Variation and pigmentation in the milliped, Xystocheir brachymacris Shelley, 1996, from the northern Sierra Nevada foothills, California, USA (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae: Xystocheirini)

Authors

Rowland Shelley, North Carolina State Museum of Natural SciencesFollow
Jamie M. Smith, North Carolina State Museum of Natural SciencesFollow
Deren J. Ross, AuburnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2014

Citation

Insecta Mundi 0371: 1–6

Comments

Published in 2014 by Center for Systematic Entomology, Inc. P.O. Box 141874 Gainesville, FL 32614-1874 USA http://centerforsustematicentomology.org/

Copyright held by Rowland M. Shelley, Jamie M. Smith and Deren J. Ross. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons, Attribution Non-Commercial License.

Abstract

A newly discovered population of Xystocheir brachymacris Shelley, 1996 (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae: Xystocheirini), in Placer County (Co.), California, exhibits an unusual grayish-black color dorsally with mottled, ovoid patches at paranotal bases; it cons titutes northern generic and specifi c range extensions of ~28.4 km (17.6 mi). The gonopods differ from those in the El Dorado Co. population in having shorter/acuminate prefemoral processes and blade-like, rather than spatulate, processes “B” that angle away from the solenomere instead of overhanging it. Additionally, a strong distomedial prefemoral lobe, absent from the El Dorado population, arises from the stem in Placer Co. males. Authorship of Xystocheirini is properly attributed to Hoffman, 1980.