Cryptops nigropictus Takakuwa, 1936

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 : 26-27

Cryptops nigropictus Takakuwa, 1936

Cryptops nigropictus Takakuwa, 1936 Trans. Sapporo nat. Hist. Soc. 14: 238, figs 4 & 5.

Cryptops niloticus Lewis, 1967 Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. 178: 201, figs 23-37. Syn. n.

? Cryptops niloticus : Lewis: 1969 J. Nat. Hist. 3: 464.

Cryptops kalobensis Goffinet, 1971 Rev. Zool. Bot. Afr. 83: 51, figs 1-3. Syn. n.

Cryptops basilewskyi Matic & Darabantu, 1977. La Faune Terrestre de l’ile de Sainte-Helene. Quatrième Partie, 2. Chilopoda: 353, fig. 142 (a-f). Syn. n.

Cryptops niloticus : Zapparoli, 1990b Lav. Soc. Ital. Biogeogr N. S. 14: 144.

Cryptops niloticus : Lewis, 1996 Fauna of Saudi Arabia 15: 146, figs 14-15.

Cryptops niloticus : Lewis, 2002 J. Nat. Hist. 36: 96, figs 44-52.

Cryptops nigropictus : Chao and Chang 2006 Norw. J. Entomol. 53: 145.

Cryptops nigropictus : Chao and Chang 2008 Collection and Research 21: 4, figs 3, 4.

Cryptops nigropictus : Song et al. 2010 Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 35: 376, figs 1-8.

Cryptops nigropictus : Chao 2008 Scolopendromorpha (Chilopoda) of Taiwan.VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, Saarbrücken p. 71, figs 72, 75-81+Map 11.

Diagnosis.

Length 11-18 mm. Tergites with dark subcuticular pigment. Anterior margin of forcipular coxosternite slightly curved, typically with 2 long and several shorter submarginal setae on each side. Poison gland calyx rounded, situated in anterior part of forcipular trochanteroprefemur. Posterior margin of sternite 21 rounded. Coxopleural pore field with 7-25(31) pores and 0-6 setae in pore field and 3-9 posterior to it. Ultimate leg with 4-8 tibial and 3-4 tarsal saw teeth. Legs 1-20 with a single long pretarsal accessory spur.

Description of neotype.

(Based on Chao and Chang’s (2008) text and figures). Length 11-18 mm. Tergites with dark subcuticular pigment. Cephalic plate short faint oblique sutures (presumably extending back from the bases of the antennae). Clypeus with 6 prelabral setae. Anterior margin of forcipular coxosternite slightly curved, with 2 submarginal setae on each side. Poison gland calyx rounded, situated in anterior part of forcipular trochanteroprefemur. Tergites 1 and 2 with a faint central longitudinal sulcus. Posterior margin of sternite 21 rounded. Coxopleural pore field occupying no more than anterior 50% of coxopleuron, with 10-13 large pores and apparently without setae in pore field. Ultimate leg with 5-6 tibial and 3-4 tarsal saw teeth. Legs 1-20 with a single long pretarsal accessory spur.

Distribution.

St. Helena, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, ?Eritrea, Somalia, Yemen, Mauritius, Rodrigues, Philippines, China, Taiwan, and Ryuku Islands (Japan). Not French Polynesia as stated in Minelli (2006).

Remarks.

The apparent close similarity of Cryptops basilewskyi , Cryptops kalobensis and Cryptops niloticus to Cryptops nigropictus suggests that all four are representatives of a single widely distributed species (see Discussion for a fuller examination of this thesis). Cryptops nigropictus is the senior subjective synonym.