Pseudotremia inexpectata, Shear, William A., 2011

Shear, William A., 2011, Cave millipeds of the United States. X. New species and records of the genus Pseudotremia Cope. 2. Species from Virginia, USA (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Cleidogonidae), Zootaxa 3109, pp. 1-38 : 35-37

Pseudotremia inexpectata , n. sp.

Figs. 113–116

Type: Male holotype from Devault’s Cave, 6 mi SSW of Jonesville, Lee Co., VIRGINIA, collected 26 November 1983 by J. R. Holsinger. The head, gonopods, ninth legs and some segments of the holotype are mounted on SEM stub WS24–5.

Diagnosis: This species could be confused with either P. nodosa or P. orndorffi , but occurs at quite some distance from the distribution of the latter. It differs from nodosa in having more robust gonopods, with distinctively longer LAPs, and an obtuse, angular bend in the MAPs when seen in lateral view (fig. 116); nodosa also has angular median projections on the MAPs. Pseudotremia inexpectata lacks the row of prominent nodules found along the posterior margin of the metazonites in many P. nodosa (fig. 79).

Etymology: The Latin species epithet means “unexpected,” and indeed it was a surprise to find a single specimen of this species in the middle of the distribution of P. nodosa . Suggested vernacular name: Devault’s Cave Milliped.

Description: Male holotype about 13 mm long, 1.4 mm wide, third antennal segment 0.80 mm long. No ocelli can be perceived under a dissecting light microscope, but SEM reveals 9–11 reduced, small, unpigmented ocelli on each side. Segmental shoulders obsolete (fig. 114); metazonites entirely smooth, segmental setae very long, acute; lateral striae very reduced, one, two or none. Pigment lacking.

Gonopods (figs. 115–116) robust for size of animal; angiocoxites widely separated basally, then converging and parallel; MAPs without spines but with obtuse inflection at midlength; LAPs quite broad, curved inward, entire. Colpocoxites about as large as angiocoxites, fused much of their length and only moderately divergent, mitten-shaped; VCP a triangular lobe, DCP similar, but more acute. Ninth legs typical of troglomorphic species.

Female unknown.

Notes: So far as is known, this species occupies a single cave in the midst of a region where P. n o d o s a may be found in many caves.

Figures

FIGURES 110 – 113. Pseudotremia johnholsingeri, n. sp. Fig. 110, ocelli. Fig. 111, metazonite, dorsal view. Fig. 112. Metazonite, lateral view. Fig. 113, gonopods and ninth legpair, ventral view.

FIGURES 114 – 116. Pseudotremia inexpectata, n. sp. Fig. 114, metazonite, dorsal view. Fig. 115, gonopods, anterior view. Fig. 116, gonopods, lateral view.