Agathodesmus agnus, Mesibov, Robert, 2013

Mesibov, Robert, 2013, New species of Agathodesmus Silvestri, 1910 from Australia (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Haplodesmidae), ZooKeys 325, pp. 33-64 : 42-43

Agathodesmus agnus sp. n. Figs 6C, 10D

Holotype.

Male, Lamb Range, 19 km S of Mareeba, Qld, 17°06'39"S, 145°34'04"E ± 500 m, 1200 m a.s.l., 3 December 1988, G. Monteith and G. Thompson, QM berlesate 804, rainforest, sieved litter, QM S96020.

Paratypes.

7 males, 10 females, 1 stadium 6 female, details as for holotype, QM S96021.

Other material.

QM: 1 male, 3 females, 3 stadium 6 females, North Bell Peak via Gordonvale, Qld, 17°05'19"S, 145°52'44"E ± 500 m, 900 m a.s.l., 16 September 1981, G. Monteith and D. Cook, QM berlesate 300, rainforest, sieved litter and moss, S96022; 1 male, 1 female, 22 km SE of Mareeba, Qld, 17°06'39"S, 145°34'04"E ± 500 m, 900 m a.s.l., 4 November 1983, D. Yeates and G. Thompson, QM berlesate 615, rainforest, sieved litter, S96023; 1 female, 1 stadium 6 female, North Bell Peak, Qld, 17°05'06"S, 145°52'00"E ± 500 m, 600 m a.s.l., 22 November 1990, G. Monteith and G. Thompson, QM berlesate 845, rainforest, sieved litter, S96024; 2 males, 2 females, Mt Haig,Lamb Range, Qld, 17°05'52"S, 145°36'09"E ± 500 m, 1000 m a.s.l., 25 February 1997, G. Monteith, QM berlesate 918, rainforest, sieved litter, S37557. ANIC: 1 male, near Mt Haig, Qld, 17°10'S, 145°36'E ± 1 km, 750 m a.s.l., 30 June 1971, R.W. Taylor and J. Feehan, ANIC berlesate 350, rainforest, 64-000323; 2 males, Mt Haig, Qld, 17°06'S, 145°36'E ± 1 km, 1000 m a.s.l., 29 October 1976, R.W. Taylor and T.A. Weir, ANIC berlesate 541, rainforest, 64-000325; 15 males, 9 females, 3 km W by S of Mt Haig, Qld, 17°06'S, 145°34'E ± 1 km, 1150 m a.s.l., 3 April 1984, A. Calder and T.A. Weir, ANIC berlesate 952, rainforest, 64-000324; 7 males, 2 females, Cammoo Caves near Rockhampton (? - see Remarks), Qld, 23°10'S, 150°28"E ± 1 km, 25 October 1976, R.W. Taylor and T.A. Weir, ANIC berlesate 535, dense low closed forest, ANIC 64-000326.

Diagnostic description.

Male and female with head + 19 rings. Colour in alcohol pale yellow. Male/female ca 8.0/8.0 mm long; ring 12 maximum diameter ca 0.65/0.8 mm, maximum width ca 0.7/1.1 mm. Metatergal tubercles in ca 12 irregular transverse rows, mostly without setae; metatergal setae short with slightly flared tips; lateralmost tubercles not enlarged, not forming pseudo-paranotum. Male legs 6 coxa with rounded, mediodistal projection. Telopodite (Fig. 6C) with pp straight; at in transverse plane, short, triangular and curving posteriorly; dp directed posterobasally at base; mab deeply divided into large posterior and small posterolateral lobes; posterior lobe of mab distally with small folds and with medial edge producednear mab base as short, pointed lobe; posterolateral lobe of mab folded, the posteriormost fold with apex tooth-like and pointing anteromedially; meb divided at base into 2 needle-like processes curving behind mab.

Distribution.

Rainforest in the Lamb Range and adjacent hills inland from Gordonvale, tropical north Queensland (Fig. 13A). Co-occurs with Agathodesmus quintanus sp. n. on North Bell Peak. There is also a doubtful record from Cammoo Caves in central Queensland (Fig. 1; see Remarks).

Name.

Latin agnus, 'lamb', for the type locality, the Lamb Range; adjective.

Remarks.

Like Agathodesmus agnus sp. n., Asphalidesmus magnus Mesibov, 2011 and Prosopodesmus crater Mesibov, 2012 were found in ANIC berlesate 535 from Cammoo Caves ( Mesibov 2011, 2012a). For all three species, all other specimens are from localities on or near the Lamb Range, ca 800 km to the north of Cammoo Caves. The locality labelling for ANIC berlesate 535 appears to be incorrect ( Mesibov 2012a). In March 2013 I searched briefly for millipedes in rainforest in the Cammoo Caves area but found no specimens of Agathodesmus , Asphalidesmus or Prosopodesmus .