Golovatch S.I.1, Geoffroy J.-J.2, Mauriès J.-P.3, VandenSpiegel D.4 2009. The first, new species of the millipede family Pyrgodesmidae to be recorded in Vanuatu, Melanesia, southwestern Pacific (Diplopoda: Polydesmida) // Arthropoda Selecta. Vol.17 (for 2008). No.3–4: 145–151 [in English].
1 Institute for Problems of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr. 33, Moscow 119071 Russia. E-mail: sgolovatch@yandex.ru
2 Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Département Ecologie & Gestion de la Biodiversité, UMR 7179 du CNRS Equipe RECEME, 4, avenue du Petit Chвteau, F-91800 Brunoy France. E-mail: geoffroy@mnhn.fr
3 Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Département Systématique et Evolution, USM602, Case Postale n°53, F-75231 Paris France. E-mail: collmill@mnhn.fr
4 Musée Royal de l’Afrique centrale, B-3080 Tervuren Belgium. E-mail: dvdspiegel@africamuseum.be
KEY WORDS: Pyrgodesmidae, Lobiferodesmus, new species, key, Vanuatu.
ABSTRACT. Lobiferodesmus vanuatu sp.n. is described from Vanuatu, differing from both previously known congeners, L. papuasicus Silvestri, 1920 (type species) and L. superans Silvestri, 1920, from Papua New Guinea, by the presence of 19 body segments (instead of 20), the small size (<4 mm versus 9–10), the absence of porosteles from segment 7, the more evident lobulations at the front margin of the collum, the gonopod coxa provided with an apicolateral lobe, and the telopodite divided distally into two short branches, with the seminal groove passing distally between the bases of both these branches to terminate on top of a very small solenomere located at the bottom of a median cavity. A key is provided to all three congeners.