Atelomastix nigrescens Attems

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 : 29

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.5319936
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/7B3A87A4-F41F-FF89-FF7F-FF77FCF2F8B9
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Atelomastix nigrescens Attems
status

Treatment

Atelomastix nigrescens Attems View in CoL

Figs. 4 View FIGURES 4–6 , 10–22 View FIGURES 10–14 , 67, 116–119.

Atelomastix nigrescens Attems 1911: 195–196 View in CoL , Figs. 81–84; Attems 1914: 293; Chamberlin 1920: 167; Verhoeff 1924: 133.

Type material: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 1 male syntype, Jarrahdale, Hamburger südwest-australischen Forschungsreise , Station 129 [32°20’S, 116°03’E], 19–20 September 1905, W. Michaelsen and R. Hartmeyer ( ZMB 5163 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; 1 female syntype, Lunenberg [now Lunenburgh River, 33°13’S, 115°54’E], Hamburger südwest-australischen Forschungsreise, Station 138, 22 September 1905, W. Michaelsen, R. Hartmeyer ( ZMH) GoogleMaps .

Other material examined: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 4 males, Boddington, Forestry Department , 33°13’S, 116°05’E, 8 May 1980, pitfall trap, D. Halford, M. Sawle ( WAM T 47924) GoogleMaps ; 2 males, 2 females, SW. of Boddington, Worsley Alumina , 33°03’S, 116°10’E, hand collected at night, 31 May 2006, J. Hynes ( WAM T 77052–T77053, T85869) GoogleMaps ; 6 males, 4 females, Mount Cooke , 32°15’00”S, 116°10’48”E, 7 August 1990, M.S. Harvey, J.M. Waldock, M. Peterson ( WAM T47900, T47901, T47906) GoogleMaps ; 1 male, Mount Cooke , 32°15’00”S, 116°10’48”E, 31 July 1991, pitfall trap, M.S. Harvey, J.M. Waldock ( WAM T 47914) GoogleMaps ; 3 males, 10 females, Mount Cooke , 32°15’00”S, 116°10’48”E, August 2003, hand collected, M.S. Harvey et al. ( WAM T 69772) GoogleMaps ; 1 male, Jarrahdale mine area, 32°17’42”S, 116°08’18”E, April 1998, pitfall trap, L. Ashby ( WAM T 47942) GoogleMaps ; 2 males, Churchmans Brook , 32°09’S, 116°05’E, 16 May 1996, hand collected, O. Mueller ( WAM T 47913) GoogleMaps ; 3 males, 9 females, W. of Collie, Labour Road , 33°15’31"S, 116°03’37"E, 21 May 2007, hand collected, W. Bancroft ( WAM T 83392) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis: Atelomastix nigrescens differs from all other species of Atelomastix in the shape and size of the lateral process of sclerite c and the shape of sclerite b. This species exhibits a slight medial bifurcation of sclerite c which is assymmetrical, the elongate lateral process is subdistally curved, tapers to a point, and is oriented medially at a similar height to the curved distal tip of sclerite b. The distal tip of sclerite b is not significantly enlarged, is of similar shape and size to that of sclerite c, and curves to come into contact with the distal tip of sclerite c.

Description: Male (WAM T85869). Colour: generally dark brown in colour, head and mouthparts fawn, legs chocolate brown; prozonites chocolate brown; metazonites mottled dark brown in preserved specimens.

Body: ca. 35 mm long and ca. 1.9 mm wide at collum. With 49 trunk segments, 87 pairs of legs, last 2 segments without legs.

Head: with 37 ocelli ( Fig. 67), arranged in 7 rows (1: 2: 5: 5: 7: 8: 9).

Gonopods: anterior gonopods ( Figs. 116, 117) heavily sclerotised, 2.3 times longer than broad; sclerite a with swollen base that forms broad, curved distal hood; upper distal face of sclerite a with 20 short blunt setae; pseudoflagellum elongate and visible beneath distal hood; sclerite b curved distally forming a narrow rounded tip, with 6 setae; basal process of sclerite b wider than long, 0.02 times length of main process; sclerite c not bifurcate, curved sub-distally, with 8 setae; group of 13 short setae sub-basally on sclerite c; anterior gonopods inconspicuous, small, with several small setae on interno-lateral face of each gonopod.

Dimensions (mm): male, WAM T85869: length ca. 35, width ca. 1.9; L/W=18.4; sclerite a 1.472 / 0.641, setae 20; sclerite b 0.538, basal process of sclerite b 0.035, setae 8; sclerite c 0.976, setae 8.

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

Distribution and habitat: Atelomastix nigrescens was originally described from Jarrahdale and Lunenberg in southwestern Australia ( Attems 1911). This species is fairly common and widespread in jarrah ( Eucalyptus marginata ) forests within the Darling Range ( Fig. 4 View FIGURES 4–6 ).