Lithobius (Lithobius) inquiriendus Attems, 1951

Akkari, Nesrine, Macek, Oliver & Edgecombe, Gregory D., 2024, Revision of some historical types of the genus Lithobius Leach, 1814 (Chilopoda, Lithobiomorpha) from the 1949 / 50 Austrian Iran Expedition, with new molecular data for L. iranicus Attems, 1951, Zootaxa 5424 (4), pp. 401-422 : 412

Lithobius (Lithobius) inquiriendus Attems, 1951

Figs 6I , 8D

Material examined.

Syntypes: IRAN ● ♀ NHMW MY10386 ; “Sabzawaran” (Jiroft) ; ● 1 immature ♀ NHMW MY3961 ; “F144”; same collection data as previous .

Remarks. The original description of Lithobius inquiriendus was based on two females, NHMW MY3961 and NHMW MY10386, both from Sabzawaran. The type material appears to be a mixture of two species, the larger of the two syntypes (length 10 mm) having the 4+4 forcipular dentition ( Fig. 6I ), with alternating small and large teeth and a setiform porodont shared with L. iranicus and its proposed synonyms (NHMW MY10386), whereas the slightly smaller syntype has 2+2 teeth as in the original description (NHMW MY3961). The larger syntype has 2+2 gonopod spurs and a bipartite claw ( Fig. 8D ) (described as unipartite by Attems 1951). Characters that differ between NHMW MY10386 and the specimens assigned to L. iranicus are consistent with the former being immature, i.e., only 41 antennal articles, few ocelli, angulations but no projections on TT11 and 13, relatively few coxal pores with a circular outline ( Fig. 8D ), and one less gonopod spur, by comparison to the ontogeny of other Lithobius species with large numbers of antennal articles, high coxal pore numbers, and non-round pores ( Andersson 1976, 1978). It is possible that L. inquiriendus and L. iranicus are the same species at different ontogenetic stages, in which case L. inquiriendus would be the senior synonym based on page priority. However, because L. inquiriendus is known only from immatures with a large gap in the size of available specimens and because its types were collected far to the south of the range of L. iranicus , we defer formalising a synonymy.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Close-up of coxosternal teeth. A–F. Lithobius iranicus Attems, 1951. A. Paralectotype ♂, NHMW MY10383. B. Paralectotype ♂, NHMW MY10384. C. Paralectotype ♂, NHMW MY3964. D. Non-type ♂ NHMW MY5701. E. Non-type ♀, NHMW MY5700. F. Non-type ♂, NHMW MY5700. G–H. Lithobius inaequidens Attems, 1951 syn. nov. G. Syntype ♂, NHMW MY3962. H. Syntype ♂, NHMW MY10385. I. Lithobius inquiriendus Attems, 1951, syntype ♀, NHMW MY10386. J. Lithobius rhiknus Attems, 1951 syn. nov., syntype ♀, NHMW MY3942.

FIGURE 8. Sternites of ultimate leg-bearing segment and intermediate segment in females, ventral view. A–B. Lithobius iranicus Attems, 1951. A. Lectotype, NHMW MY3963. B. NHMW MY5700. C. Lithobius rhiknus Attems, 1951 syn. nov., syntype, NHMW MY3942. D. Lithobius inquiriendus Attems, 1951, syntype, NHMW MY10386.