Lissodesmus inopinatus, Mesibov, 2005

Mesibov, Robert, 2005, The millipede genus Lissodesmus Chamberlin, 1920 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Dalodesmidae) from Tasmania and Victoria, with descriptions of a new genus and 24 new species, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 62 (2), pp. 103-146 : 116-117

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.24199/j.mmv.2005.62.4
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8066859
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03BDAA31-F54D-FFAA-8470-F78048178CF4
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Lissodesmus inopinatus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Lissodesmus inopinatus View in CoL sp. nov.

Lissodesmus sp. E 2.— Mesibov, 1996: 17.

Material examined. Holotype. Male, Australia, Tasmania. Halls Creek , EP660382 (42°06'19''S 147°47'53''E), 540 m, 22.iii.1992, R. Mesibov, QVM 23:45828 (ex QVM 23:16164). GoogleMaps

Paratypes. 2 males, details as for holotype, AM KS91177 (ex QVM 23:16164 ) ; 7 males, details as for holotype, QVM 23:16164 , 2 dissected ; 5 females, 1 stadium VII female, details as for holotype, QVM 23 View Materials : 16168; male, Pinnacles Creek , EP528531 (41°58'19''S 147°38'14''E), 520 m, 22.iii.1992, R. Mesibov, QVM 23 View Materials GoogleMaps : 16165; male, Mt Ponsonby , EN441966 (42°28'53''S 147°32'11''E), 610 m, 3.ix.2000, R. Mesibov, QVM 23 View Materials GoogleMaps : 41984; male, Anglers Creek , EP697230 (42°14'30''S 147°50'41''E), 570 m, 7.x.2001, R. Mesibov & T. Moule, QVM 23:24858 GoogleMaps .

Other material. 3 males, 16 females and 8 juveniles from Anglers Creek, Mt Mismanagement, Parramores Tier, Pinnacles Creek and Rocka Rivulet (see “ Lissodesmus supplement” for details) .

Description. Male c. 17 mm long, H = 1.7 mm. In alcohol, well-coloured specimens under low magnification with very pale brown body colour, faintly reddish and more intense medially and posteriorly on metatergites. Antenna long and slender ( Fig. 69 View Figure 69 ino). Paranota reduced, R = 1.3 ( Fig. 70 View Figure 70 ino), posterior corners turned up. Legs fairly slender, tarsus shorter than femur, tibia with slight ventral distal swelling ( Fig. 71 View Figure 71 ino). Telopodite ( Figs 42 View Figure 42 , 43 View Figure 43 ) widest at prefemoral process origin, reaching leg 5 when retracted. Solenomere arising at one-third the telopodite length, directed posterodistally at a small angle (c. 30°) to telopodite axis, terminating with toothed subapical collar at just under half the prefemoral process height. Tibiotarsus nearly as thick as solenomere but slightly shorter, directed posterodistally and slightly laterally at acute angle to solenomere, flattened and bluntly pointed. Femoral process arising at level of solenomere origin, forked near base, both branches blade-like, pointed; anterior branch directed distally and pressed close to prefemoral process, terminating at about one-third the prefemoral process height (proximal to solenomere tip); posterior branch smaller than anterior branch, curved anterodistally. Prefemoral process at base about two-thirds the width of telopodite base proximal to solenomere origin, bending sharply posterolaterally at about two-thirds its height with a large, mesolaterally flattened, broadly toothed projection on mesal edge of prefemoral process at bend, the distal portion of process with c. 10–20 teeth lying at a small angle to process axis, the tip also toothed. Uncus prominent, arising on mesal edge of prefemoral process at about half the process height (just distal to solenomere tip).

Distribution and habitat. An uncommon species in dry and wet eucalypt forest over c. 1000 km 2 in the Eastern Tiers of Tasmania ( Fig. 72 View Figure 72 ), from Pinnacles Creek (c. 15 km E of Campbell Town) south to Mt Ponsonby and east to Anglers Creek.

Etymology. Latin inopinatus (“unexpected”), adjective. While carrying out a Tasmania-wide millipede survey in the 1990s, the only Lissodesmus species I expected to find in the L. inopinatus range was L. hamatus .

Remarks. L. inopinatus varies considerably in overall size across its range.