Pseudocentrobolus aureus Wesener &amp; Enghoff &amp; Sierwald 2009, sp. n.
Creators: name: Wesener, Thomas
name: Enghoff, Henrik
name: Sierwald, Petra
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Diplopoda
Spirobolida
Pachybolidae
Pseudocentrobolus

description: <i>Pseudocentrobolus aureus</i> Wesener, sp. n. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 7054A53D-190A-4AC4-813D-FEE9FCBF8269 <b>Material examined:</b> 34 &amp;male;, 12 &amp;female;, 1 imm. <i>Holotype:</i> 1 &amp;male; (42 mm long, dissected), CAS BLF 6071, Madagascar, Province Toliara, Forêt Beroboka, 5.9 km 131°SE Ankidranoka, tropical dry forest, 80 m, 22°13’59” S, 043°21’59” E, leg. Fisher, Griswold et al., 12–16.III.2002. <i>Paratypes:</i> 2 &amp;male;, 1 &amp;female;, CAS BLF 6071, same data as holotype; 11 &amp;male;, 3 &amp;female;, FMMC 5495, Forêt des Mikea, 7.5 km NE Tsifota, spiny bush forest, 60 m, 22°48.0’ S, 43°26.0’ E, leg. S. Goodman, pitfall trap, 25–26.II.2003; 4 &amp;male;, 3 &amp;female;, FMMC 5497, Forêt des Mikea, 9.5 km W. Ankiloaka, partially disturbed dry forest on red sands, 80 m, 22°46.7’ S, 43°31.4’ E, leg. V. Soarimalala, pitfall trap, 16–17.II.2003; 3 &amp;male;, 9 &amp;female;, FMMC 5501, same data as previous, but leg. S. Goodman, 14–15.II.2003; 8 &amp;male;, FMMC 5506, same data as previous, but leg. S. Goodman, 16–17.II.2003; 2 &amp;male;, FMMC 5681, Forêt des Mikea, 19 km SW Tanandava, 70 m 21°52.0’ S, 43°39.6’ E, leg. V. Soarimalala, pitfall trap, 22–24.III.2003. <b>Other material examined</b> : 4 &amp;male;, CASENT 9032809, Lake Ranobe, spiny forest, 30 m, 23°2.941’ S, 43°36.635’ E, leg. Frontier Wilderness Project, 21–28.I.2003. <b>Differential diagnosis:</b> see key for a separation between <i>P. aureus</i> and <i>P. vohibasiensis</i> sp. n. The colour pattern of <i>Pseudocentrobolus aureus</i> is unique for Malagasy millipedes and allows for an easy identification. <b>Description.</b> <i>Measurements</i>: males with 40 body rings, 40–48 mm long, 4.4–4.6 mm wide. Females with 39 or 40 body rings, 40–47 mm long, 4.9–5.0 mm wide. <i>Coloration</i> affected by alcohol. Head, legs, antennae, telson and mesozonites of body rings golden. Metazonites of body rings black (Figs 31 A–D). <i>Antennae</i> very short, protruding back to body ring 2 (Fig. 31D). <i>Male coxal processes</i> short and conical, only present on coxae 3 and 4. Coxae 5–7 slightly swollen in appearance (Fig. 31B). <i>Preanal process</i> well-rounded, prominently extending beyond anal valves (Fig. 31C). <i>Anterior gonopod</i> sternite elongated into a wide, mesally slightly notched lobe (Fig. 34A). Coxite shorter than sternite (Fig. 34A). Telopodite on anterior side visible, on posterior side apically with a well-rounded process (Fig. 34B). Telopodite process short and well-rounded, laterally curved, only slightly longer than coxite (Fig. 34B). <i>Posterior gonopods</i>: telopodite disc covered with numerous teeth (Fig. 35B). Membranous process well-developed, basally wide, apically slightly tapering (Fig. 35A). <b>Intraspecific variation:</b> although specimens from the type series were collected from three different localities, no intraspecific variation of gonopods, colour or size was observed. Females are always 0.5 mm wider than males. <b>Distribution and ecology</b> : this species was recorded from spiny forests close to the West Coast (Fig. 30). <b>Etymology:</b> <i>aureus</i>, adjective, refers to the characteristic golden colour pattern of the species (Fig. 31A).
description: Published as part of <i>Wesener, Thomas, Enghoff, Henrik &amp; Sierwald, Petra, 2009, Review of the Spirobolida on Madagascar, with descriptions of twelve new genera, including three genera of ' fire millipedes' (Diplopoda), pp. 1-128 in ZooKeys 19 (19)</i> on page 63, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.19.221, http://zenodo.org/record/576503