Metonomastus Attems, 1937

Genus Metonomastus Attems, 1937 View in CoL

Microdesmus Verhoeff, 1901: 223; preoccupied, replaced with Metonomastus by Attems (1937: 46)

Nannodesmus Chamberlin, 1943: 35; replacement name for Microdesmus Verhoeff, 1901; synonymized by Hoffman and Lohmander (1968: 72)

Microdesminus Strasser, 1960: 96; synonymized by Golovatch and Stoev (2004: 203)

Diagnosis.

Small (<10 mm long) moniliform polydesmoids with pale body and 19 segments in both sexes (Figs 1, 5). Metaterga mostly with 2-3 rows of setae; exceptions are M. saetosus (Strasser, 1960) and M. bosniensis (Verhoeff, 1901) (see below). Pleurosternal carinae poorly developed, present only on ring 2 or on rings 2-4. Antennae long, clavate; antennomeres 5 and 6 each with a group of bacilliform sensilla. In males, femora of pregonopodal legs enlarged, each usually with a small adenostyle. Gonopods directed anteriad, with a somewhat elongated and slender coxite (cx). Prefemorite (pf) densely setose, mostly elongated, at least equal in length to acropodite, the only exception is M. albus with a shorter prefemorite. Acropodite consisting of two or three, more or less well-developed branches. The two dominant branches are mostly solenomere (sl) and solenophore (sph); the exception is M. petrovi sp. n. with three acropodital branches, but with a completely reduced solenophore.