Description

Description. Male / female approximate measurements: length 12 / 14 mm, ring 12 paranota width 1.5 / 1.8 mm. Live colour not known; in alcohol, uniformly pale yellowish brown. Most non-gonopod details as for T. armatum, but antennomere 3 longest, relative overall widths tergite 6> 5> 4> (3,2, head)> collum, ring 12 paranota 1.4 × as wide as prozonite, metatergite ca 2.8 × as wide as long, prefemora not as swollen dorsally, leg 6 tarsus 1.3 × as long as femur and femur longer than prefemur. Metatergite almost completely covered with three transverse rows of ca 10 large, low tubercles, each with small seta near posterior edge. Ring 6 sternite with a few fine setae along anterior edge; leg 6 tab short, without setae; leg 7 tab long, thickened, with brush of stout setae. Ring 7 sternite with paired paramedian brushes of fine setae just posterior to gonopod aperture. Figure | 6. Tasmaniosoma fragile sp. n., paratype males. A Posterior view of gonopods in situ (ex QVM 23: 46766) B medial view of left gonopod telopodite, setation omitted for clarity (ex QVM 23: 46767). Scale bars = 0.2 mm. Th e ‘ hole’ at the top of each telopodite is the broken-off tip of the distal extension of the central process. Gonopod telopodite (Fig. 16) straight, slender, slightly narrowed just above base, divided at ca 2 / 3 telopodite height into four major processes: (a) short, subcylindrical solenomere arising on medial surface and directed distally; (b) blade-like, acute process arising on anteromedial surface just basal to solenomere origin and directed anterodistally; (c) large central process with posterodistally sloping flat surface, extending medially as round-edged, tab-like structure just posterior to solenomere and extending distally as acute, subcylindrical, posteriorly curving structure; (d) long, blade-like, acute, posterolaterally curving process arising just anterolateral to central process. Three tight clusters of stout, rod-like setae: ca 10 arising on lateral surface just basal to solenomere origin and directed distolaterally, 15 – 20 arising on posterior surface a little basal to lateral cluster and directed posterobasally, and 5 – 10 arising on anterolateral surface near apex and directed distally. Sparse fine setae running from posterior surface near base anterodistally along lateral surface to ca 1 / 2 telopodite height. Prostatic groove running on medial surface directly to solenomere base. Female with legs 2 missing in the three known specimens.

Common Names

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Diplopoda

Order: Polydesmida

Family: Dalodesmidae

Genus: Tasmaniosoma

Species: Tasmaniosoma fragile Mesibov, 2010