Agathodesmus aenigmaticus, Mesibov, Robert, 2013

Mesibov, Robert, 2013, New species of Agathodesmus Silvestri, 1910 from Australia (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Haplodesmidae), ZooKeys 325, pp. 33-64 : 41

Agathodesmus aenigmaticus sp. n. Fig. 6B

Holotype.

Male, Mt Hayward, Qld, 20°19'39"S, 148°45'10"E ± 500m, 350 m a.s.l., 20 November 1992, G. Monteith, G. Thompson, D. Cook and H. Janetzki, QM S96017.

Paratypes.

8 males, 3 females, 4 stadium 7 males, 2 stadium 7 females, 4 stadium 6 males, 2 stadium 6 females, details as for holotype, QM S96018.

Other material.

2 males, Bellenden Ker, Centre Peak, Qld, summit, 17°15'40"S, 145°51'25"E ± 500m, 1500 m a.s.l., 11 April 1979, G. Monteith, QM berlesate 17, rainforest, sieved litter, QM S96019.

Diagnostic description.

Male and female with head + 20 rings. Colour in alcohol pale yellow. Male/female ca 9.0/10 mm long; ring 12 maximum diameter ca 0.75/0.9 mm, maximum width ca 0.9/1.0 mm. Metatergal tubercles in 8-10 irregular transverse rows, larger tubercles mostly with setae; metatergal setae long, bluntly pointed; 5 lateralmost tubercles slightly enlarged, forming very narrow pseudo-paranotum. Male leg 6 coxa with small, rounded, mediodistal projection. Telopodite (Fig. 6B) with pp straight; at in transverse plane, short, broad and with rounded apex curving posteriorly; dp directed posterobasally at base; mab slightly expanded apically with rounded distal margin, lateral edge with small, tapering, posterolaterally directed lobe, medial edge with short, curved lobe partly protecting meb; meb divided near base into 3 thin, subequal processes curving behind mab.

Distribution.

Known from rainforest at two localities ca 450 km apart in north Queensland (Figs 12, 13A; see Remarks).

Name.

Latin aenigmaticus, 'puzzling'; adjective (see Remarks).

Remarks.

The very wide disjunction between the two known localities is puzzling, and I suspect that the Bellenden Ker locality on the specimen label is incorrect. I have not noticed any differences in gonopod or non-gonopod features between the two populations.