Genus Hessebius Verhoeff, 1941

Verhoeff 1941: 97; non Verhoeff 1943: 117; Zalesskaja 1978: 42; Eason 1981: 329.

Diagnosis. Small to medium sized Lithobiidae (body length, 13–30 mm) with antennae of 17–23 articles, generally 20; 4–15 ocelli on each side; 2+2 moderately small sharp coxosternal teeth; tergites without posterior triangular projections; coxal pores 2–7, arranged in one row; females gonopod with 2+2 – 5+5 spurs, tarsus 1–tarsus 2 articulation of anterior legs (1st–13th) faint but sometime showing obvious flexion, legs 14 and 15 swollen in males; females gonopod with a more or less massive expansion on the dorsolateral ridge of the second article projecting backwards over the third article; males gonopod short and small, of a single article. According to Zalesskaja (1978), among other genera/subgenera of Lithobiidae Hessebius is characterized chiefly by the massive expansion and projection of the dorsolateral ridge of the females gonopod (see also Eason 1981).

Type species. As no type-species was designated, Hessebius Verhoeff, 1941 is actually an unavailable name (Jeekel 2005: 19; Zapparoli 2006). In accordance with the diagnosis of the genus given by Verhoeff (1941), we herewith select Hessebius kosswigi Verhoeff, 1941, one of the two species originally included therein by the author, as type species of Hessebius by subsequent designation, validating here the name.

Assigned species. H. armatus Verhoeff, 1943; H. barbipes (Porat, 1893) (= H. hatayensis Ve r h o e ff, 1941?; = H. hatayensis membranaceus Verhoeff, 1941 ?; = H. kosswigii [sic] Verhoeff, 1941? [non Lithobius kosswigi Chamberlin, 1952]; = H. matsakisi Matic & Stauropulos, 1990; = Lithobius (Archilithobius) pachypus Verhoeff, 1925; = Archeobius phanus Chamberlin, 1952 [non Nadabius phanus Chamberlin, 1941]; = L. platypus Newport, 1845 ? [non Arebius platypus Chamberlin, 1941]; = H. procurvus Zalesskaja, 1978; = L. (Oligobothrus) vosseleri Verhoeff, 1941 ?; = L. (A.) vossleri var. propitia Silvestri, 1929); H. jangtseanus (Verhoeff, 1942); H. longispinipes Ma, Pei & Zhu, 2009; H. (?) megapus (Muralevitch, 1907) (= L. megapus bidens Folkmanová & Dobroruka, 1960); H. multicalcaratus Folkmanová, 1958; H. major Folkmanová & Dobroruka, 1960 [non Labrobius major Chamberlin, 1941; non Nampabius major Chamberlin, 1925; non Lithobius porathi major Folkmanov & Dobroruka, 1960]; H. multiforaminis sp. nov. (described below); H. perelae Zalesskaja, 1978; H. pervagatus Zalesskaja, 1978; H. plumatus Zalesskaja, 1978; H. styliferus (Loksa, 1978) n. comb. [synonyms according to Zalesskaja 1978; Eason 1981, 1983, 1992; Zapparoli 1999, 2006].