Atelomastix Attems, 1911

Edward, Karen L. & Harvey, Mark S., 2010, A review of the Australian millipede genus Atelomastix (Diplopoda: Spirostreptida: Iulomorphidae) 2371, Zootaxa 2371 (1), pp. 1-63 : 6-7

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2371.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6140530D-9F81-4443-AFD1-7EF84005E834
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5319884
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/7B3A87A4-F406-FF93-FF7F-FC47FC95FD57
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Atelomastix Attems, 1911
status

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Genus Atelomastix Attems, 1911 View in CoL

Atelomastix Attems 1911: 192 View in CoL ; Jeekel 1971: 107; Hoffman 1980: 91.

Type species: Atelomastix albanyensis Attems, 1911 View in CoL , by subsequent designation of Jeekel (1971).

Diagnosis: Males of the genus Atelomastix differ from other iulomorphid genera by the morphology of the male anterior gonopods which are laterally compressed, terminally split into three sclerites and possess a pseudoflagellum with a chitinous duct that originates from sclerite a of the telopodite and emerges towards distal end. Males of this genus are also distinguished by the broadened femur, rounded tarsi and lack of distal claws of the first pair of legs.

Description: Size: adult length 11–48 cm, maximum mid-body diameter between 1.0– 2.9 mm, number of podous rings: 36–64, with 2–4 apodous.

Colour: variable from dark brown, blue green to black. Some with distinctive colour pattern such as dark brown with bright yellow bands or grey brown with red head and collum.

Head (see Figs. 10 View FIGURES 10–14 , 23, 25, 26 View FIGURES 23–28 , 34, 35 View FIGURES 34–40 , 119): gnathochilarium epinannolenidean type ( Figs. 25, 26 View FIGURES 23–28 , 119), 3–5 teeth on labium; mandible with 7–9 pectinate lamellae. Ocelli numerous (12–55) and in several rows ( Figs. 48–74 View FIGURES 48–59 ); cheeks of male protruding and tongue shaped. Antennae ( Figs. 11, 12 View FIGURES 10–14 , 39, 40 View FIGURES 34–40 ): composed of 7 antennomeres; antennomeres 6 and 7 with patches of ventral sensillae; tip of antennomere 7 with 4 large sensory cones.

Trunk: anterior ventral segments with thin lateral ridges, rest of trunk relatively smooth and shiny; ozopores from segment 6 until 2 nd last segment; anal somite without caudal process ( Fig. 24 View FIGURES 23–28 ), paraprocts rounded and smooth, usually 2+2 setae along margin of anal opening.

Legs: first pair of legs of male with broadened femur, setae present only on femur, rounded tarsi, and no distal claws.

Gonopods (male): both pairs of legs of 7 th segment modified, forming the copulatory apparatus. Anterior gonopods laterally compressed and complicated in structure, consisting of coxite (sclerite b) and telopodite, which terminally splits into two sclerites (sclerites a and c) and a pseudoflagellum. Pseudoflagellum emerges from medial section of sclerite a and extends towards distal end where it detaches from main process. Chitinous duct extends from within sclerite a to end apically at tip of pseudoflagellum. Posterior gonopods small and unstructured, with few setae on interior surface ( Figs. 13, 14 View FIGURES 10–14 , 118).

Distribution: The genus Atelomastix occurs in southern Australia from western Victoria to southwestern Australia, where it has been found in the Darling Ranges, the Western wheatbelt and the southern coast of Western Australia, extending west to east from Walpole to Israelite Bay ( Figs. 4–9 View FIGURES 4–6 View FIGURES 7–9 ). Specimens can be found in leaf litter, in the upper-most soil layers, under rocks or under logs. Adults, particularly males, are highly seasonal with the majority of specimens collected during winter and spring.

Remarks: Apart from the features listed above in the generic description, males of Atelomastix may also possess a vestige of the true “julidan-cambalid” flagellum, similar to the one mentioned by Jeekel (1985) in another iulomorphid genus, Victoriocambala . This vestigial flagellum is referred to as the basal process of sclerite b.

Nomenclature: The Greek noun mastix refers to a whip and is feminine in gender ( Brown 1956). We therefore treat the generic name Atelomastix as feminine.