Lithobius (Monotarsobius) crassipes L. Koch, 1862

Voigtlaender, Karin, Iorio, Etienne, Decker, Peter & Spelda, Joerg, 2017, The subgenus Monotarsobius in the Iberian Peninsula with a description of a new pseudo-cryptic species from Northern Spain revealed by an integrative revision of Lithobiuscrassipes L. Koch, 1862 (Chilopoda, Lithobiomorpha, Lithobiidae), ZooKeys 681, pp. 1-38 : 19-21

Lithobius (Monotarsobius) crassipes L. Koch, 1862 Figs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, Tables 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17

Lithobius crassipes L. Koch 1862: 71-72, table II 31

Lithobius crassipes - Meinert 1872: 341 (record). - Attems 1927: 238 (record). - Attems 1952: 346 (record). - Demange 1958: 39 (in key). - Serra 1980: 294-297 (record, description). - Serra 1982: 45-47, figs a–c (record, description), 49 (in key). - Garcia Ruiz 2015: 9 (in checklist for Spain).

Description.

Habitus. Slightly fusiform, widest around tergite 10 (Fig. 12B).

Colour. General body colouration varies from pale horn colour to cream colour and to yellow ochre (Fig. 12B) or rarely with very light reddish tint.

Length. 7.6-13.2 mm (Fig. 2, Table 2).

Head. Head roundish, mostly as broad as long or little broader than long and head broader or as broad as T5. Head length 0.8-1.12 mm (Fig. 3, Table 4).

Antennae. 20 antennal articles, short and stout, 2-4 mm long, 3.2 times longer than head, length (Figs 4, 13B, Table 6).

Ocelli. The German specimens have 8-12, the French 7-15 ocelli on each side of the head, mostly 9-11 (Fig. 5, Table 8), posteriorly with one greater, longitudinally oval ocellus, clearly separated from the others. In 90 % of all specimens (n = 174) they are arranged in three rows with a single larger ocellus posteriorly. The most common arrangements are in Germany (n = 52) 1+432 (43 %), 1+431 (11 %), 1+433 (10 %) and in France (n = 125) 1+432 (47 %), 1+431 (19 %), 1+442 (15 %). In nearly 60 % of individuals (both Germany and France) the number differs between right and left side of head, mostly only in one ocellus.

Coxosternum. Anterior border with 2+2 teeth, upper part slender, acuminate, lateral borders without shoulders. Middle notch narrow to moderate width. Sometimes coxosternum broader and the middle notch broader (Fig. 14B).

Tergites. Surface slightly rough, glossy. Posterior border of T1 feebly concave or straight, T3 to T5 feebly concave, T8 to T15 distinctly concave, T16 feebly to distinctly concave. Posterior angles of T9, T11 and T13 mostly obtuse or rounded with no trace of lobes or projections.

Legs. Tarsus and metatarsus fused on legpair 1 to 11. On legpair 12 and 13 the tarsal-metatarsal articulation is indistinct. Penultimate and ultimate legpairs (14, 15) are densely covered with pores. Last two legpairs are thickened in both sexes, much more so in males. Without accessory apical claw on legpair 15.

Legpair 15 tibia of males with a more setiferous depression (fossa), which is distinct and well-developed in specimens in later developmental stages (Fig. 15B), in younger developmental stages only indicated. The depression starts in the first third of the tibia (20-40 % of tibia length) and reaches nearly up to the end of the tibia (80-90 % of tibia length) and has a relative length of about 40 to 50 % of tibia (n = 85).

Coxal pores. Round, 2-4 (sometimes 5) pores on each coxa (Fig. 6, Table 9). Mostly 2, 3, 3, 2 or 3, 3, 3, 2 (coxae 15-12) with the highest observed number of 4, 5, 5, 4 in a female (Table 15).

Plectrotaxy. The plectrotaxy of legs of L. crassipes is given in Table 17.

Male gonopods. Uni-articulated.

Female gonopods. Basal article with two conical spurs on each side, their apical edge serrated (Fig. 16B). With 6-13 (mostly 8) ventrolateral setae with nearly the same length. No dorsomedial setae. Article II with 3-4 (mostly 3) dorsolateral setae, stout, straight and fairly long, evenly distributed over the whole length of the article. Ventrolaterally with 4-6 (mostly 6) setae without characteristic arrangement. Article III with 1 dorsolateral seta, 1 ventrolateral, 1 ventral and 2 ventromedial setae. Claw tridentated, dorsal denticle longer than the ventral denticle. At high magnification (SEM) with distinct pores of glandulae.

Distribution.

Widespread in Europe. The species has been recorded from several more or less precise Spanish localities (Fig. 17): Granada ( Meinert 1872, Attems 1927); Cerro del Mirador, Sevilla ( Attems 1952); Av. del Roquer, Chiribel, Albox, Almería ( Serra 1980, 1982); Mestas de Con, Asturias ( Serra 1982).

All current records of L. crassipes on the Iberian Peninsula are doubtful and need further verification (see discussion above). Some records from the literature have been assigned here to L. crassipesoides sp. n. or L. morenoi .