Pseudotremia orndorffi, 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 : 13

Pseudotremia orndorffi , n. sp.

Figs. 26–33

Types: Male holotype and female paratype from Birthday Cave, Sugar Run cave system, White Gate quadrangle, Giles Co., VIRGINIA, collected 25 October 2003 by Wil Orndorff.

Diagnosis: While the gonopods of this species are simplified, they remain quite large and obvious, and the reduction of the colpocoxites is distinctive. Among troglobionts from the area, P. orndorffi is unique in its low segmental shoulders (the body is nearly cylindrical beginning at the eighth segment) and quite smooth dorsum.

Etymology: I am happy to name this species for Wil Orndorff, chief of the Virginia Natural Heritage Karst Protection Program, to thank him for the many specimens of millipeds, spiders and harvestmen from caves he has sent me for study over the years. Suggested vernacular name: Orndorff’s Cave Milliped.

Description: Male 17 mm long, 1.2 mm wide, third antennal segment 1.15 mm long. Appearing eyeless under light microscopy; SEM examination shows nine or 10 very reduced unpigmented ocelli (fig. 27). Segmental shoulders weak, beyond segment eight body nearly cylindrical; metazonites smooth (fig.28); segmental setae long, thin, acute; lateral striations 3–5, all incomplete (fig. 29). Entirely without pigment.

Gonopods (figs. 30, 32, 33) large, protruding; angiocoxites appressed basally, then diverging, then converging distally; MAPs lacking spines; LAPs broad at base, tapering, curving inward, appear slightly divided at tip into two lobe-like terminations (fig. 32). Colpocoxites relatively small, fused for most of their length, slightly diverging distally, mitten-shaped with “thumb” deflexed anteriorly; both colpocoxite processes as triangular lobes when seen laterally (fig. 33). Ninth legs intermediate between troglophile and troglobiont form, both podomeres relatively long, subequal, but three apical podomeres entirely fused, coxoprefemur sharply constricted in middle, vestigial articulation between coxa and prefemur possibly present (fig. 31).

Female (fig. 26) similar to male.

Additional records: VIRGINIA: Giles Co.: Stearn’s Cave, 3.5 mi SSE of Narrows, 19 May 1974, J. Holsinger, S. Hetrick, mm; 3 May 1971, L. and B. Ferguson, m; December 1968, C. J. Rushin, m. Craig Co.: Rufe Caldwell’s Cave, 4 mi SW of Newcastle, 19 April 1975, J. Holsinger, L. and B. Ferguson, 3 ƤƤ; Newcastle Murder Hole, 2.5 mi SW Newcastle, 1 March 1975, J. Estes, J. Wolf, 3.

Figures

FIGURES 25 – 31. New species of Pseudotremia. Fig. 25, gonopods of Pseudotremia pomarium, n. sp., lateral view; dcp, dorsal colpocoxite process; vcp, ventral colpocoxite process. Figs. 26 – 31, P. o rn d or ffi, n. sp. Fig. 26, lateral view of anterior end of female. Fig. 27, ocelli. Fig. 28, metazonite, dorsal view. Fig. 29, metazonite, lateral view. Fig. 30, gonopods, ventral view. Fig. 31, right leg 9, anterior view.

FIGURES 32 – 38. New species of Pseudotremia. Figs. 32, 33, Pseudotremia orndorffi, n. sp. Fig. 32, gonopods, anterior view; lap, lateral angiocoxal process; map, median angiocoxal process. Fig. 33, gonopods, lateral view; labels as in fig. 32, and dcp, dorsal colpocoxite process; vcp, ventral colpocoxite process. Figs. 34 – 38, P. peponocranium, n. sp. Fig. 34, head of male, frontal view. Fig. 35, head of male, lateral view. Fig. 36, diplosegment, dorsal view. Fig. 37, gonopods, anterior view. Fig. 38, gonopods, lateral view.