Haplogonopus jeanneli (Brolemann) Brolemann, 2011

Hoffman, Richard L., 2011, A review of the milliped genus Haplogonopus with commentary on the so-called “ Charactopygus-Bildung ” modification of spirostreptid paraprocts (Diplopoda: Spirostreptidae), Zootaxa 2734, pp. 53-62 : 57

Haplogonopus jeanneli (Brolemann) , new combination

Figure 7

Charactopygus jeanneli Brolemann, 1920 , in: Res. Sci. Voy. Alluaud & Jeannel en Afr. orient., 3: 95, text figs. xvii–xx, pl. VII, figs. 34, 35. Male holotype (Museum.national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris) from “Pays Kikuyu...forêt de Nairobi, district de Kyambu” [ Kenya], Exped. Alluaud-Jeannel leg. 29 December 1911.

Spirostreptus jeannelli [sic]: Attems, 1950, Ann. Naturh. Mus. Wien, 57: 188.

Charactopygus (?) jeanelli [sic]: Krabbe, 1982, Abh. Naturw. Ver. Hamburg, NF 24: 425.

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from H. cingulatus by the presence of a prominent, acuminate, antetorsal process on the gonotelopodite, which also lacks a posttorsal cingulum. The body is uniformly shiny black, with legs and antennae yellow. Diastemmal width not greater than the thickness of a labium, the latter not basally fossate.

Remarks. The generic placement of this species was equivocal from the beginning. Brolemann himself remarked that “ Ces deux especes ne sont pas typique ” in contrasting his new forms C. jeanneli and C. lucifugus against the more characteristic members of the genus inhabiting various islands in the Indian Ocean. The so-called “ Charactopygus-Bildung” of the paraprocts (in which the thickened marginal rims are separated by a small basal flange on the inner edge, see “Commentary” below), is now generally considered to have only specific value in classification, Krabbe (1982: 135) having defined Charactopygus on the basis of gonopod structure instead. The modification seems to have been Brolemann’s rationale in assigning his Kenyan species to Charactopygus .

The similarity of jeanneli to inflatannulus in gonopod structure is noted under that species, and is evident from Brolemann’s two figures of the gonopods, one reproduced as figure 7. That the telopodite is shown as nearly straight is probably the result of the gonopod having been macerated in a caustic solution.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality, despite a modicum of general collecting in Kenya in recent decades. It is not certain if this patch of forest has survived the burgeoning population growth and rampant forest clearing around Nairobi, and it is possible that jeanneli is extinct.

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 9. Haplogonopus, gonopod structure of three species. 6. H. inflatannulus, right gonopod, anterior aspect. 7. H. jeanneli, left gonopod, anterior aspect (adapted from Brolemann, 1920). 8. H. cingulatus, right gonopod, anterior aspect. 9. Midlength section of posttorsal telopodite, enlarged, to show form of cingulum. Abbreviations: a, apicomedial process of proplica; atp, antetorsal process of telopodite, mp, distal end of metaplica.