Archispirostreptus phillipsii Pocock 1896

Mwabvu, Tarombera, Hamer, Michelle, Slotow, Rob & Barraclough, David, 2010, A revision of the taxonomy and distribution of Archispirostreptus Silvestri 1895 (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Spirostreptidae), and description of a new spirostreptid genus with three new species, Zootaxa 2567, pp. 1-49 : 21

Archispirostreptus phillipsii Pocock 1896

Fig. 7

Archispirostreptus phillipsii Pocock 1896 , p. 187, fig. 5. Graphidostreptus phillipsii: Attems 1914

Archispirostreptus phillipsii: Hoffman 1965 ; Krabbe 1982 A. Cecchii Silvestri 1897, p. 303–304, fig. 1. Syn. n.

Type material: Holotype: SOMALIA: 1 3, 1895, ( BMNH 1895.6.1).

Diagnosis: Apical metaplical process deflected laterally onto lateral metaplical process. Lateral metaplical process short (as long as metaplica width) and sandwiched between the apical metaplical process and apex of proplica ( Figs 7a, 7b ).

Description: Size: Body length 170–210 mm; maximum body width 14 mm.

Number of body rings: 62–65.

Colour: Black.

Collum: Rounded without anterior lobe, with 3 complete striae.

Pre-femoral process of 1st pair of male legs: Long and parallel, with short apical nipple ( Fig. 7c ).

Gonopod: ( Figs 7a, 7b ) Sternum short, wide proximally and flat apically; paracoxite rounded apically.

Proplicae of constant width; rounded apically.

Oral fold of metaplicae wide proximally; opposite metaplicae separate at level of apex of paracoxite. Aboral depression present on metaplicae proximal to lateral metaplical process.

Lateral metaplical process short, as long as apical metaplica width, with a short distal spine. Lateral metaplical process sandwiched between apical metaplical process and apex of proplica.

Apical metaplical process strongly deflected laterally onto lateral metaplical process.

Origin of antetorsal processes distal to telopodite knee. Antetorsal processes with short spikes proximal to a terminal spine ( Fig. 7a ).

Distribution: Goolis Mountains, Somalia ( Krabbe 1982).

Remarks: The laterally deflected apical metaplical processes of the gonopod, a short lateral metaplical process and the wide medial separation of the coxites at the level of the paracoxite apex characterize the gonopod of A. phillipsii . Archispirostreptus phillipsii is the only species in the genus where the lateral metaplical processes of the gonopod do not extend beyond the lateral margins of the proplicae or metaplicae. The origin of the antetorsal process is distal to the telopodite knee.

The location of the type of A. Cecchii is unknown. Therefore, comparisons to A. phillipsii were based on description of and gonopod drawing of A. Cecchii from Silvestri 1897. Based on the gonopod drawing, Cecchii resembles phillipsii in that the apical metaplical processes are deflected onto the lateral metaplical processes and the antetorsal process has a distal spine. Both taxa were collected from Somalia. Although the published drawing and description of A. Cecchii lack detail they are sufficient to support conspecificity with A. phillipsii .

Figures

FIGURE 7 a, b. Archispirostreptus phillipsii (BMNH 1895.6.1). a, oral view of gonopods; b, aboral view of gonopods.