close to Mt Hypipamee Crater, a vertical volcanic pipe.

Remarks.

Agathodesmus parapholeus sp. n. is very similar to Agathodesmus kirrama sp. n. (compare Figs 9B and 9D). I am separating them on the number of mab lobes (three in kirrama sp. n. vs two in parapholeus sp. n.) and the development of long mediodistal projections on the leg 6 coxae in kirrama sp. n. These differences may be clinal, and further collecting would be useful in the ca 70 km-wide gap between closest known occurrences of the two species.