Pratherodesmus ecclesia Shear

Shear, William A., Taylor, Steven J., Wynne, Judson & Krejca, Jean K., 2009, Cave millipeds of the United States. VIII. New genera and species of polydesmidan millipeds from caves in the southwestern United States (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Macrosternodesmidae), Zootaxa 2151, pp. 47-65 : 54-56

Pratherodesmus ecclesia Shear , new species

Figs. 4 , 15–18 , 34 , 36 .

Types: Male holotype, two male, and four female paratypes from Cathedral Cave (part of Cathedral Cave Preserve), 10 miles south-southwest of Ash Fork, Yavapai Co., Arizona, collected 11 January 2007 by J. J. Wynne, deposited in FMNH; one male and one female paratype in CPMAB.

Description: Male. Length, 8.0 mm, width 0.75 mm. Nonsexual characters as described for P. voylesi , but metazonital setae are significantly longer and more acute ( Fig 4 ). Pregonopodal legs slightly more crassate than postgonopodal legs. Gonopods ( Figs. 15–18 , 34, 35 ) large, gonostome walls bulging, prozonite of seventh segment notably swollen when seen dorsally. Gonocoxae hemispherical, filling gonostome, tightely appressed in midline, excavated to receive telopodites. Prefemora as in P. voylesi , but with lateral articulation less narrow, subtriangular; not obviously distally narrowed. Exomere absent, endomerite long, sinuous, appearing narrow in either anterior or posterior view, in lateral view, acute-triangular, with small basal tooth. Solenomere similar to P. voylesi , tibiotarsus reduced to absent, subtending process, large, lamellate.

Female. Length, 8.0 mm, width 0.83 mm. Nonsexual characters as male, cyphopods as described for P. voylesi .

FIGS. 19, 20. Fig. 19. Cyphopods of Pratherodesmus voylesi , ventral view. Fig. 20. Solenomere, distal zone, and subtending process of gonopod of P. despaini , posterior view.

Distribution and habitat: Cathedral Cave (elevation 1621 m [5317 ft.]) is a limestone cave characterized by a large borehole passage, with two narrow side passageways. This cave has not been mapped. The vertical entrance is 1 x 3 m. During the winter months, Cathedral Cave is wet, with standing pools and high humidity, but prior to the summer monsoon it is quite dry. P. ecclesia is often observed in the deepest parts of this cave in association with tree branches, likely transported into the cave by human visitors (perhaps for use as torches); they also have been observed in association with candle wax. We suggest this animal is likely feeding directly on the wood or perhaps on the fungi and bacteria growing on the wood; there are often accumulations of dark brown milliped scat where these animals are observed. This species is commonly observed in association with two collembolans ( Sinella sp., Drepanura sp.). Other arthropods occurring in this cave include two spider species ( Cicurina sp., Metellina curtisi , det. Pierre Paquin), three beetles ( Bembidion rupicola , det. Rolf Aalbu; Nicrophorus sp.; Rhadine n. sp. Thomas Barr), crickets ( Ceuthophilus utahensis , det. Theodore Cohn) and ants ( Camponotus ocreatus , det. Robert Johnson). Surface vegetation is Colorado Plateau pinyon-juniper woodland (SWReGAP land cover type; Lowery et al. 2006).

Etymology: The name ecclesia is a noun in apposition, Latin for “church.”

Figures

FIGURE 36. Map of parts of the states of Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah, showing localities for milliped collections (Map by S. Taylor).

FIGURES 3 – 6. Segments 10, dorsal view. Fig. 3. Nevadesmus ophimontis. Fig. 2. Pratherodesmus ecclesia. Fig. 3. P. despaini. Fig. 6. P. voylesi.

FIGURES 15 – 18. Gonopods of Pratherodesmus ecclesia. Fig. 15. Gonopods in gonostome, ventral view. Fig. 16. Lateral view. Fig. 17. Anterior view. Fig. 18. Posterior view.

FIGURES 30 – 35. Drawings of gonopods. Figs. 30, 31. Nevadesmus ophimontis. Fig. 30. Lateral view. Fig. 31. Mesal view. Fig. 32. Pratherodesmus despaini, posteriolateral view. Fig. 33. P. voylesi, mesal view. Figs. 34, 35. P. ecclesia. Fig. 34. Posterior view. Fig. 35. P. despaini, mesal view.