Nyssodesmus cf. python ( Peters, 1865 )

Golovatch, Sergei I., Korotayeva, Alyona M. & Martínez-Torres, Daniela, 2024, Three species of the millipede family Platyrhacidae from Costa Rica: a new Barydesmus Cook, 1896 and two oldest Nyssodesmus Cook, 1896 (Diplopoda Polydesmida), Zootaxa 5538 (5), pp. 424-438 : 435-436

Nyssodesmus cf. python ( Peters, 1865)

Material examined. 1 male, 1 female ( FSCA, DMT 134 ), Costa Rica, Heredia Province, Estación Biologica La Selva , 10.416667°N, - 84.000000°W, 50–150 m a.s.l., in copula, side of trail, 14.II.2001, G.B. Edwards leg., D. Martínez-Torres det., 2016; 1 male, 1 female ( MCZ 44105 , DMT 366 ), Heredia Province, near Puerto Viejo, La Selva , 10.434769°N, - 84.018914°W, 60 m a.s.l., 21.VI.1979, J. Coddington leg., D. Martínez-Torres det., 2015 (https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/ MCZ:IZ:44105); 1 male ( NCMNH A3657 , DMT 64 ), Heredia Province, Rio Sarapiqui, above road from La Selva Biological Station , 10.416667°N, - 84.000000°W, 100 m a.s.l., 9.III.1981, R.E. Ashton leg., D. Martínez-Torres det., 2015; 1 male, 1 female ( MCZ 41246 , DMT 363 ), Limón Province, Guapiles , 10.2158780°N, - 83.786609°W, 256 m a.s.l., III.1924, Barbour and Brooks leg., D. Martínez-Torres det., 2016 (https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/ MCZ:IZ:41246); 1 male ( MCZ 45362 , DMT 371 ), Limón Province, Hamburg Farm , 10.2846630°N, - 83.410149°W, 10 m a.s.l., Dodge leg., D. Martínez-Torres det., 2016 (https:// mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/ MCZ:IZ:45362); 1 male ( MCZ 46480 , DMT 403 ), Limón Province, Las Mercedes, between Squirres and Guapiles , 10.1756270°N, - 83.611534°W, 50 m a.s.l., X.1984, W. Eberhard leg., D. Martínez-Torres det., 2016 (https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/ MCZ:IZ:46480); 1 male ( NCMNH A3655 , DMT 65 ), Costa Rica, Puntarenas Province, 25 km NNE of Pan Am Highway, Monteverde Сloud Forest Reserve , 1600–1700 m a.s.l., 10.III.1981, R.E. Ashton leg., D. Martínez-Torres det., 2015.

Brief descriptive notes. Length ca 70–100 mm (male, female) ( Figs 5 , 8–13 ), width of midbody pro- and metazona up to 6.2 and 12.2 mm, respectively (male). Live coloration ( Fig. 13 ) usually variegated, vivid and stripy, light to dark brown, always with a wide, light, red-brown to pallid, mid-dorsal, axial stripe often accompanied by a vague, narrow, darker, greyish axial line; pro- and metaterga contrasting light mid-dorsally, paraterga usually light as well, but dark/infuscate only at or near bases of paraterga, occasionally dark also almost until their lateral margins, these being orange to pallid. Dry or alcohol material ( Figs 6A, B , 8A , 9A , 10A , 11A, B , 12A, B ) usually apparently faded, up to uniformly greyish to light beige ( Figs 6A , 10A ). Metatergal granulations typically indistinct ( Figs 6A , 11A, B , 12A, B ). Ozopore on paratergum 10 lying ca 1–2 its diameter off lateral margin ( Fig 6C ). Gonopods ( Figs 7 , 8B, C , 9B, C , 11C, D , 12C, D ) virtually same as in N. alboalatus , acropodite likewise ribbon-shaped and rapidly bent mesad, divided into a rudimentary solenomere ( sl) and a longer, slightly sigmoid, rounded to subtruncate lateral branch ( lb).

Remarks. Because the above alcohol samples referred to as Nyssodesmus cf. python tend to show some minor deviations from the typical patterns, such as a little more distinct metatergal granulations and/or more strongly dentate lateral margins of some paraterga, and/or a little better discernible solenomere vestige, they all are provisionally treated, and mapped ( Fig. 14 ), as N. cf. python , separately from N. python , even though they appear to be largely strictly sympatric or even syntopic with doubtless N. python material.

Basically, sympatry or syntopy is known to be very common amongst Neotropical Platyrhacidae , with up to several congeners often co-occurring together (e.g., Hoffman 1999).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Nyssodesmus alboalatus Cook, 1896. Male from Farm Hamburg, Waldbodan (VMNH, DMT 98). A. Habitus, dorsal view. Labels reading “Costa Rica, Farm Hamburg, Waldbodan, Feb. 11, 1934, F. Nevermann leg.” and “DMT 98”. Scale bars: 1.0 mm (B, C).

FIGURE 6. Nyssodesmus python (Peters, 1865).Female holotype(ZMB 8). A, B. Habitus, dorsal andventral views, respectively. Scale bar: 10 mm. C. Right paratergum 10, dorsal view, photographed not to scale. D. Original labels. Courtesy O. Werb.

FIGURE 7. Nyssodesmus python (Peters, 1865). A, B. Right gonopod of holotype of N. nigricaudus Chamberlin, 1922 (USNM 843, DMT 27), mesal and lateral views, respectively. Abbreviations: lb, lateral branch; sl, solenomere.

FIGURE 8. Nyssodesmus python (Peters, 1865). From up to down, two males and one female from La Virgen, Heredia Prov. (NCMNH A3654, DMT 63), together with the original labels. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B, C. Left gonopod, lateral and mesal views, respectively. Abbreviations: lb, lateral branch; sl, solenomere. Photographed not to scale.

FIGURE 9. Nyssodesmus python (Peters, 1865). Two males from Monteverde, Puntarenas Prov. (VMNH, DMT 95), together with the original labels. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B, C. Left gonopod, mesal and lateral views, respectively. Abbreviations: lb, lateral branch; sl, solenomere. Scale bar: 1 mm (B, C).

FIGURE 10. Nyssodesmus python (Peters, 1865). Two males and one female from Finca La Selva near Puerto Viejo, Heredia Prov. (VMNH, DMT 93), together with the original labels. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B, C. Left gonopod, lateral and mesal views, respectively. Abbreviations: lb, lateral branch; sl, solenomere. Scale bar: 1 mm (B, C).

FIGURE 11. Nyssodesmus python (Peters, 1865). Male from La Selva Biological Station, Heredia Prov. (ZISP 8-2023). A, B. Habitus, dorsal and ventral views, respectively. C, D. Right gonopod, lateral and mesal views, respectively. Photographed not to scale.

FIGURE 12. Nyssodesmus python (Peters, 1865). Male from La Selva Biological Station, Heredia Prov. (ZISP MYR_DIP_ 0000203). A, B. Habitus, dorsal and ventral views, respectively. C, D. Right gonopod, lateral and mesal views, respectively. Photographed not to scale.

FIGURE 13. Nyssodesmus python (Peters, 1865). Live colour patterns in nature.A, B. Individual females. C, D. Paired couples (male on top). Photographed not to scale. Courtesy flickr.com›photos/tags/nyssodesmuspython/

FIGURE 14. Distributions of Barydesmus truncatus sp. nov. (yellow triangle), Nyssodesmus python (Peters, 1865) (black square), N. cf. python (Peters, 1865) (blank square), and N. alboalatus Cook, 1896, type locality (yellow circle) and additional record (orange circle).