Bifurcatella hobo, Shear & Richart & Wong, 2020

Shear, William A., Richart, Casey H. & Wong, Victoria L., 2020, The millipede family Conotylidae in northwestern North America, with a complete bibliography of the family (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Heterochordeumatidea, Conotyloidea), Zootaxa 4753 (1), pp. 1-78 : 64

Bifurcatella hobo , new species

Figs. 234–239

Types: Male holotype, male and female paratypes from IDAHO: Shoshone Co., Hobo Cedar Grove Botanical Area, Idaho Panhandle National Forests, elev. 1360 m, 47.0880°N, - 116.1152°W, collected 16 October 2009, by W. Leonard, C. Richart, from the litter and woody debris of an old-growth forest including Tsuga heterophylla , Thuja plicata , and Abies grandis .

Diagnosis: As with the preceding species, B. hobo , in keeping with their geographic separation from the remainder of Bifurcatella species, differs from the Washington forms. The anterior gonopods recall those of Karagama ladybird from northern California in that one or more small branches are tightly appressed to the posterior side. However, the posterior gonopod coxites are very different and have the typical Bifurcatella pseudoflagellar branch; the fimbriate branch is significantly reduced.

Etymology: The species name is a noun in apposition referring to the type locality, a preserve noted for the diversity of its plant life.

Description: Male holotype: Length, 12.0 mm. Twenty to 22 ocelli in triangular group. Shoulders of metazonites weakly developed, segmental setae long, curved, acute. Color almost uniform pale tan, lightly marked darker. Legpairs one and two reduced, pairs three to seven enlarged, three to five much the largest; femora five with very large, oblong knobs distally acute, femora four with smaller knobs. Anterior gonopods ( Figs. 234 , 236, 237 ) with low, broad mesal branches, lateral branches curved, with thin, acute apical process; in posterior view with two or three posterior branches tightly appressed to main body of gonopod. Posterior gonopod coxites ( Figs. 235 , 238, 239 ) simpler than in other species of Bifurcatella , with subapical teeth; pseudoflagellar branch sharply angled at base, not sinuate; fimbriate branch small. Coxae 10 and eleventh prefemora as usual.

Female 12 mm long, nonsexual characters as in male.

Distribution: IDAHO: Latah Co., E Fork of Meadow Creek Road (FS-1443) at SR-6, tributary of Mannering Creek, Idaho Panhandle National Forests, elev. 915 m, 47.0350°N, - 116.6729°W, 17 October 2009, W. Leonard, C. Richart, from litter and stream-side woody debris in a mixed forest including Thuja plicata , Abies grandis , and Tsuga heterophylla , m. Benewah Co., SR-6 0.6 mi S of Dennis Mountain Road and 2.1 mi N of the Latah County line, Idaho Panhandle National Forests, headwaters of Mannering Creek, elev. 1030 m., 47.0639°N, - 116.6751°W, 17 October 2009, W. Leonard, C. Richart, m ff. Shoshone Co., same as type locality but 17 October 2009, elev. 1290 m., 47.0880°N, - 116.1152°W, m ff.

Notes: The Mannering Creek specimens are considerably darker than the holotype, some of them appearing almost solidly dark purplish brown .

Figures

FIGS. 232–235. Bifurcatella spp. Figs. 232–233. Bifurcatella inflata. Fig. 232. Right anterior gonopod, posterior view. Fig. 233. Right posterior gonopod coxite, posterior view. Figs. 234, 235. Bifurcatella hobo. Fig. 234. Anterior gonopods, anterior view. Fig. 235. Right posterior gonopod coxite, posterior view.

FIGS. 236–239. Bifurcatella hobo. Fig. 236. Anterior gonopods, anterior view. Fig. 237. Tip of right anterior gonopod, posterior view. Fig. 238. Posterior gonopod coxites, posteriolateral view. Fig. 239. Tip of right posterior gonopod coxite, posterior view.