Spirostreptus Brandt, 1833

Vohland, Katrin & Hamer, Michelle, 2013, A review of the millipedes (Diplopoda) of Namibia, with identification keys and descriptions of two new genera and five new species, African Invertebrates 54 (1), pp. 251-251 : 278

Genus Spirostreptus Brandt, 1833

Spirostreptus: Brandt 1833: 203 ; Pocock 1894: 388; Hoffman et al. 2001: 37; Hoffman 2008: 172; Mwabvu et al. 2009: 38 .

Triaenostreptus Attems, 1914 a: 149 ; 1928: 363; Schubart 1966: 116; Hoffmann 1971: 210; Krabbe 1982: 279; Hamer 1998: 52; 1999: 7. Synonymised by Hoffman et al. (2001).

Type species: Spirostreptus sebae Brandt, 1833 , by subsequent designation of Pocock (1894).

Diagnosis:A large lateral lobe present on lateral lamella of gonocoxite ( Fig. 52, lal), and apical region of lateral lamella broadly rounded ( Figs 52, 53). Origin of femoral process of telopodite concealed under apex of median lamella. Femoral process unmodified, with smooth edges ( Fig 52, fp). Post-knee region of telopodite coiled or spiralled proximally, becoming lamellate before narrowing distally into a long thin extension with a trifurcate ending.

Distribution: Known from southern Africa ( Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe) ( Mwabvu et al. 2009).

Remarks: The true identity of Spirostreptus remained unclear from 1833 until 2001. The type species ( S. sebae ) was described from a single female specimen that was not examined by taxonomists, who subsequently assigned hundreds of species to the genus. Hoffman et al. (2001) used somatic characters to match the female type to Triaenostreptus petersi (Karsch, 1881) from Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and this species was synonymised with S. sebae . In addition to the type species, the genus currently includes S. heros Porat, 1872 , S. kruegeri (Attems, 1928) , S. tripartitus ( Cook & Collins, 1893) , S. unciger (Attems, 1928) and S. batokensis Mwabvu, 2009 . The generic position of the other species previously assigned to Spirostreptus remains largely unresolved.

Some of the largest millipede species found in southern Africa are in this genus.