Otostigmus tibialis Brölemann, 1902

Chagas-Júnior, Amazonas, 2012, The centipede genus Otostigmus Porat in Brazil: Description of three new species from the Atlantic Forest; a summary and an identification key to the Brazilian species of this genus (Chilopoda, Scolopendromorpha, Scolopendridae, Otostigminae), Zootaxa 3280, pp. 1-28 : 20-21

* Otostigmus tibialis Brölemann, 1902

Type locality. Piquete [Piquette], state of São Paulo.

Brazilian published records. Mato Grosso. Terenos [Terrenos]. Minas Gerais. Poços de Caldas. São Paulo. Ilha da Queimada Grande, Ilha da Queimada Pequena, Ilha de Alcatrazes, São Sebastião, Paranapiacaba [Alto da Serra], Tiête, Ouro Branco, Jardinópolis, Santo Amaro, Jundiaí and Itapira. Paraná. Without specific locality. Santa Catarina. Canoinhas [Lagôa]. Rio Grande do Sul. Passo Fundo ( Bücherl, 1974).

New records. Bahia. Porto Seguro, Praia de Taperapuã, 23.vii.2004, B. Segal ( MNRJ); Minas Gerais. Parque Estadual de Ibitipoca, 5–8.v.2008, Ivo Sena de Oliveira ( MNRJ); Ouro Preto, Estação Ecológica de Tripuí, 10.vi.2008, Ivo Sena de Oliveira ( MNRJ); Itamonte, Parque Nacional do Itatiaia (Vale dos Lírios), 04.ii.1997, A. Kury, R. Pinto-da-Rocha & L. Mestre ( MNRJ). Espírito Santo. Santa Teresa, Nova Valsugana, 10.v.2005, A. Giupponi & T. Souza ( MNRJ 15381); Estação Biológica de Santa Lúcia, Santa Teresa, 15–19.x.2003, A. Giupponi ( MNRJ 15408); ditto locality above, 28–30.v.2004, A. Giupponi, M. Mirelli & T. Souza ( MNRJ 15407); ditto locality above, 11–12.v.2005, A. Giupponi, M. Mirelli & T. Souza ( MNRJ 15403); Rebio Augusto Ruschi, 2006, T. Barnabé ( MNRJ 15409). Rio de Janeiro. Teresópolis, Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos, 12.iii.2005, D. Pedroso & V. Dill ( MNRJ); ditto locality above, 22.x.2006, Expedição Arachne ( MNRJ); Petrópolis, 08.x.2008, C. Sampaio, A. Chagas-Jr, A. Giupponi & T. Rossini ( MNRJ); Santa Maria Madalena (Parque Estadual do Desengano), A. Chagas-Jr, A. Kury, C. Sampaio & T. Moreira ( MNRJ 15226); Rio de Janeiro (Parque Nacional da Tijuca), 15.ix.2002, A. Giupponi, A. Chagas-Jr, D. Pedroso & R. Baptista. São Paulo. Ribeirão Grande, 11–20.x.2002, R. Bérnils, G. Machado & F. Stender ( MNRJ). Paraná. Piraquara (Mananciais da Serra), 02.xi.2002, A. Chagas-Jr & A. González ( MNRJ). Santa Catarina. Pouso Redondo (Serra Geral), 10.iii.1999, R. Pinto-da- Rocha, A. Kury & A. Giupponi ( MNRJ); Florianópolis (Morro da Trindade), 30.x.2008, D. Pedroso & E. Vasconcelos ( MNRJ 15422).

Remarks. This species is widely distributed in Brazil and known from the central parts of the country, extending southward to the state of Santa Catarina ( Figure 41 ). It is well represented in southeastern and southern Brazil, and in the state of Santa Catarina, where it is found in gardens in urban areas. The male of O. tibialis is easy to identify because in the tibia of the ultimate pair of legs there is a longitudinal fossa extending throughout the entire medial side and ending distally as a prolongation with a spinous point. The type series of O. tibialis and other four nominal species – O. longistigma , O. longipes , O. langei and O. dentifusus – were examined and it was noted that all of them are in fact females of O. tibialis . The characters of tergites, such as the smooth integument, presence of complete paramedian sutures on tergites 5 to 20, absence of keel and margination on tergites 3 to 21 are the same as in the female of O. tibialis . In addition, the tooth plates with 4+4 teeth, the presence of short paramedian sutures in the anterior part of the sternites, except in O. dentifusus , the presence of depressions in the sternites, and two tarsal spurs on the first three pairs of legs also are also shared with the female of O. tibialis . Another nominal species, O. pradoi , was described by Bücherl (1939b) based on eleven specimens, including males and females, from the states of São Paulo, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. Bücherl stated that O. pradoi was very similar to O. tibialis , but differed from it in characters such as distribution of hairs on the basal articles of antennae, body size, color, margination and presence of complete paramedian sutures on tergites, paramedian sutures and depressions on the sternites and the length of the tibial appendix of the males. Although the type material of O. pradoi is not well preserved, it is possible to observe that the first two and the first quarter of the third basal article of the antennae are glabrous, body size varies from 40 mm to 80 mm, complete paramedian sutures are present starting with tergite 5, 6 or 7, margination on tergites 3 to 17; the length of the tibial appendix also varies. In addition, O. pradoi , O. longipes , O. longistigma , O. langei and O. dentifusus occur in the distribution range of O. tibialis and in some cases are sympatric, thus, all of them are considered here junior synonyms of O. tibialis .

Verhoeff (1937), Bücherl (1943, 1950) and Chagas-Jr et al. (2007) pointed out the difficulty of being certain of the true identity of species of Parotostigmus. This is due to the wide distribution of some, to intraspecific variation and to the fact that in a number of species only females have been described. This last difficulty is well illustrated here by the four nominal species shown to be females of O. tibialis .

Figures

FIGURE 41. Distribution of O. tibialis, O. pococki, O. tidius and O. diringshofeni in Brazil.