Two new Lophoturus species (Diplopoda, Polyxenida, Lophoproctidae) from Queensland, Australia

By

Huynh, Cuong
Veenstra, Anneke A.

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2018

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

741

Pages

133-154

Subjects

body length , colouration , Millipedes , morphological characters , phylogenetic analysis

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.741.21814

 

Abstract

Lophoturus queenslandicus Verhoeff, 1924 was the first penicillate millipede in the family Lophoproctidae collected from Cairns, a tropical region in Queensland, Australia, to be formally described. Specimens collected from this region in a recent study had the morphological characters known to define this genus. However, their body form and length, as well as dorsal colouration proved to be different, suggesting the possibility of more than one Lophoturus species. This assertion was supported by the results of a phylogenetic analysis of DNA extracted and sequenced using 18S and COI regions from L. queenslandicus and two undescribed species from this genus. Specimens preserved in ethanol can prove difficult to confidently identify to species level because their colour gradually fades. Examination of live specimens with their body colour visible, together with morphological characters and DNA analysis is the most reliable way of correctly distinguishing between these three species. Two new species, L. boondallus sp. n. and L. molloyensis sp. n. collected in Queensland, Australia are described.