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.