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

description: Lissodesmus montanus sp. nov.
Figures 54, 55, 69mon, 70mon, 71mon, 73 (map)
Material examined. Holotype. Male, Australia, Tasmania. Lake Lea, DP 083989 (41°33'22''S 145°54'01''E), 950 m, 18.xii.1993, R. Mesibov & T. Moule, QVM 23:17717.
Paratypes. Male, Algonkian Mountain, approx. DP220059 (42°23'42''S 146°03'08''E), 1020 m, 26.ii.1987, S.J. Smith, ex WHA sample ML011, QVM 23: 17715, dissected; female, same details, QVM 23: 17714; male, Algonkian Mountain, approx. DP229067 (42°23'16''S 146°03'48''E), 1020 m, 26.ii.1987, S.J. Smith, ex WHA sample ML005, QVM 23: 17716, dissected; male, same details, AM KS91180; female, Squires Creek, DP240255 (42°13'07''S 146°04'44''E), 650 m, 16.ii.1994, R. Mesibov, QVM 23: 40813; male, Mt Murchison summit, CP850703 (41°48'38''S 145°36'55''E), 1250 m, 11.iv.1998, R. van Riet & B. Dudman, QVM 23:40744.
Description. Male c. 23 mm long, H = 2.4 mm. In alcohol, well-coloured specimens under low magnification an almost uniform light red-brown in body colour (unusually, extending to legs and antennae) with small pale brown patches medially and anteriorly on metatergites, and laterally on paranota. Antenna fairly short, fairly slender (Fig. 69 mon). Paranota fairly wide, R = 1.5 (Fig. 70 mon), posterior corners not turned up. Legs robust, tarsus longer than femur (Fig. 71 mon). Telopodite (Figs 54, 55) narrowing sharply at prefemoral process origin, reaching leg 5 when retracted. Solenomere arising at one-third to half the telopodite height, directed basally at c. 45° to telopodite axis, curving gradually distally, terminating with a toothed subapical collar at about one-third the prefemoral process height. Tibiotarsus as large as solenomere but diverging from it and curving laterally, greatly expanding apically and deeply and broadly notched, thus terminating in two large spine-like structures. Femoral process arising just distal to solenomere origin, blade-like with a slight posterior shoulder apically, pressed close to prefemoral process, terminating at about half the prefemoral process height (distal to solenomere tip). Prefemoral process at origin about half as wide as telopodite base, bending first mesally then distally, the tip curving posteriorly with a comb of c. 20 long, mainly posterobasally teeth on mesal edge, the comb continued proximally as a row of more irregular “sawteeth” to about the level of solenomere tip. Uncus small, arising centrally just proximal to solenomere tip.
Distribution and habitat. Known from four localities over a range of c. 500 km 2 in central western Tasmania (Fig. 73), from 650 to 1250 m. At Algonkian Mountain, Lake Lea and Squires Creek the habitat was cool temperate rainforest, while on Mt Murchison L. montanus was found walking by day among bare rocks (R. van Riet, pers. comm.).
Etymology. Latin montanus (“of mountains”), adjective.
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 120, DOI: 10.24199/j.mmv.2005.62.4, http://zenodo.org/record/8064747