Atelomastix grandis Edward &amp; Harvey 2010, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Edward, Karen L.
name: Harvey, Mark S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Diplopoda
Spirostreptida
Iulomorphidae
Atelomastix
Atelomastix grandis

description: <i>Atelomastix grandis</i>, sp. nov. Figs. 9, 60, 102, 103. <b>Type material:</b> AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: holotype male, Mount Le Grand, Le Grand National Park, 33°59’25”S, 122°07’35”E, hand collected in soil, 27 December 2006, M.L. Moir, K.E.C. Brennan (WAM T 83221). Paratypes: 5 males, 4 females, collected with holotype (WAM T 78761); 3 males, 13 females, Mount Le Grand, Le Grand National Park, summit, 33°59’41”S, 122°07’48”E, hand collected under granite rocks, 4 June 2007, M.L. Moir, M.C. Leng (WAM T80740, T80741); 1 female collected with holotype (WAM T 78760). <b>Etymology:</b> This species is named both for its distribution within Le Grand National Park and the great size of the male gonopods (<i>grandis</i>, Latin: large, great, noble, etc.). <b>Diagnosis:</b> <i>Atelomastix grandis</i>, although not the biggest millipede in length or number of segments, has the longest gonopod of all <i>Atelomastix</i> species (total gonopod length= 1.78–1.79 mm). It differs from all other species by several distinct gonopod morphological differences. Sclerite <i>c</i> is relatively straight, broad, indented sub-distally with a broad rounded distal tip. Sclerite <i>b</i> has a pointed narrow distal tip and does not extend to sclerite <i>c</i>. Sclerite <i>a</i> has a short but deep distal hood, entirely exposing an elongate pseudoflagellum. <b>Description:</b> <i>Male (holotype).</i> Colour: generally chocolate-brown; legs, antennae, mouthparts, and head golden brown; well defined bands between segments; prozonites dark chocolate brown, metazonites brown to lighter brown in preserved specimens. Body: ca. 48 mm long and ca. 2.9 mm wide at collum. With 54 trunk segments, 97 pairs of legs, last 2 segments without legs. Head: with ca. 37 ocelli (Fig. 60), arranged in 5 rows (4: 7: 8: 9: 9). Gonopods: anterior gonopods (Figs. 102, 103) heavily sclerotised, 2.5 times longer than broad; sclerite <i>a</i> with swollen base that forms short but deep curved distal hood; upper distal face of sclerite <i>a</i> with 21–22 (n=2) short blunt setae; pseudoflagellum elongate and entirely visible beneath distal hood; sclerite <i>b</i> narrowed and curved subdistally, with short, narrow rounded distal tip, 8–14 (n=2) short setae present on sub-distal edge; basal process of sclerite <i>b</i> rounded, 0.06 times length of main process; sclerite <i>c</i> relatively long and broad, indented sub-distally, with broad rounded distal tip, 7–10 setae (n=2) present near indentation; subbasal setae not visible where sclerites overlap and group of 15 (n=2) short setae sub-basally on sclerite <i>c</i>; posterior gonopods inconspicuous, small, with several small setae on interno-lateral face of each gonopod. Dimensions (mm): holotype male (paratype male, WAM T78761): length ca. 48, width ca. 2.9, L/W=16.6; sclerite <i>a</i> 1.792 / 0.712 (1.784 / 0.680), setae 22 (21); sclerite <i>b</i> 0.680 (0.680), basal process of sclerite <i>b</i> 0.038 (0.045), setae 8 (14); sclerite <i>c</i> 1.360 (1.280), setae 7 (10). <i>Female</i>. Similar to male, other than sexual characters, and slightly larger. <b>Distribution and habitat:</b> <i>Atelomastix grandis</i> is only known from under rocks or in soil on granite outcrops and <i>Agonis</i> heath of Mount Le Grand in the Le Grand National Park (Fig. 9). It occurs in sympatry with <i>A. brennani</i> near the summit of Mount Le Grand and is larger than this species, thus possibly showing evidence of character displacement.
description: Published as part of <i>Edward, Karen L. &amp; Harvey, Mark S., 2010, A review of the Australian millipede genus Atelomastix (Diplopoda: Spirostreptida: Iulomorphidae) 2371, pp. 1-63 in Zootaxa 2371 (1)</i> on pages 22-23, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2371.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5312214