Pseudotremia culveri, Shear, William A., 2011

Shear, William A., 2011, Cave millipeds of the United States. X. New species and records of the genus Pseudotremia Cope. 2. Species from Virginia, USA (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Cleidogonidae), Zootaxa 3109, pp. 1-38 : 32

Pseudotremia culveri , n. sp.

Figs. 98–104

Types: Male holotype and female paratypes from Fisher Cave, 3.5 mi. NNW of Kyles Ford, Lee Co., VIRGINIA, collected by J. R. Holsinger, T. C. Barr, Jr., T. C. Barr III, 17 July 1979.

Diagnosis: Like P. nodosa from its type locality, specimens of this species have nodules across the back margins of the metazonites, but often only four to six (fig. 102); the gonopods are distinguished from those of nodosa and inexpectata by the double-pronged, but short and massive, VCP (fig. 100), and the ninth legs (fig. 103) are also quite different from those found in the other two species.

Etymology: The species epithet honors David Culver, dean of American speleobiologists, in gratitude for all he has done to make possible the publication of several of the papers in this series. Suggested vernacular name: Culver’s Cave Milliped.

Description: Male holotype 17 mm long, 1.7 mm wide. 10 poorly defined unpigmented ocelli on each side of head (fig. 101), may appear eyeless under dissecting light microscope. Metazonites with well-developed shoulders anteriorly, shoulders reduced, segments cylindrical posteriorly, dorsum smooth, with 4–6 round nodules on posterior margins of midbody segments (figs. 102, 104); 6–8 lateral striae, mostly incomplete. Without pigment.

Gonopods (figs. 99, 100) somewhat reduced; angiocoxites widely separated at base, sharply converging distally, MAPs with short but stout preapical spine, apical spine absent; LAPs short, evenly curved, distally narrowing, not divided (fig. 100). Colpocoxites large, erect, distinctly mitten-shaped, “hand” of mitten narrow, diverging (figs. 99). VCP large, two-branched, branches semicircularly curved (fig. 99). Ninth legs (fig.103) with distal segment slightly shorter than basal, traces of articulations of postfemoral segments present; coxoprefemur sharply constricted at point of fusion of coxa and prefemur, some degree of articulation possible, coxal portion with squarish median knob, prefemur with peglike knob just distal to midway in length.

Female similar to male.

Notes: At the type locality, this species is syntopic with P. piscator n. sp., but cannot be confused with it as that species is a larger, pigmented, troglophilic form with distinctive gonopods and a very rough dorsum.

Figures

FIGURES 92 – 98. New species of Pseudotremia. Figs. 92 – 97, Pseudotremia piscator, n. sp. Fig. 92, ocelli. Fig. 93, metazonite, lateral view. Fig. 94, gonopods, lateral view. Fig. 95, gonopods, anterior view. Fig. 96, gonopods, ventral view. Fig. 97, right ninth leg, anterior view. Fig. 98, P. culveri, n. sp., eleventh coxae, posterior view.

FIGURES 99, 100. Pseudotremia culveri, n, sp. Fig. 99, gonopods, anterior view. Fig. 100, gonopods, lateral view.

FIGURES 101 – 109. New species of Pseudotremia. Figs. 101 – 104, Pseudotremia culveri, n. sp. Fig. 101, ocelli. Fig. 102, metazonite, dorsal view. Fig. 103, left ninth leg, anterior view. Fig. 104, metazonite, lateral view. Figs. 105 – 109, Pseudotremia salfodina, n. sp. Fig. 105, left ninth leg, anterior view. Fig. 106, gonopods, lateral view. Fig. 107, gonopods, anterior view. Fig. 108, gonopods, ventral view. Fig. 109, ocelli.