Spirostreptus arabs, Pocock 1895

Mwabvu, Tarombera, Hamer, Michelle, Slotow, Rob & Barraclough, David, 2010, A revision of the taxonomy and distribution of Archispirostreptus Silvestri 1895 (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Spirostreptidae), and description of a new spirostreptid genus with three new species, Zootaxa 2567, pp. 1-49 : 43

S. arabs Pocock 1895 , p. 298–299.

This species was described from Hadramaut, Yemen. Although Krabbe (1982) listed this species under Archispirostreptus she doubted this placement. We concur that arabs should be assigned to a different genus, however, without the type material or new material any placement would be tentative. The type material is missing from the BMNH collection; this was confirmed by the curator, Janet Beccaloni. According to Hoffman (2008) the Spirostreptini are characterised by a bifid or trifid prostatic groove with each branch ending in a small process. Although the distal trifurcate ending of the telopodite in arabs is consistent with the Spirostreptini it is unclear from the drawing whether the prostatic groove also has three distal branches. The antetorsal process of the gonopods of arabs is very short and does not extend beyond the knee bend of the telopodite. The antetorsal process of arabs also lacks the distal spikes which characterise Archispirostreptus . In addition, the proximal half of the free telopodite is broad with a side spine and the prefemoral process of the first pair of male legs is rectangular without distal tapering as in Archispirostreptus species.