Corresponding author: Megan Short (
Academic editor: S. Golovatch
Seven species have been described in
The specimens in this study came from the collections of the Australian Museum in Sydney, NSW and the Western Australian museum, Perth, WA. Specimens were examined using light microscopy. For light microscopy, specimens were cleared in 15% potassium hydroxide, heated in a water-bath for 2 minutes at 80°C, neutralised in 20% acetic acid for 2 minutes, rinsed in distilled water and dehydrated in a series of ethanol baths prior to staining with 1% Fast Green solution to increase contrast. The head and body were separated, the body cut open with a single latero-longitudinal incision and contents removed. After rinsing in 100% ethanol, stained specimens were transferred to 100% isopropanol, then to xylene and mounted on slides with DPX synthetic resin.
Specimen lengths were measured from head to telson with the caudal bundle of trichomes excluded. Adults were sexed when possible. Naming of the leg segments follows
Abbreviations: AM = Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales; NSW = New South Wales; WA = Western Australia; WAM = Western Australian Museum, Perth; L = left; R = right.
Female, Meedo Station, WA, site MO3,
One male and 2 females, slightly damaged, Woodleigh Station, WA, site WO5,
For Carnarvon region, the type locality; adjective. All specimens of this species identified to date were collected as part of the Carnarvon Survey carried out by WAM and the Department of Conservation and Land Management (now part of Department of Environment and Conservation).
Measurements: Body length 2.8–3.3 mm with no differences between sexes, caudal bundle 0.3 mm.
No freshly collected specimens available. Specimens had been preserved in 70% ethanol. Body yellow brown in colour, trichomes largely missing.
Head with 8 ocelli each side: 4 dorsal, 4 lateral (1 anterior, 2 medial and 1 posterior). Vertex with anterior rows of trichomes arranged as typical for the genus
The antennae with proportions of 8 articles and 4 sensitive cones typical of the genus. Article VI with 3 thick basiconic sensilla of equal length, coeloconic sensillum posterior to basiconic sensilla (
Collum with arrangement of trichomes on tergites similar to
Legs 1 and 2 without trochanter, leg 1 also lacks tarsus 1. Trochanters legs 3–13 lack setae. Chaetotaxy as follows: coxa 1, 1 seta, coxa 2, 2 setae, coxae 3–13, 2–3 setae; prefemur, postfemur, tarsus 2, legs 1–13 and tarsus 1, legs 2–13, with 1 seta; femur 1, 1 seta, femur 2, 1–2 setae, femur 3–13, 2–3 setae (
Telson with ornamental trichome insertions arranged almost symmetrically with 6–10 trichomes
So far known only from two sites in the Carnarvon region of Western Australia (
Female, Corringle State Forest, NSW,
1 male, same collection as holotype, AM KS.119540. 1 female and 1 male subadult stadium VII, Severn State Forest, Atholwood Loop Rd.
4 specimens (sex and stadia not determined), Severn State Forest, Atholwood Loop Rd.
1 male stadium VII, Newnes State Forest, Birds Rock Flora Reserve, 0.6km from Sunnyside Ridge Rd.,
For Corringle State Forest, the type locality; adjective.
Similar to
As for
Measurements: Body length 2.3–2.5 mm with no differences between sexes, caudal bundle 0.3 mm.
No freshly collected specimens available. Specimens had been preserved in 70% ethanol. Body yellow brown in colour with tergal trichomes medium brown.
Number of trichomes in posterior rows of vertex of head each side varies 10–12 (anterior rows), 4–6 (posterior rows) (
Lateral protuberances of collum with 5–7 trichomes each. Tergites 2–9 with presence of median gap variable and narrow if present. Tergite 10 with median gap and reduced number of trichomes (
Telson with ornamental trichome insertions numbering 7–10
So far known only from State forest at two widely separated sites in mid NSW and one site in northern NSW (
Female, Crown Reserve, Woods Reef, between road and Nangahrah Ck. NSW,
Male subadult stadium VII, same collection as holotype, AM KS.119546. Male subadult stadium VII Crown Reserve, 8.9 km along Bukkulla-Ashford Rd., NSW,
For Barraba, town closest to type locality; adjective.
Chaetotaxy similar to
As for
Measurements: female adult, 1.94 mm, caudal bundle 0.3 mm; male subadult, Stadium VII, 1.6–2.1 mm. (n=3), caudal bundle 0.3 mm.
No freshly collected specimens available. Specimens had been preserved in 70% ethanol. Body yellow brown in colour with brown tergal trichomes.
Two rows of trichomes either side of posterior vertex of head with slightly larger medial gap than for
Collum and tergites 2–9 with small median gap in posterior row of trichomes (
Telson with ornamental trichome insertions numbering 6–8
So far known only from three forested sites in northern NSW, with a north-south range of ca 200 km (
Female, Myall Lakes National Park, 3.8 km South of Mungo Brush campsite, NSW,
Male subadult stadium VII, same collection as holotype, AM KS.94096.
Female, same site as holotype, wet pitfall traps 26 November 1997, collected by L. Wilkie, AM KS.93660. Male adult, Male subadult stadium VII, Female subadult stadium VII, Wyrrabalong National Park, NSW,
1 immature stadium IV (6 pairs legs), same site as holotype, wet pitfall traps 14 May 1998 collected by L. Wilkie, KS.93665. 1 stadium VI, 10 pl, sex unknown, Wyrrabalong National Park, NSW,
For Myall Lakes National Park, the type locality; adjective.
Similar chaetotaxy to
As for
Measurements: Body length 2.2–2.4 mm (n=3) with no differences between sexes. Caudal bundle 0.5 mm.
Colouration: No freshly collected specimens available. Specimens had been preserved in 70% ethanol. Body yellow brown in colour with black trichomes including caudal bundle dark brown – black.
Two rows of trichomes either side of posterior vertex of head with number of trichomes in rows varying from 7–11 trichomes each side anteriorly, 4–6 each side in posterior rows. (
Gnathochilarium with lateral palp 1.5 times length of medial palp. Lateral palp with 12–13 sensilla, medial palp 22 sensilla (
Collum with two rows of trichomes sparsely arranged each side of a medial gap, rows merge laterally to form rosettes of trichomes, and with a small number (2 each side in holotype) of trichomes between the two rows. Lateral protuberances of collum with 3–4 trichomes each. Tergites 2–10 with trichomes arranged most commonly in 2 rows on posterior half of the tergite each side of a medial gap. Anterior row sinuous with small gap to lateral cluster. In posterior tergites the two rows are closer together and straighter (
Leg chaetotaxy as follows: coxa 1, one seta, coxa 2, 2 setae, coxae 3–13, 2–3 setae; prefemur, femur, 1 seta (
Telson with ornamental trichome insertions numbering 5–6
Map of Australia with states New South Wales and Western Australia expanded to show distribution of five
A number of collections of various stadia, in poor quality: Wittenoom WA, May 1973, EN Wahl, WAM T116466, T116467, T116469; Wittenoom, WA, from out of drain pipe in bath at night, also on floors in house, 10 October 1983, Mrs. M. McKay, WAM T116468; Tom Price Caravan park, Tom Price, WA, 22 December 1982, K. Campbell, WAM T116450; Tom Price Caravan park, Tom Price, WA, 2 December 1982, A. Davies, WAM T116470; Hamersley Station, WA, under house, 20 April, 1989, JS Bogle, T117557; Mt Stuart Station, 0.7 km W Urandy Bore (1: 100,000 map ref: 2153-283201), huge numbers on surface of ground (gibber slope) at night, 6 August 1985, large collection in very poor condition, A Baynes and TA Smith, WAM T117558. Selected specimens mounted on slides for identification, remainder in ethanol, all deposited in WAM.
Differs from
Examination of further specimens of
A number of the collections examined were from the two previous collection sites: the type locality Wittenoom and the nearby township of Tom Price. However the species has now been identified from two further locations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with one site being 200 km from the type locality indicating that its distribution is not as tightly restricted to the Hamersley Ranges as originally recorded (
Collections were sent to WAM for identification after reports from 1972 of the millipedes reaching nuisance proportions in parts of the Pilbara, particularly the Hamersley Ranges area and the townships of Tom Price and Wittenoom (
The genus
The type species from India,
Unfortunately the species in the genus
1 | Presence of setae without projecting spines on legs | 2 |
– | Presence of setae with projecting spines on legs | 6 |
2 | One seta only on femur, no setae on tibia of legs 6–13 | 3 |
– | At least 2 setae on femur, 1 seta on tibia | 5 |
3 | 3 basiconic sensilla on antennal article VI | 4 |
– | 4 basiconic sensilla on antennal article VI, to date found only in NSW, Australia | |
4 | Telotarsus with more than 2 processes on claw, to date found only in Australia |
|
– | Telotarsus with 2 or less processes on claw, to date found only in Madagascar |
|
5 | No seta on tarsus 1 of legs 3–13, small or no median gap in posterior row of trichomes on tergite 2, setiform sensillum between basiconic sensilla 1 and 2 on antennal article VI, to date found only in NSW, Australia | |
– | Seta present on tarsus 1 of legs 3–13, Median gap in posterior row of trichomes on tergite 2, no setiform sensillum between basiconic sensilla 1 and 2 on antennal article VI, to date found only in WA, Australia | |
6 | One seta only on femur, no setae on tibia | 7 |
– | At least 2 setae on femur, 1 seta on tibia | 8 |
7 | 4 basiconic sensilla on antennal article VI, 5 ornamental trichomes |
|
– | 3 basiconic sensilla on antennal article VI, 3 ornamental trichomes |
|
8 | 3 basiconic sensilla on antennal article VI | 9 |
– | 4 basiconic sensilla on antennal article VI to date found only in NSW, Australia | |
9 | 3 ornamental trichomes |
|
– | 5–9 (most commonly 8) ornamental trichomes |
|
We thank Graham Milledge (AM) and Julianne Waldock (WAM) for loan of specimens and for help with registering specimens, and Dr Monique Nguyen Duy-Jacquemin for her support and advice. We also are grateful to the reviewers for their suggestions on improving the paper. Open access to this paper was supported by the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) Open Access Support Project (EOASP).
The record of all