Nyssodesmus python
Creators: name: Golovatch, Sergei I.
name: Korotayeva, Alyona M.
name: Martínez-Torres, Daniela
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Diplopoda
Polydesmida
Platyrhacidae
Nyssodesmus
Nyssodesmus python

description: Nyssodesmus python (Peters, 1865)
Figs 6–14
Polydesmus python Peters, 1865: 543 (original description).
Platyrrhacus bivirgatus Carl, 1902: 652, pl. 11 fig. 65 (original description), formally synonymized by Hoffman (1999: 379).
Platyrrhacus bivirgatus — Brölemann, 1905: 342 (descriptive notes, taxonomic comments); Pocock, 1909: 142 (description; new localities; suggested probable synonymy with Platyrrhacus python).
Nyssodesmus nigricaudus Chamberlin, 1922: 37, pl. 15, figs 4–8 (original description), synonymized by Hoffman (1999: 379).
Nyssodesmus bivirgatus — Chamberlin, 1922: 40 (new combination).
Platyrhacus python — Attems, 1938: 287.
Nyssodesmus python — Jeekel, 1963: 89 (tentative assignment to Nyssodesmus); Moritz & Fischer, 1978: 127 (type material and type locality information); Adolph & Geber, 1995: 56 (sizes, biology and behaviour); Hoffman, 1999: 379 (synonymic, taxonomic and distributional comments, erroneously referred to a male holotype); Recuero & Sánchez-Viales, 2018: 264 (synonymic, taxonomic and distributional comments, again erroneously referred to a male holotype).
Type material. Holotype female (Moritz & Fischer 1978: ZMB 8, dry and pinned, Fig. 6).
Additional material examined. 1 male (holotype of N. nigricaudus) (USNM 843, DMT 27), Costa Rica, without further information, R.V. Chamberlin det., 1922; 1 male, 2 females (USNM, DMT 19), Costa Rica, without further information, R.M. Shelley det., 1991; 2 males, 1 female (NCMNH A3654, DMT 63), Costa Rica, Heredia Province, La Virgen, 10.383333°N, - 84.133333°W, primary rain forest, 190 m a.s.l., 6.II.1976, A. Young leg., R.M. Shelley det., 1976.; 2 males, 1 female (VMNH, DMT 93), Costa Rica, Heredia Province, Finca La Selva, near Puerto Viejo, 10.416667°N, - 84.000000°W, 100 m a.s.l., 20.II.1976, Prassede Calabi leg.; 3 males, 3 females (ZISP MYR_DIP_0000203 and 8-2023), Costa Rica, Heredia Province, La Selva Biological Station, 10.433028°N, - 84.006778°W, 19–26.VI.2023, D.V. Logunov leg.; 1 male (VMNH, DMT 94), Costa Rica, Limón Province, Cairo, 10.122306°N, - 83.536500°W, 102 m a.s.l., 3.III.1937, H.F. Loomis leg.; 2 males, 1 female (USNM 33460?, DMT 1), Limón Province, Suretka, 9.533333°N, - 82.933333°W, 70 m a.s.l., 31.V.24, J.C. Brandy leg.; 4 males, 5 females (USNM, DMT 20), Costa Rica, Puntarenas Province, Monteverde area, above town, nr. Alajuela, Guannacaste-Puntarenas border, 10.300000°N, - 84.816667°W, 1400 m a.s.l., 12–23.III.73, D.R. Whitehead leg.; 1 male (AMNH, DMT 28), Puntarenas Province, Monteverde, Rockwell Farm, 10.300000°N, - 84.816667°W, 1320 m a.s.l., unbaited pitfall traps, in woods, 3.VII.1983, D. Linderian leg., D. Martínez-Torres det., 2015; 1 male (AMNH, DMT 29), Puntarenas Province, Monteverde, 10.300000°N, - 84.816667°W, 1400 m a.s.l., 1959, Chas. W. Palmer leg., R.L. Hoffman det.; 1 female (VMNH, DMT 92), Puntarenas Province, Monteverde, 10.300000°N, - 84.816667°W, 1400 m a.s.l., 13.II.1963, C.W. & M.E. Rettenmeyer leg.; 2 males (VMNH, DMT 95), Puntarenas Province, Monteverde, 40 km N of Puntarenas City, in forest, 10.300000°N, - 84.816667°W, 1400 m a.s.l., 12.VIII.1976, Prassede Calabi leg.
Diagnosis. Differs from congeners primarily by the pale mid-dorsal parts of metaterga with contrasting light paraterga and either light or dark legs, indistinct metatergal granulations and often a short solenomere vestige (Figs 7, 8B, 8C, 9B, 9C, 10B, 10C, 11C, 11D, 12C, 12D).
Distribution. Described only from the type locality. Originally mistakenly stated as coming from Nicaragua (Cook 1896), but the provenance subsequently rectified to Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica (Moritz & Fischer 1978).
description: Published as part of Golovatch, Sergei I., Korotayeva, Alyona M. & Martínez-Torres, Daniela, 2024, Three species of the millipede family Platyrhacidae from Costa Rica: a new Barydesmus Cook, 1896 and two oldest Nyssodesmus Cook, 1896 (Diplopoda Polydesmida), pp. 424-438 in Zootaxa 5538 (5) on pages 431-432, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5538.5.2, http://zenodo.org/record/14239741