Lissodesmus devexus Mesibov 2005, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Mesibov, Robert
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2005
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Diplopoda
Polydesmida
Dalodesmidae
Lissodesmus
Lissodesmus devexus

description: Lissodesmus devexus sp. nov.
Figures 31, 32, 33, 69 dev, 70dev, 71dev, 74 (map)
Lissodesmus sp. NE2.— Mesibov, 1998: 155.— Mesibov, 1999: 252.
Material examined. Holotype. Male, Australia, Tasmania. Lebrina, EQ 168424 (41°10'09''S 147°12'00''E), 240 m, 5.i.1993, R. Mesibov, QVM 23:45948 (ex QVM 23:15515).
Paratypes. Male, Rattler Hill, EQ 744353 (41°13'48''S 147°53'15''E), 650 m, 29.viii.1990, R. Mesibov, QVM 23:15512, dissected; 2 males, details as for holotype, AM KS91173 (ex QVM 23:15515); 2 males, details as for holotype, QVM 23:15515, 1 dissected; 8 stadium 7 males, 2 stadium 7 females, details as for holotype, QVM 23:15538; 3 females, Retreat, EQ153423 (41°10'13''S 147°10'56''E), 320 m, 2.vii.1993, T. Kingston, QVM 23:21554; 2 males, same details but EQ137463 (41°08’03”S 147°09’47”E), 300 m, QVM 23:21534, 1 dissected; 4 males, Mt Roland, DQ402119 (41°26'31''S 146°17'02''E), 310 m, 5.vi.1994, R. Mesibov, QVM 23:15506, 1 dissected; 8 males, Shepherds Rivulet, EQ217388 (41°12'06''S 147°15'31''E), 150 m, 6.vii.1994, R. Mesibov, QVM 23: 15509, 1 dissected; male, Lowes Mount, EP331953 (41°35’35”S 147°23'49''E), 430 m, 5.vii.1995, R. Mesibov, QVM 23:21542, dissected.
Figures 34, 35, 69dig, 70dig, 71dig, 78 (map)
Other material. 115 males, 71 females and 45 juveniles from 77 localities (see “ Lissodesmus supplement” for details).
Description. Male c. 12 mm long, H = 1.3 mm. In alcohol, most specimens under low magnification a uniform very pale brown in body colour. Antenna slender (Fig. 69 dev). Paranota slightly reduced, R = 1.5 (Fig. 70 dev), posterior corners turned up. Legs slender, tarsus about as long as femur (Fig. 71 dev), sphaerotrichomes on tibia and tarsus only of leg 6. Telopodite (Figs 31, 32, 33) widest at prefemoral process origin, almost reaching leg 5 when retracted. Solenomere arising at slightly more than half the telopodite height, directed posterodistally at a large angle (c. 60°) to the telopodite axis, terminating without a subapical process at about two-thirds the telopodite height in a sharp distal bend. Tibiotarsus a somewhat flattened rod slightly larger than solenomere and about as long, straight and directed posterobasally at a large angle (greater than 90°) to the telopodite axis, widening and flattening near the tip and terminating in a sharp mesal bend, the tip sometimes broadly notched, the midsection with numerous annular “wrinkles” (Fig. 31). Femoral process arising at about the level of solenomere origin, small and blade-like with a somewhat sinuous outline, directed distally, not closely pressed to prefemoral process, terminating at about three-quarters the prefemoral process height (well distal to solenomere tip). Prefemoral process about as wide at its base as the telopodite base, tapering and sharply flexed posteriorly at its midpoint, the tip variably armed with teeth on posterior (proximally facing) surface (Figs 32, 33). Uncus arising on mesal edge of prefemoral process just proximal to flexure in latter, variably large (Figs 32, 33) but typically directed posterodistally and in some forms (see left gonopod in Fig. 31) paired with prefemoral process tip as a major apical feature of telopodite.
Distribution and habitat. In wet eucalypt forest and cool temperate rainforest over c. 3000 km 2 in the higher-rainfall parts of northern and north-east Tasmania (Fig. 74), from Browns Creek near Port Sorell east to Weldborough, south to Lowes Mount near Deddington, and from near sea level to at least 900 m. Populations around Mt Roland and Liena are apparently disjunct (Fig. 74), being separated by about 40 km from known L. devexus sites in the West Tamar region. L. devexus is gregarious and often locally abundant.
Etymology. Latin devexus (“sloping down”), adjective, for the orientation of the tibiotarsus on the gonopod.
description: Published as part of Mesibov, Robert, 2005, The millipede genus Lissodesmus Chamberlin, 1920 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Dalodesmidae) from Tasmania and Victoria, with descriptions of a new genus and 24 new species, pp. 103-146 in Memoirs of Museum Victoria 62 (2) on page 114, DOI: 10.24199/j.mmv.2005.62.4, http://zenodo.org/record/8064747