Ectonocryptops kraepelini Crabill, 1977

Shelley, Rowland M. & Mercurio, Randy, 2008, Redescription and illustrations of the Centipede, Ectonocryptops kraepelini Crabill, 1977 (Scolopendromorpha: Scolopocryptopidae: Ectonocryptopinae), Zootaxa 1824, pp. 65-68 : 66-68

Ectonocryptops kraepelini Crabill, 1977

Figs. 1–6

Ectonocryptops kraepelini Crabill, 1977:346 -348.

Type specimen. Holotype ( AMNH) collected by W. J. Gertsch & R. Hastings on 28 August 1965 at the base of Colima Volcano in the Sierra Madre del Sur, 3.2 km (2.0 mi) S Tonila, Colima, Mexico. According to Shelley & Mercurio (2005), this site is at roughly 1,615 m (5,300 ft) elevation and approximately 75 km (46.8 mi) inland from the Pacific Ocean.

Diagnosis. With the characters of the genus.

Holotype. Body slender, fragile, now in 4 parts (head & antennae, coxosternum & T1–T7, T8–T18, T19–T23 plus caudal legs) and in very poor condition; most legs detached and missing, length 11 mm *, maximum width ca. 0.7 mm. Preserved coloration subuniformly light yellowish. Cephalic plate ( Fig. 1 ): longer than wide, not prolonged between antennal bases, sides gently curved, caudal margin sublinear, surface with only a few scattered hairs, mostly in caudal half. Antennae ( Fig. 1 ): set close together and touching basally, slightly longer than twice the length of cephalic plate*, with 17 antennomeres (left one with 17, right with 16, missing the ultimate article), basal 4-5 articles with a few scattered, relatively long setae, distal articles with dense, fine pubescence; ultimate article longest, ca. 1 ½ times as long as previous article. Coxosternum ( Fig. 2 ): anterior margin curvilinear, without tooth plates or lobes; surface glabrous, with at most only a minute suture arising at midwidth of anterior margin. Second Maxillae (from Crabill 1977): telopodite long, slightly exceeding anterior margin of cephalic plate; 2nd article with single, stout, distodorsal spine; 3rd article with distodorsal fan of long, hyaline filaments; claw unguiform, ventral margin smooth, undivided, dorsal margin pectinate. First Maxillae (from Crabill 1977): medial lobes short, not exceeding 2nd article of telopodite; coxosternum medially cleft, lateral sutures absent; telopodite large, extending slightly beyond anterior margin of labrum. Clypeus (from Crabill 1977): glabrous except for pair of long setae on both submedial and anterior positions, prelabral position with nine stout setae arranged linearly. Labrum (from Crabill 1977): with a single medial tooth; sidepieces not incised to form lateral teeth. Forcipules ( Fig. 2 ): set well apart basally with tarsungula overlapping for lengths of darkened apices, with scattered setae, without processes, teeth, or tubercles. Spiracles (from Crabill 1977): present on segments 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22. Terga (Figs. 3,5): glabrous, without detectable hairs. Anterior margin of T1 curvilinear, T1 with angular, anterior transverse suture (ATS), with diverging paramedian sutures that extend from caudal margin to ATS and with faint, angular sulci connecting to midpoint of ATS. T2-T22 with complete paramedian sutures; T23 without sutures. Sterna: sparsely setose*, without sutures*, with vague, shallow midlength depressions*, endosterna projecting beneath succeeding sterna*; ultimate sternum ( Fig. 4 ) short. Coxopleurae ( Fig. 4 ): with about 20 small pores, without marginal spines; coxopleural processes short but strong, overhanging only bases of ultimate prefemora, with acuminate apical spines. Leg pairs 1-22: ca. twice as long as body width, becoming somewhat longer caudally, with scattered fine hairs on all podomeres, claws short, apically acuminate. Ultimate legs ( Figs. 5–6 ): comprising five podomeres, tibiae longer than rest, with prominent, uncinate, distomedial lobes, prefemora and femora subequal in lengths, 2nd tarsi present. Prefemora and femora with scattered hairs on all surfaces in addition to subfamilial spines; tibiae and 1st tarsi with moderate pilosities, latter oblong, broadly rounded apically, giving rise distad from dorsal surface to minute, globose, densely pilose 2nd tarsi.

Habitat. Unknown, not reported by Crabill (1977).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Remarks. The 1st and 2nd maxillae, clypeus, and labrum are missing, and the characterizations of these structures are taken from Crabill (1977); perhaps they are mounted on a second slide that has yet to be located. A topotypical individual of Ectonocryptops kraepelini in good condition is desirable to examine the mouthparts.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6, Ectonocryptops kraepelini, holotype. 1, Cephalic plate and left antenna, dorsal view; setation omitted from antenna. 2, coxosternum and forcipules, ventral view. 3, T 1 – T 2, dorsal view. 4, coxopleura and S 23, ventral view. 5, T 23 and left ultimate leg, dorsal view. 6, left ultimate leg, ventral view. Figs. 2, 4, 5, 6 drawn at 440 x; figs. 1 and 3 drawn at 375 x.