Agnostrup, FODDAI & BONATO & PEREIRA & MINELLI, 2003

FODDAI, DONATELLA, BONATO, LUCIO, PEREIRA, LUIS ALBERTO & MINELLI, ALESSANDRO, 2003, Phylogeny and systematics of the Arrupinae (Chilopoda Geophilomorpha Mecistocephalidae) with the description of a new dwarfed species, Journal of Natural History 37 (10), pp. 1247-1267 : 1254-1255

Genus Agnostrup n. g.

Type species. Agnostrup striganovae (Titova, 1975) , by present designation. Species included. Agnostrup striatus (Takakuwa, 1949) (from Taiwanella ); Agnostrup paucipes (Miyosi, 1955) (from Taiwanella ); Agnostrup striganovae (Titova, 1975) (from Krateraspis )

Etymology. The genus name refers to the forgotten status of the three species since their description, from the Greek word ‘ agnostos ’, referring to their status, and Arrup , pointing to the affinities of the genus to Arrup .

Diagnosis. Forty-one pairs of legs. Body colour homogenous, without darker patches. Body length ca 20–35 mm. Ratio of length to width of cephalic plate ca 1.3–1.5. Frontal line present. Two clypeal plagulae separated by a mid-longitudinal stripe. Plagulae covering slightly less than one-half of the clypeus, laterally in contact with the paraclypeal sutures. Clypeal setae arranged in a transversal band on the anterior part of the plagulae and on a medial part of the areolate clypeus. Buccae without setae. Spiculum absent. Side-pieces of labrum fully divided into anterior and posterior alae. Internal margin of each anterior ala reduced to a point. Posterior alae with or without longitudinal stripes. Posterior margin of labrum not hairy. Mandible provided with ca five or six pectinate lamellae. Coxosternum of the first maxillae divided in the middle. Coxosternum of the second maxillae undivided. Metameric pores placed in posterior position. Telopodites of the second maxillae slightly overreaching those of the first maxillae. Claws of second maxillae absent. Forcipular trochanteropraefemur with one well-developed distal tooth pointing forward. Intermediate articles of forcipules with or without teeth. Basal tooth of tarsungulum well developed and similar in size to that of the trochanteropraefemur. Forcipular tergum without median sulcus. Sternal rhachides not anteriorly furcate. Last sternum subtriangular, longer than wide. At least ca 20 pores on the ventral surface of each coxopleuron. Anal pores present.

Geographic distribution. East Russia, north-east China, Japan: Honshu Id.

Remarks. In a recent paper (Bonato et al., submitted) we suggested that the three species currently known as Taiwanella striata Takakuwa, 1949 , Taiwanella paucipes Miyosi, 1955 and Krateraspis striganovae Titova, 1975 are closely related one to the other but do not actually belong to the genera where they are currently included. In that paper we referred them provisionally to a genus-level ‘taxon…x’. In the present analysis these three species did actually branch together. Hence we establish here for them the new genus Agnostrup , as diagnosed above. Three new combinations are consequently proposed: Agnostrup striatus (Takakuwa, 1949) for Taiwanella striata Takakuwa, 1949 , Agnostrup paucipes (Miyosi, 1955) for Taiwanella paucipes Miyosi, 1955 and Agnostrup striganovae (Titova, 1975) for Krateraspis striganovae Titova, 1975 .

The type material of the species Agnostrup striatus (Takakuwa, 1949) and Agnostrup paucipes (Miyosi, 1955) is not available and probably lost. It is not present in any of the following collections: National Science Museum of Tokyo, Tottori University (Tottori, Japan), National Museum of Natural Science (Taiwan), Dokkyo University (Mibu, Tochigi, Japan). Of Agnostrup striganovae (Titova, 1975) , preserved in the private collection of the author (Titova), we could study two topotypic specimens: we ignore however whether they belong to the type series or not.