Coloradesmus manitou Shear & Steinmann, 2019

Shear, William A. & Steinmann, David B., 2019, Cave millipedes of the United States. XV. Coloradesmus gen. nov. (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Macrosternodesmidae), and four new species from caves in Colorado, USA, Subterranean Biology 32, pp. 15-32 : 23-24

Coloradesmus manitou Shear & Steinmann sp. nov. Figs 16-20 , 21

Types.

Male holotype and many male and female paratypes from Manitou Cave, El Paso Co.: Colorado, 7000' asl, collected 3 August 1996, by D. Hubbard.

Diagnosis.

A larger species, like C. aquiliensis and C. hopkinsae , but differing in that the metazonital setal tubercles are very low and often scattered across the metazonite, not in rows. The gonopod endomerite is stouter than in C. aquiliensis and emerges from the acropodite at almost a right angle, then turning distad; the distal zone is shorter and often curved. Unlike C. hopkinae , the gonopod pore is compact with few cuticular projections.

Etymology.

The species epithet is a noun in apposition, after the type locality.

Description.

Male paratype. Length 8.0-10.5 mm, depending on degree of extension, greatest width 0.9 mm. With the characters of the genus. Head densely setose, basal joint of mandibles slightly exceeding width of collum ( Fig. 16 ). Collum with three rows of long, acute setae ( Fig. 16 ). Midbody metazonites nearly smooth, setal tubercles low to absent; setae becoming shorter posteriorly ( Fig. 17 ), rows disrupted so that setae may appear scattered. Telson with 12-15 long, acute, scattered setae, rounded, epiproct hardly distinct. Gonopod socket occupying entire width of prozonite, nearly circular with strong projecting anterior margin, not indenting sternite nine ( Fig. 19 ). Gonopods with subhemispherical coxae (cx, Fig. 19 ) immovable, completely filling socket; acropodite arises on distinct stem (s, Fig. 19 ); prefemoral process relatively narrow, margins even, not scoop-like (pfp, Figs 20 , 21 ); acropodite (a, Figs 20 , 21 ) robust, distal zone (dz, Fig. 21 ) short, strongly curved; endomerite (e, Figs 20 , 21 ) nearly as large, robust as acropodite, at wide angle to acropodite.

Female paratype. Closely similar to male in all nonsexual characters.

Distribution.

COLORADO: Fremont Co.: Fly Cave, 7 August 1996, D. Hubbard, 2 males; Marble Cave, 7 August 1996, D. Hubbard, 7 males and 8 females (these two caves are nearly adjacent at 38°36'N, 105°13'6.500"W (1982 m) asl; El Paso Co.: Cave of the Winds, 7000' (2134 m) asl, 38°55'N, 104°55'W, 2 August 1996, D. Hubbard, 10 males, 6 females and 20 February 2007, David Steinmann, 6 males, 6 females; Dilation Cave, 7400' (2256 m) asl, 38°48'N, 104°52'W, 19 June 2009, D. Steinmann, male; Pedro’s Cave, 6800' (2073 m) asl, 38°55'N, 104°55'W, 5 January 2008, D. Steinmann, male, females, juveniles.

Figures

Figures 15 - 20. Coloradesmus species males. 15 C. hopkinae, gonopod seminal pore 16 - 20 C. manitou 16 collum, dorsal view 17 midbody ring, dorsal view 18 telson, dorsal view 19 gonopods, ventral view 20 Gonopods, posterior view. See text for explanation of labels.

Figures 21 - 25. Coloradesmus species males. 21 C. manitou gonopods, posterior view 22 - 24 C. lasunda male 22 head, collum and anterior four rings, dorsal view 23 collum, dorsal view 24 midbody ring, dorsal view 25 telson, dorsal view. See text for explanation of labels.