Atelomastix francesae, Edward & Harvey, 2010

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 : 19-20

Atelomastix francesae , sp. nov.

Figs. 5 , 58 , 98, 99.

Type material: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: holotype male, Walpole, near Tree Top Walk , 34°58’48”S, 116°53’31”E, hand collected under rotting logs and leaf litter, 29 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 47953) . Paratypes: 1 male, 5 females, collected with holotype ( WAM T 69719) ; 6 males, collected with holotype ( WAM T 69811) ; 1 male, Walpole, Peaceful Bay Road, 34°58’36”S, 116°55’54”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 26 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69739) .

Other material examined: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 15 males, collected with holotype ( WAM T69810, T69705– T 69718) ; 1 male, 2 females, Keystone State Forest, Deep River and Meredith Road junction, 34°58’59”S, 116°37’53”E, hand collected under karri bark, 27 May 2004, M.S. Harvey, B.Y. Main ( WAM T 69744) ; 4 males, Walpole-Nornalup National Park, Valley of the Giants road, 34°58’50”S, 116°53’22”E, hand collected in karri forest, 9 July 2003, M.S. Harvey, F. Harvey, E. Harvey, K.L. Edward and R. Teale ( WAM T 69807) ; 1 female, Walpole–Nornalup National Park, Hilltop Road, near Big Tingle Tree , 34°58’53”S, 116°46’30”E, hand collected under karri bark, 13 March 2005, M.S. Harvey, J.M. Waldock, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69808) ; 2 males, 1 juvenile, Mount Frankland National Park , 34°43’10”S, 116°31’02”E, hand collected from mixed marri, jarrah forest, 10 July 2003, K.L. Edward, R. Teale ( WAM T 69809) ; 5 males, Kordabup Nature Reserve , 34°57’39”S, 117°09’43”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 30 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69687– T 69691) ; 2 females, Kordabup Nature Reserve , 34°57’39”S, 117°09’43”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 30 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69692) ; 11 males, Walpole, Rose Road Reserve , 34°56’57”S, 116°55’03”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 29 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69693– T 69703) ; 1 female, Walpole, Rose Road Reserve , 34°56’57”S, 116°55’03”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 29 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69704) ; 9 males, Denmark, Scotsdale Road Reserve, corner of Scotsdale Road and Harewood Road , 34°54’49”S, 117°15’11”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 26 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T69812, T69722– T 69729) ; 2 males, 1 female, Denmark, Scotsdale Road Reserve , 34°54’49”S, 117°15’11”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 26 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69730) ; 6 females, Denmark, Scotsdale Road Reserve , 34°54’49”S, 117°15’11”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 26 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69731) ; 9 males, Walpole, Peaceful Bay Road, 34°58’36”S, 116°55’54”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 26 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69732– T 69740) ; 4 females, Walpole, Peaceful Bay Road, 34°58’36”S, 116°55’54”E, hand collected under logs and bark, 26 July 2003, K.L. Edward ( WAM T 69741) ; 1 male, Walpole-Nornalup National Park, East of town along South Coast Highway , 34°59’36”S, 116°50’50”E, hand collected under logs, bark, 9 July 2003, M.S. Harvey, F. Harvey, E. Harvey, K.L. Edward, R. Teale ( WAM T 69745) ; 6 males, Walpole-Nornalup National Park , “Tingle Tree”, 35°00’S, 116°38’E, 2 July 1980, S.B.S. Peck ( WAM T 47938) .

Etymology: The specific epithet is a patronym in honour of Frances Harvey, who helped collect specimens of Atelomastix in Walpole and Denmark.

Diagnosis: Atelomastix francesae is similar to A. albanyensis , but can be distinguished by the shape of sclerites b and c. Sclerite b is blunt, broadly shaped, and does not taper or curve to a point distally. Sclerite c, which is deeply bifurcated, does not have a curved lateral process, and the medial process is much more elongated, exhibiting a number of setae medially rather than on the distal edge.

Description: Male (holotype). Colour: Dorsal part of head dark brown; rest of head, mouth parts, antennae, gonopod, ozopores and legs light golden-brown; prozonites pale yellow brown, metazonites dark to bluegrey.

Body: ca. 16 mm long and ca. 1.4 mm wide at collum. With 39 trunk segments, 67 pairs of legs, last 2 segments without legs.

Head: with ca. 24 ocelli ( Fig. 58 ), arranged in 5 rows (2: 4: 5: 6: 7).

Gonopods: anterior gonopods ( Figs. 98, 99) complex, relatively large, compact, broad, and heavily scleritised, 2.19 times longer than broad; sclerite a with swollen base and broad, curved distal hood; upper distal face of sclerite a with 22 short blunt setae; pseudoflagellum short, broad, and partially concealed within broadened distal hood; sclerite b broad and slightly curved distally, with 2–7 setae on distal edge (n=15); basal process of sclerite b small with rounded tip, 0.09 times the length of the main process; sclerite c deeply bifurcate, lateral process slightly curved forming a blunt tip, medial process triangular in shape with 3–8 setae (n=15) spread over middle of process; one small setae present at sub basal end of sclerite, and group of 9 very short setae present basally; posterior gonopods inconspicuous, small, with several small setae on interno-lateral face of each gonopod.

Dimensions (mm): holotype male (paratype male, WAM T69739): length ca. 16, width ca. 1.4 (L/ W=11.1); sclerite a 0.997 / 0.456 (0.992 / 0.454), setae 22; sclerite b 0.450 (0.447), basal process 0.039 (0.023), setae 5 subdistal + 1 distal (4 subdistal); sclerite c 0.749 (0.760), lateral process of sclerite c 0.272 (0.269), medial process of sclerite c 0.225 (0.237), setae 7 (7).

Female. Similar to male, other than sexual characters, and slightly larger.

Distribution and habitat: Atelomastix francesae has been recorded from several localities between Walpole to Denmark along the south coast of Western Australia ( Fig. 5 ). Specimens can be found under and within rotting logs, moist leaf litter, and in the soil under rocks in a variety of different habitats, including tall karri ( Eucalyptus diversicolor ) and tingle ( E. jacksonii ) forests, open jarrah ( E. marginata ) / marri ( Corymbia calophylla ) woodlands, and granite outcrops. This species has been found to exist in sympatry with A. ellenae at a number of locations within its distribution.

Figures

FIGURES 4–6. Recorded distributions of Atelomastix species: 4: A. nigrescens Attems (●) and A. bamfordi, sp. nov. (․); 5: A. danksi, sp. nov. (●), A. francesae, sp. nov. (․), A. julianneae, sp. nov. (♦), A. mainae, sp. nov. (), A. rubricephala, sp. nov. () and A. tigrina, sp. nov. (̝); 6: A. albanyensis Attems (●), A. attemsi, sp. nov. (․), A. ellenae, sp. nov. (♦), A. montana, sp. nov. (), A. poustiei, sp. nov. () and A. tumula, sp. nov. ().

FIGURES 48–59. Lateral view of head: 48: Atelomastix albanyensis Attems, male from Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, Western Australia (WAM T76043); 49: A. anancita, sp. nov., male holotype from Cape Arid National Park, Western Australia (WAM T83177); 50: A. attemsi, sp. nov., male paratype from Millinup Pass, Porongurup Range National Park, Western Australia (WAM T69763); 51: A. bamfordi, sp. nov., male paratype from Mount Jackson, Western Australia (WAM T86852); 52: A. brennani, sp. nov., male holotype from Mount Le Grand, Le Grand National Park, Western Australia (WAM T83222); 53: A. culleni, sp. nov., male paratype from Mount Groper, Western Australia (WAM T78621); 54: A. danksi, sp. nov., male paratype from Toolbrunup Peak, Stirling Range National Park, Western Australia (WAM T70203); 55: A. dendritica, sp. nov., male holotype from Woody Island, Recherche Archipelago, Western Australia (WAM T47933); 56: A. ellenae, sp. nov., male paratype from Walpole, Valley of the Giants Road, Western Australia (WAM T69668); 57: A. flavognatha, sp. nov., male holotype from Quaalup Homestead, Western Australia (WAM T73955); 58: A. francesae, sp. nov., male holotype from near Tree Top Walk, Walpole, Western Australia (WAM T47953); 59: A. gibsoni, sp. nov., male holotype from Ravensthorpe Ranges, Western Australia (WAM T83220).