Cryptops stabilis Chamberlin, 1944

Lewis, John G. E., 2011, A review of the species in the genus Cryptops Leach, 1815 from the Old World related to Cryptops (Cryptops) hortensis (Donovan, 1810) (Chilopoda, Scolopendromorpha, International Journal of Myriapodology 4, pp. 11-50 : 31-33

Cryptops stabilis Chamberlin, 1944 Figs 86-91

Cryptops stabilis Chamberlin, 1944 Notul. Nat. no. 147: 1.

Material examined.

ANSP Holotype labelled Type 9921/lot 1398. Cryptops stabilis Ch. Malabar XII-1920 in a small unlabelled micro vial in a larger vial in which there was a second specimen placed in a second microvial and labelled Cryptops stabilis second specimen by J. G. E. L. The two are certainly conspecific.

NB. Chamberlin stated that the type from Goenoeng (=Gunung?) Malabar, Java was the only specimen seen.

Diagnosis.

Length 11 mm. Without dark subcuticular pigment. Cephalic plate and all tergites without paramedian sutures or sulci. Each side of coxosternite with 2 large and 2-3 smaller submarginal setae. Poison calyx oval. Coxopleural pores large, pore field occupying anterior 60% of coxopleuron. Ultimate leg prefemur with medial longitudinal glabrous strip and with 6 tibial and 3 tarsal saw teeth. Legs 1-20 with minute pretarsal accessory spurs.

Description of holotype.

( Chamberlin’s (1944) data in parentheses where relevant).

Length 11 mm. Cephalic plate and tergite 1 orange, trunk light brown with darker subcuticular pigment (head and first and last tergites yellow or orange, the remaining portion of body dark).

Two basal antennal articles with long setae, third with long and many short, fourth and subsequent with dense short setae and irregular basal whorl of long setae. Cephalic plate without sutures. Tergite 1 without sutures and overlying cephalic plate. Anterior margin of forcipular coxosternite curved (widely convex) with 2 large and 2 small submarginal setae on each side (Fig. 86). Poison gland calyx oval.

Tergites apparently without paramedian sutures or sulci in either specimen (median sulci absent). Lateral crescentic sulci on tergites 3-18. Sternites with cruciform sulci. Transverse skeletal thickening not observable. Sternite 21 in spm. 2 with posterior margin weakly convex.

Coxopleuron with 14+16 pores of varying size (Fig. 87), the pore field, which is without setae, occupying the anterior 64% of coxopleuron and 54% in spm 2. Two setae between the pore field and the posterior margin on which there are 4 large and 2 small setae. Prefemur of ultimate leg (Fig. 88) with strong setae (Fig. 89) of moderate length on prefemur, some long ventral setae with an elongated glabrous strip on medial face. Femur with some strong setae, tibia and tarsus 1 and 2 with fine setae. Tibia with 6, tarsus with 3 saw teeth (Fig. 90). Legs 1-19 with undivided tarsi and fine setae. Leg 20 with dense setae ventrally on distal half of prefemur and ventrally on femur and tibia. Pretarsi of legs 1-20 long, with minute accessory spurs (Fig. 91).

Distribution.

Indonesia (Java).

Remarks.

If absence of tergite paramedian sutures and sulci is disregarded (possible juvenile character) then the species is close to Cryptops melanotypus .

Provisional key to Cryptops s. str. species of the hortensis group