Desmoxytes purpurosea, Enghoff, Henrik, Sutcharit, Chirasak & Panha, Somsak, 2007

Enghoff, Henrik, Sutcharit, Chirasak & Panha, Somsak, 2007, The shocking pink dragon millipede, Desmoxytes purpurosea, a colourful new species from Thailand (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae), Zootaxa 1563, pp. 31-36 : 33-35

Desmoxytes purpurosea sp.n.

Figs 1–2 .

Material examined: HOLOTYPE male Thailand, Hup Pa Tard, Tam Pratun Non-hunting area, Department of National Parks, Lansak district, Uthaithani province at 15° 22.602' N 99° 37.346' E, 28.viii.2006, S. Panha, H. Enghoff, P. Pimwichai and C. Sutcharit leg. (Museum of Zoology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok). – Paratypes: 16 males, 30 females, same data as holotype ((Museum of Zoology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 4 males, 3 females Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen).

Etymology: The species epithet is a composite Latin adjective, meaning “purple-pink”.

Diagnosis: Paraterga winglike. Gonopods strongly condensed. Male femora 5 and 6 humped. Similar in these respects to D. cervina (Pocock, 1895) , D. delfae (Jeekel, 1964) , D. planata (Pocock, 1895) , D. pterygota Golovatch & Enghoff, 1994 , and D. rubra Golovatch & Enghoff, 1994 . Differs from these species by having 3+3 posterior spines on midbody metaterga instead of 2+2, and by the combination of red-pink colour and larger size.

Description: Length ca. 3 cm (both sexes), width of midbody pro- and metazoa 1.8 and 3.2 mm (male) / 2.5-2.6 and 4.0 mm (female). Colour of living animals ( Fig. 1 ) purple to shocking pink, head brownish, antennae black; colour retained after 10 days in alcohol but faded to light brown after 10 months.

Head quite densely setose except on almost naked vertex, narrower than collum. Epicranial suture distinct. Antennae very long, reaching back to body ring 8 (male) or 6 (female).

Collum as broad as body ring 2, with 3 transverse rows of setae, 4+4 anterior, 1+1 intermediate, 2+2 posterior, lateral setae of posterior row displaced anteriad almost halfway to intermediate row.

Body parallel-sided from ring 7 to 15, anteriorly and especially posteriorly gradually tapering. Metaterga ( Fig. 2 A –D, F) with two transverse rows of setiferous spines; metaterga 2-8 with 2+2 anterior and 2+2 posterior spines, lateral spines of posterior rows much longer than the others; metagerga 9-17 with 2+2 small, rosethornlike anterior spines and 3+3 posterior spines, lateral ones very long, intermeditate ones shorter, mesal ones shortest. Metatergum 18 with 2+2 anterior and 3+3 (or 3+4) posterior spines, all posterior spines of equal length; metatergum 19 with 2+2 anterior and 2+2 (or 2+3) posterior setae which are not on spines or tubercles.

Axial line not visible. Paraterga wing-shaped, tip bent posteriad. Paraterga on collum almost horizontal, with one setiferous notch on anterior edge. Paraterga of rings 2–19 longer, directed obliquely upwards at ca. 45° in anterior part of body, becoming gradually more horizontal towards the rear, on rings 17–19 directed straight posteriad, anterior edge of paraterga 2–18 with 2 small setiferous notches. Surface finely shagreened, slightly more coarsely so on metazona (but not on paraterga). Suture between pro- and metazona smooth. Ozopores visible from above, located in distalmost notch on anterior paratergal edge. Transverse sulcus evident on metaterga 5–18. Pleurosternal carinae poorly developed on body rings 2-3, absent from others.

Preanal projection (=epiproct, Fig. 2 D) simple, conoid, with a pair of tiny setiferous lateral knobs near tip. Subanal scale trapezoid, posterior margin very slightly convex between pair of setae.

Sterna quite densely setose. A simple transverse, trapezoid, sparsely setose lamina between male coxae 4 ( Fig. 2 E). Distal margin of lamina sometimes slightly concave. A pair of round structure (pores?, cf., e.g. D. terae (Jeekel, 1964) , Golovatch & Enghoff 1994) at base of posterior side of lamina.

Legs very long and slender as seen from above, projecting laterad from body by maximum body width in females, and even more than maximum body width in males. Male femora 5 and 6 distinctly humped ( Fig. 2 G).

Gonopods ( Fig. 2 H-L). Shaft very slender, almost straight, postfemoral part strongly condensed.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A and B: two different males. C: mating couple, male on top. Photographs by S. Panha.

FIGURE 2. A – C, D: body rings of male, A, B, D: dorsal view, C: lateral view. E: ventral view of male body ring 5, showing protuberance between legs 4. F: body ring of male, posterior view. G: male leg 6, showing humped femur. H-L: right gonopod, H, J: mesal view, I, K: lateral view, L: ventral view.