Lamyctes africanus Porathı 1871

Penghai Qiao, Wen Qin, Huiqin Ma & Tongzuo Zhang, 2019, Two new species of lithobiid centipedes and the first record of Lamyctes africanus Porath (Chilopoda: Lithobiomorpha) in China, Journal of Natural History 53 (15), pp. 897-921 : 910-913

Lamyctes africanus Porathı 1871

( Figure 4 )

Type locality

Rikaze cityı Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Regionı Chinaı 88.79ı833°Eı 29.20ı068°Nı elevation 3924 mı 5 September 2013ı collected by Jianping Suı Weiping Liı Jiarui Chen.

Material examined

13♀♀ ( RKZ 1- RAZ 13).

Diagnosis

Lamyctes with small body sizeı length from 6.5 mm to 10.2 mm. One prominent ocellus on each side of cephalic pleurite plate. 23 to 31ı most commonly 28 – 29 antennal articlesı with a few groups of short articles in pairsı markedly uneven in proximal part of antenna. Forcipular coxosternal teeth 2 + 2ı with a small lateral shoulder on each side of the lateral teeth. Porodonts spine-like; 12th tibiae with triangular distal spinose projectionsı 13th tibiae without distal spinose projections; 15th leg slenderı tarsal claw with anterior and posterior accessory claws. Female gonopods with 2 + 2 slender spurs. Gonopodal claw: terminal claw simpleı curved.

Note: Of 13 individuals collectedı RKZ7 and RKZ9 have smaller body sizeı about 4.8 mm (RKZ9) and 5.1 mm (RKZ7). Both have 28 antennal articles.

Description

Body length 6.8 – 10.2 mmı cephalic plate 0.54 – 0.81 mm longı 0.54 – 0.81 mm wide. Leg 15 is about 23.4% (RKZ13) of the body length.

Colour in 95% ethanol. Basal antennal articles light yellow to orange-yellow. Tergites chestnut brown with deeper brown posterior and lateral bordersı 2 black lines extending medially from T1 to T14. Legs pale yellow except for deeper yellow tarsi. Pleural region pale grey; sternites pale yellow with dark hue. Distal part of forcipules brownı the remaining part of forcipulesı forcipular coxosternite and SS 14 and 15 pale orange-brown.

Antennae. On the 10 specimens with complete antennaeı we counted 28 articles 6 timesı 29 articles twiceı and 26 articles twice; thereforeı the species typically has 28 articlesı 12% ( RKZ10 ) to 30% ( RKZ6 ) length of bodyı 1.5 ( RKZ11 ) to 3 ( RKZ 6 ) times length of head shield . First 2 antennomeres much larger than succeedingı the length of the first antennae is almost equivalent to its widthı the second article conspicuously wider than lengthı then shortened. Articles in pairs include articles 3 – 4ı 6 – 7ı 9 – 10 and 12 – 13ı conspicuously on RKZ3 and RKZ13 . Articles in distal part of antenna sub-moniliformı mostly of about equal length and width. Terminal article typically about 2.5 times the length of penultimate article. Antennal setation: abundant setae on antennal surfaceı but fewer setae on ventral and dorsal side in basal articlesı gradual increase in density of setae from first to seventh articleı then more or less constant.

Cephalic plate. With black markings not only around the pale eyesı but in several cases the dark colour is present on the major part of the cephalic shieldı forming ‘ conspicuous black markings around the pale eyes (similar to a “ raccoon mask ”) ’ ı as described by Enghoff et al. (2013 ı p. 5). Smoothı convexı heart-shapedı slightly wider than longı approximately the same width as T3. Frontal margin with conspicuous median notch ( Figure 4 (a))ı lacking median furrow; projection of lateral margin discontinuous. Border of equal width posteromedially and posterolaterallyı posterior margin slightly convex. Tiny setae inserted in pores scattered very sparsely over the surface; short to long setae scattered along the marginal ridge.

Ocelli. All females have 1 bulging large lavender ocellus on each side.

Forcipular coxosternite. Subtriangular. Dental margin narrow and curvedı about 28% of the maximum width of coxosterniteı with 2 + 2 large pointed teeth and spine-like porodontı porodont just inside anterolateral corner of dental marginı separated from outer tooth by a greater distance than that separating the two teeth from each other ( Figure 4 (b)). Median diastema moderately deepı V-shaped. Some small setae scattered on ventral aspect of coxosternite. Forcipular tarsungulum: pretarsal section of approximately equal length to tarsal section. There are more setae on dorsal side of tarsal part of tarsungulumı tibia and femur than on ventral ( Figure 4 (b)). Pleurites of forcipular segment connected ventrallyı forming a continuous band between forcupular coxosternite and sternite of first leg-bearing segment.

Tergites. Moderately smoothı without wrinklesı backside hunched. T1 posterolaterally narrower than anterolaterallyı generally trapeziformı slightly narower than the width of head and T3. Cephalic plate of same width as T3. Posterior margin of T1 sinuateı posterior margin of TT 3 and 5 slightly concaveı posterior margin of TT 8ı 10ı 12 and 14 moderately concaveı posterior margins of short tergites subtransverseı with broadly rounded posterior angles. Lateral marginal ridge of all tergites continuous. TT 1ı 3ı 5 and 8 bordered posteriorlyı TT 10ı 12ı 14 bordered laterally only or with short extent of border posterolaterally. All tergites bordered laterally. Tergite of intermediate segments with concave posterior margin. Posterolateral corners of tergites all rounded. Tiny setae scattered on the anteriorı posterior angles of each tergite.

Sternites. Trapeziformı smooth. Short to long setae fringe along anterior and posterior margin.

Legs. No articulations on tarsus of legs 1 – 12ı strong articulations defined on legs 13 – 15. Claws on all legsı moderately longı curved ventrally. Anterior and posterior accessory claws on all legsı about half the length of main clawı the anterior ones moderately long and slenderı forming moderately larger angles with tarsal claws and posterior ones slightly strongı forming moderately smaller angles with tarsal claws. Distal spinose projection present on tibia of legs 1 – 12 and absent on tibia of legs 13 – 15. Leg 12: the triangular distal spinose projection is visible on the 12th tibiae of all adult females ( Figure 3 (d)). Leg 15: length of each of the three distal articles of the 15th leg in comparison with their own diameter: 15th tibiae: 0.66 mm / 0.15 mm – 0.68 mm / 0.14 mm = 4.3 x – 4.9 x; 15th tarsus 1: 0.55 – 0.59 mm / 0.07 mm = 7.9 x – 8.4 x; 15th tarsus 2: 0.6 – 0.62 mm / 0.06 mm = 10 x – 10.3 x.

Coxal pores. On legs 12 – 15ı roundı inner pores sometimes smaller; in all specimens 2222/2222 except one specimenı RKZ13 2332/2332; short to moderately long setae sparsely scattered over the surface.

Female posterior segment. S 15 in female with transverse posteromedian margin. Sternite of first genital segment with concave posteromedian margin except for a small median bulge. Setae scattered sparsely over its surface and at lateral margins. Female gonopods ( Figure 4 (e)) with 2 + 2 slender spursı proximal mesal spur inserted considerably more anteriorly than lateral spur. Basal article bearing 20 to 22 setaeı second article with 3 setaeı third article with 2 or 4 setae ( Figure 4 (e)). Claw simpleı curved.

Habitat

The 13 specimens were all collected from broken stones on a slope along the side of the 318 National Roadı surrounding by leguminous plants and shrubs.

Figures

Figure 3. Lithobius (Ezembius) maqinensis sp. nov.ı (a–dı f) holotypeı female: (a) habitusı dorsal viewı scale 1 mm; (b) ocelli and Tömösváry’s organ (To)ı lateral viewı scale 250 µm; (c) forcipular segmentı ventral viewı scale 500 µm; (d) posterior segments and gonopodsı ventral viewı scale 500 µm; (f) right gonopodı dorsal-lateral viewı scale 250 µm; (e) paratypeı male: male gonopodı ventral viewı scale 500 µm.

Figure 4. Lamyctes africanus (Porath)ı (aıe) RKZ11ı female: (a) dorsal viewı scale 1 mm; (e) ventral view of posterior segments and gonopodsı scale 100 µm; (b) RKZ3ı female: forcipular segmentı ventral viewı scale bar 500 µm; (c) RKZ11ı female: leg 12 in dorsal lateral viewı scale 500 μm; (d) RKZ13ı female: leg 15 in dorsal lateral viewı scale 500 μm.