Zinophora brevilobata (Attems, 1928)

Redman, Guy T., Hamer, Michelle L. & Barraclough, David A., 2003, Revision of the Harpagophoridae (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida) of southern Africa, including descriptions of five new species, African Invertebrates 44 (2), pp. 203-277 : 233-235

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.7666308
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7667042
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/7E3D87A0-8800-803F-FE75-BD64005FF22B
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Zinophora brevilobata (Attems, 1928)
status

Treatment

Zinophora brevilobata (Attems, 1928) View in CoL

Figs 2 View Fig , 68–77 View Figs 68–77

Poratophilus brevilobatus Attems, 1928: 381 View in CoL .

Poratophilus (Philoporatia) brevilobatus View in CoL ; Schubart 1966.

Zinophora brevilobata View in CoL ; Demange 1983; Hamer 1998.

Type material (examined): Holotype: MOZAMBIQUE: 1ơ, No reference to exact locality and date, J. de Coster ( SAMC 1613 View Materials ). The type locality is here fixed as Lake Sibaya [2732BC].

Additional material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: 3ơ, Lake Sibaya [2732BC], Crocodile Bay , mainly under logs, i.1968, B. Lamoral ( NMSA 16144 View Materials ) ; 1ơ, Tembe Elephant Reserve (26˚ 59.01S:32˚ 25.08E), 5.x.1999, D. Herbert ( NMSA 18708 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; 1ơ, Sibayi [2732BC] South route, grassland valley below Mt. Tabor , open grassland with patches of scrub, 9.i.2000, O. Bourquin ( NMSA 18933 View Materials ) ; 1ơ, Kosi Bay (26˚59'S:32˚50'E), 16.x.2001, P. Reavell ( NMSA 19199 View Materials ) .

Diagnosis: Telopodite with one weakly s-shaped ( Fig. 72 View Figs 68–77 ), apically tapered femoral spine, partially concealed under posterior telocoxal fold ( Fig. 70 View Figs 68–77 ). Thumb reduced, branching off base of pectinophore ( Figs 74, 75 View Figs 68–77 ). Dorsal surface of posterior telocoxal fold deeply concave ( Fig. 73 View Figs 68–77 ). Telocoxal spine prominent and directed medially ( Fig. 71 View Figs 68–77 ).

Description:

Dimensions: Males, n = 7. Body width 11.0, 9.0–11.0 [9.6]; collum width 9.0, 7.6–9.0, 8.4; body length 110.0, 85.0–115.0 [100.4]; leg length (legs on type specimen detached and missing), 4.9–5.6; antenna length (antennae on type specimen detached and missing), 5.8–6.6 [6.0].

Number of segments: 53, 45–56 [50].

Colour: Head and clypeus orange. Collum orange but brown in fresh specimen. Prozonites light yellow to brown, mesozonites orange (light brown in fresh specimen) and metazonites with dark brown strip along margin, otherwise orange. Anal valve brown, posterior margin orange. Caudal spine brown and with orange streak on dorsal surface. Legs and antennae orange.

First ozopore: Segment 6.

Collum: Anterior corner rounded and at angle of about 90. One submarginal groove ( Fig. 68 View Figs 68–77 ).

Gonopods: Telopodite with one femoral spine, weakly s-shaped, tapering towards apex and partially concealed under posterior telocoxal fold ( Figs 70, 72, 77 View Figs 68–77 ). Thumb reduced and not obvious, branching off base of pectinophore. Second lamella a flat hyaline laminate plate, broadening apically and curved away from pectinophore ( Figs 74, 75 View Figs 68–77 ). Posterior telocoxal fold with a strong, acute and medially directed telocoxal spine ( Fig. 71 View Figs 68–77 ). Posterior telocoxal fold without distinct lobes medially, but margin reaching anterior telocoxal fold median margin ( Fig. 71 View Figs 68–77 ). Dorsal surface of posterior telocoxal fold deeply concave ( Fig. 73 View Figs 68–77 ).

Pre-anal ring: Caudal spine extending beyond margin of anal valve and sharply curved distally.

Distribution: The type material was collected in Mozambique, however no reference is made to the exact location in the original description, or on the label. Other records are from South Africa in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal ( Fig. 2 View Fig ).

Remarks: The apical elements of the telopodite in the type specimen are broken and these have been described from another specimen ( NMSA 18708). The telopodite was broken before the original description (‘Gonopod telopodites are badly preserved so that the description is not complete’(Attems1928)).The thumb on the posterior limb of the telopodite is reduced, as is the case with Z. laminata . The caudal spine varies in length. In some specimens, the gap between the coxal elements of the first pair of legs of the male is narrow and the two walls may be in contact medially (resembling the condition in Harpagophora ). Demange (1983) mentions brevilobatus in both Harpagophora s.s. and in Zinophora , but the reasoning behind this is unclear.