Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 4170 No. 1: 22 Sept. 2016
Type: Article
Published: 2016-09-22
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4170.1.4
Page range: 93–113
Abstract views: 130
PDF downloaded: 1

Four colorful new species of dragon millipedes, genus Desmoxytes Chamberlin, 1923, from northern Thailand (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae)

Biological Sciences Program, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phaya Thai Road, Patumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. Animal Systematics Research Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phaya Thai Road, Patumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 København Ø, Denmark.
Animal Systematics Research Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phaya Thai Road, Patumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. Division of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Production, Maejo University, San Sai, Chiang Mai 50290, Thailand.
Animal Systematics Research Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phaya Thai Road, Patumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
Myriapoda taxonomy aposematic endemism

Abstract

Four new dragon millipede species of the genus Desmoxytes from northern Thailand are described and illustrated: D. des sp. n. from Chiang Mai Province, D. breviverpa sp. n. from Phrae Province, D. takensis sp. n. from Tak Province and      D. pinnasquali sp. n. from Phitsanulok Province. The new species were compared with type specimens of closely related species and were all found to exhibit explicit morphological differences from these. They can be distinguished from other members of Desmoxytes by the shape of the gonopods, the sternal process between male coxae 4, the pattern of spines or tubercles on the metaterga, and the shape of the paraterga. The coloration of all new species is clearly aposematic: ranging from purple-pink to red. The new species are discussed in relation to their congeners, and a distribution map is provided.

 

References

  1. Chamberlin, R.V. (1923) Two diplopod immigrants taken at Honolulu. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 36, 165–168.

    Enghoff, H. (2005) The millipedes of Thailand (Diplopoda). Steenstrupia, 29, 87–103.

    Enghoff, H., Sutcharit, C. & Panha, S. (2007). The shocking pink dragon millipede, Desmoxytes purpurosea, a colourful new species from Thailand (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae). Zootaxa, 1563, 31–36.

    Golovatch, S.I., Geoffroy, J.J. & Mauriès, J.P. (2010) Two new species of the millipede genus Desmoxytes Chamberlin, 1923 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae) from caves in southern China. Arthropoda Selecta, 19, 57–61.

    Golovatch, S.I., Li, Y., Liu, W. & Geoffroy, J.J. (2012) Three new cavernicolous species of dragon millipedes, genus Desmoxytes Chamberlin, 1923, from southern China, with notes on a formal congener from the Philippines (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae). ZooKeys, 185, 1–17.

    http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.185.3082

    Jeekel, C.A.W. (1964) Two new species of Pratinus Attems, with taxonomic notes on the genus and a redescription of its type-species (Diplopoda, Polydesmida). Beaufortia, 11, 61–73.

    Likhitrakarn, N., Golovatch, S.I. & Panha, S. (2010) The millipede genus Orthomorpha Bollman, 1893 in Thailand. 1. Revision of the sericata-group, with descriptions of four new species (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae). Zootaxa, 2361, 23–45.

    http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2361.1.3

    Likhitrakarn, N., Golovatch, S.I. & Panha, S. (2011) Revision of the Southeast Asian millipede genus Orthomorpha Bollman, 1893, with the proposal of a new genus (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae). ZooKeys, 131, 1–161.

    http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.131.1921

    Likhitrakarn, N., Golovatch, S.I. & Panha, S. (2014) Review of the Southeast Asian millipede genus Enghoffosoma Golovatch, 1993 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae), with descriptions of new species. Zootaxa, 3811 (4), 491–514.

    http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3811.4.4

    Likhitrakarn, N., Golovatch, S.I. & Panha, S. (2015) Two new species of dragon millipedes, genus Desmoxytes Chamberlin, 1923, from Laos (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae), with redescriptions of all four species of Attems from Vietnam. Zootaxa, 3931 (4), 483–504.

    http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3931.4.2

    Liu, W., Golovatch, S. & Tian, M. (2014) A review of the dragon millipede genus Desmoxytes Chamberlin, 1923 in China, with descriptions of four new species (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae). ZooKeys, 448, 9–26.

    http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.448.8081

    Liu, W., Golovatch, S. & Tian, M. (2016) Six new species of dragon millipedes, genus Desmoxytes Chamberlin, 1923, mostly from caves in China (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae). ZooKeys, 577, 1–24.

    http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.577.7825

    Loksa, I. (1960) Einige neue Diplopoden-und Chilopoden-arten aus chinesischen Höhlen. Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 6, 135–148.

    Pocock, R.I. (1895) The Myriopoda of Burma, Pt. IV. Report upon the Polydesmoidea collected by Sig. L. Fea, Mr. Oates, E.W. & others, by Pocock, R.I. of the British Museum of Natural History. Annali del Museo civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria, 14, 787–834.

    Shear, W.A. (2015) The chemical defenses of millipedes (diplopoda): Biochemistry, physiology and ecology. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 61, 78–117.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2015.04.033

    Svádová, K., Exnerová, A., Štys, P., Landová, E., Valenta, J., Fučíková, A. & Radomír, S (2009) Role of different colours of aposematic insects in learning, memory and generalization of naïve bird predators. Animal Behaviour, 77, 327–336.

    http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.09.034