Description

Description. Male / female approximate measurements: length 14 / 13 mm, ring 12 paranota width 1.6 / 1.4 mm. Live colour pale greenish-yellow, with darker yellowishbrown patches on sides and (variably) along dorsal midline, and with fine red speckling on paranota posteriorly and on head. In alcohol, specimens often completely decoloured or with reddish patches dorsally. Most non-gonopod details as for T. armatum, but antennomere 3 longest, relative widths tergite 6> 5> head> (4,2)> 3> collum, ring 12 paranota 1.4 × as wide as prozonite, male midbody metatergites ca 1.8 × as wide as long. Ring 2 pit (Fig. 4 C) deep, wide, rim well-defined except posteriorly. Ring 6 sternite with short leg 6 and 7 tabs each bearing short, linear brush of fine setae; legs 6 closer together than legs 7; sternite with anterior portion elevated on either side, creating triangular depression with apex at anterior margin. Gonopod telopodite (Fig. 12) somewhat flattened anteroposteriorly, almost fusiform in lateral or medial view but with slight longitudinal concavity on posterior surface. Divided at ca 2 / 3 telopodite height into tight cluster of five processes, described here from longest to shortest: (a) large central process, appearing to be continuation of telopodite body, tapering distally, curving slightly medially and terminating in distally curving, thorn-like structure set off by slight constriction; (b) subcylindrical, acute process arising lateral and slightly posterior to central process, curving slightly anteriorly; (c) and (d) pair of closely pressed, mediolaterally flattened processes, medial to central process, the outer the solenomere; (e) lateral to solenomere and arising slightly basal to it, a rod-like, acute process directed posterodistally. Small patch of short, fine setae on posterior surface at ca mid-height; sparse, fine setae running anterodistally from base on posterior surface and terminating at ca 1 / 3 telopodite height; small linear group of fine setae midlaterally on slight longitudinal thickening. Prostatic groove curving posterodistally on medial surface, turning distally just posterior to process (e) base before entering solenomere base. Figure | 2. Tasmaniosoma cacofonix sp. n., paratype male ex QVM 23: 46748. A Anterior view of gonopods in situ B medial and C posterolateral views of left gonopod telopodite. Setation only shown in C, dashed line marks course of prostatic groove. Scale bars = 0.2 mm. Female somewhat smaller than male, not with long midbody metatergites; posterior margin of epigynum produced as short, wide trapezoid.

Common Names

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Diplopoda

Order: Polydesmida

Family: Dalodesmidae

Genus: Tasmaniosoma

Species: Tasmaniosoma cacofonix Mesibov, 2010