Kingaria prattensis Shear & Marek, 2023

Shear, William A. & Marek, Paul E., 2023, The millipede family Striariidae Bollman, 1893. VIII. Three new genera and four new species of minute millipedes from Oregon and Washington, USA (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Striarioidea), Zootaxa 5264 (3), pp. 323-340 : 334-339

Kingaria prattensis Shear & Marek , n. sp.

Figs 35–38 , 60, 61 .

Types: Male holotype from Pratt Lake trailhead, north of I-90, 47.39715°N, - 121.48515°W, collected 25 October 2003 by W. Leonard. The holotype is mounted on SEM stub WS36-6. Deposited in CAS .

Diagnosis. As for the genus, above.

Etymology. The species name refers to the Pratt Lake Trail. This is not the same as “ pratensis, ” a Latin word meaning “of the meadow.”

Description. Male holotype from Pratt Lake trailhead. Length 4.0 mm, width 0.45 mm. Twenty-eight postcephalic rings. Color white, with single black ommatidium on each side of head. Antennae robust, clavate; fifth antennomere longest, widest. Head ( Fig. 35 ) except for labrum covered with fine setae and small tubercles. Labrum (lab, Fig. 35 ) not flattened, tapering, corners rounded. Collum ornamented by closely set small tubercles, becoming indistinct crests only mesally on most posterior part. Metazonites with twelve subequal crests ( Fig. 37 ); metazonital setae long, prominent, with obscure longitudinal grooves and feathered tips occupying about 1/6 length of seta. Telson with indentations between lobes nearly obsolete, median lobe short; spinnerets directed posteriorly. Legs with specialized flattened setae with median ridges and long, filamentous extensions.

The following secondary sexual characters occur in males. Head evenly rounded; labrum (lab, Fig. 35 ) with few setae, distal corners rounded. Mandibular stipes (m, Fig. 35 ) with serrate anteriodistal margin, angular blunt distal tooth, inner suface of stipes with strongly projecting, rounded apophysis bearing on its posterior surface a small pore ( Figs 35, 36 ). First legpair enlarged, femora curved, lacking needle setae, distal podomeres without flattened setae ventrally but with tarsal comb. Second legpair shorter than first, openings of vas deferentia separate, subtended by long, flattened, ribbon-like setae. Third legpair less robust than first two, coxal flasks short (cf, Fig. 38 ), without subapical branch, strongly procurved and densely set with curled setae. Fourth legpair the largest; prefemora and femora of usual proportions. Fifth, sixth and seventh legpairs enlarged; without modified coxae. Tenth coxae with glands, not modified or enlarged.

Gonopods ( Fig. 60 ) separate from prominent, transverse sternum, coxae large, with two distinct groups of setae. Anterior angiocoxites (aac, Fig. 60 ) short, posterior margin membranous-fimbriate, without subdistal branch. Posterior angiocoxites (pac, Fig. 60 ) longer than anterior ones, posteriorly fimbriate, apparently not sheathing curved single flagellum or flagellocoxite (f, Fig. 60 ). Colpocoxites (cc, Fig. 60 ) as single, short, curved process. Ninth legs ( Fig. 61 ) free from sternum, coxae and telopodites fused, coxae with strongly curved single process (cxp, Fig. 61 ) pore not observed; telopodites strongly flattened, setose, with ornament of pointed tubercles (as on other legs). Tenth coxae with pores, not modified.

Females not collected.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Notes. The glandular apophysis on the mandibular stipes of the male ( Figs 35, 36 ) is unique among chordeumatid millipedes, so far as we are aware. The gonopods of this species are difficult to interpret, not closely resembling those of any other striariids. What we are calling the posterior angiocoxite could well be the subapical branch of the anterior angiocoxite, but that would mean that the posterior angiocoxite is missing. The unusual position of the flagellocoxite (or flagellum) shown in Fig. 60 could be a result of mounting the gonopod on a microscope slide with the pressure of the coverglass. Unfortunately a lack of material prevented us from making further observations.

Figures

FIGURES 35–38. Kingaria prattensis n. gen., n. sp., male holotype. 35. Head and legpair 1, ventral view. 36. Glandular apophysis of mandibular stipes, ventral view. 37. Pleurotergites 13, 14, dorsal view. 38. Coxae of legpairs 2 and 3, ventral view. Abbreviations: cf, coxal flasks of legpair 3; cx2, coxa of leg 2; gl, glandular apophysis of mandibular stipes; lab, labrum; m, mandibular stipes; numerals, ring numbers; vd, opening of vas deferens.

FIGURES 55–61. Gonopods and ninth legs of male striariid millipedes. Figs. 55, 56. Miniaria richarti n. gen., n. sp. 55. Ninth legpair of specimen from Elochoman River Road, anterior view. 56. Left ninth leg of specimen from Hospital Creek, anterior view. Figs. 57–59. Tigraria oregonensis n. gen., n. sp., male paratype; 57. Right gonopod, mesal view. 58. Same, lateral view. 59. Right ninth leg, anterior view. Figs. 60, 61. Kingaria prattensis n. gen., n. sp., male holotype. 60. Right gonopod, lateral view. 61. Left ninth leg, anterior view. Abbreviations: aac, anterior angiocoxite; cc, colpocoxite; cx, coxa; cxp, coxal process; f, flagellum; pac, posterior angiocoxite; t9, telopodite of ninth leg.