Ityphilus demoraisi Pereira, Minelli & Barbieri, 1995

Pereira, Luis Alberto, 2012, A New Dwarf Species, New Distribution Records, And Supplementary Descriptive Notes Of The Centipede Genus Ityphilus Cook, 1899 (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha: Ballophilidae) From Central Amazonia, Brazil, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 52 (25), pp. 291-309 : 300

Ityphilus demoraisi Pereira, Minelli & Barbieri, 1995

( Figs. 18-25 )

Ityphilus demoraisi Pereira, Minelli & Barbieri, 1995:325 , 327, 328; Pereira & Minelli, 1996:110; Adis et al., 1996:166, 168; Pereira et al., 2000:8; Foddai et al., 2000:153; 2002:473; 2004:276; Bonato et al., 2007:3; Pereira, 2010:660.

New material examined: BRAZIL: Amazonas : secondary upland forest (02°34’S, 60°06’W), 3 January 1991, M.O. de A. Ribeiro leg.: 1 male (Specimen “A”) with 63 leg-bearing segments, body length 30 mm ( MLP); same locality and collector, 28 August 1990: 1 male (Specimen “B”) with 65 leg-bearing segments, body length 29 mm ( MLP) .

Remarks: The locality cited above, is new for the geographic distribution of this species.

The adult condition of the two specimens listed here is proved by the tubula seminifera full of mature spermatozoa.

The original description by Pereira et al. (1995) was based on females only (holotype, paratype, and a juvenile). Subsequently, no specimens have been reported for this species, thus the male remained unknown until now; the present new material allows the first description of this sex, giving a better understanding of the taxon.

Description

Male (Specimen A): Sixty-three leg-bearing segments, body length 30 mm, maximum body width 0.8 mm.

Features similar to those in the female, except for the shape and chaetotaxy of the ultimate leg-bearing segment and postpedal segments.

Ultimate leg-bearing segment: conspicuously wider than the penultimate leg-bearing segment, in the proportion ca. 1.63: 1; length/width ratio of tergite, 0.63: 1; length/width ratio of sternite: 0.75: 1. Shape and chaetotaxy of tergite and sternite as in Figs. 18 , 19 . Coxopleura with numerous setae on ventral and lateral surfaces, dorsal side with few setae placed near the lateral edges only ( Figs. 18 , 19 ). Coxal organs with shape and relative size as in Figs. 19, 20 . Articles of ultimate legs strongly thickened, subconically narrowing from base to distal end (ratio of width of trochanter/width of tarsus 2, ca. 3.0: 1); ultimate legs relatively longer than those of the female, with ratio length of telopodites/length of sternite, 2.57: 1. Shape and chaetotaxy of ultimate legs as in Figs. 18 , 19 .

Postpedal segments: intermediate tergite with posterior margin strongly convex ( Fig. 18 ), intermediate sternite and first genital sternite with posterior margin slightly concave ( Figs. 19, 21 ). Gonopods apparently uniarticulate (suture between the presumptive basal and apical articles not evident), right gonopod with 12 setae on ventral side ( Fig. 22 ). Penis apparently devoid of apical setae, shape as in Fig. 23 .

Variation: the females recorded up to now have 67 or 69 leg-bearing segments; the males 63 or 65 leg-bearing segments.

The anterior and posterior coxal organs of the female holotype ( Figs. 24, 25 ), and those of female paratype, are roughly similar in size; in contrast, in both males examined here the anterior coxal organs are smaller than the posterior (in the proportion shown in Figs. 19, 20 ). Because there is no doubt about the conspecificity of the present males with the holotype and paratype female, this difference could be interpreted as an intraspecific variation (or artifacts in the temporary microscope slides). More specimens are needed to clarify this issue.

Ecology: The two specimens herein reported were collected in a secondary forest, while the type material comes from a primary rainforest at the Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve, a 100 Km2 high biodiversity area belonging to INPA, located near the city of Manaus. (A description of its geology, soil characteristics and floristic composition is given by Gentry, 1990; Hopkins, 2005, 2007; Penny & Arias, 1982; and Ribeiro et al., 1999).

Type locality: Brazil: Amazonas: Reserva Florestal A. Ducke (02°55’S, 59°59’W) .

Known range: BRAZIL: Amazonas : Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve (02°55’S, 59°59’W); secondary upland forest (02°34’S, 60°06’W) .

Figures

FIGURES 15‑18: (15-16): Ityphilus crabilli Pereira, Minelli & Barbieri, 1994, (female holotype; Brazil: Amazonas: Rio Tarumã Mirím): (15) Left a.a. V, ventral (a, b: a, b type sensilla); (16) Left a.a. V, dorsal (a, b, c: a, b, c type sensilla). (17): Ityphilus crabilli Pereira, Minelli & Barbieri, 1994, (juvenile (female?); Brazil: Amazonas: 02°34’S, 60°06’W): Ultimate leg-bearing segment and postpedal segments, ventral. (18): Ityphilus demoraisi Pereira, Minelli & Barbieri, 1995, (male (Specimen “A”); Brazil: Amazonas: 02°34’S, 60°06’W): Ultimate legbearing segment and postpedal segments, dorsal. Scale bars: 0.05 mm (15, 16); 0.2 mm (17); 0.4 mm (18).

FIGURES 19‑23: Ityphilus demoraisi Pereira, Minelli & Barbieri, 1995, (male (Specimen “A”); Brazil: Amazonas: 02°34’S, 60°06’W): (19) Ultimate leg-bearing segment and postpedal segments, ventral; (20) Right coxal organs, ventral; (21) Detail of postpedal segments, ventral; (22) Right gonopod, ventral; (23) Penis, dorsal. Scale bars: 0.05 mm (20, 22, 23); 0.2 mm (21); 0.4 mm (19).

FIGURES 24‑29: (24-25): Ityphilus demoraisi Pereira, Minelli & Barbieri, 1995, (female holotype; Brazil: Amazonas: Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve): (24) Ultimate leg-bearing segment and postpedal segments, ventral; (25) Right coxal organs, ventral (From Pereira et al., 1995). (26): Ityphilus calinus Chamberlin, 1957 (male holotype; “Colombia: 13 mi. W. of Cali, Valle”): Anterior end of the body, dorsal. (From Chamberlin, 1957). (27): Ityphilus ceibanus Chamberlin, 1922, (type (sex?); Honduras: La Ceiba): Anterior end of body, dorsal. (From Chamberlin, 1922). (28-29): Ityphilus sensibilis Pereira, Foddai & Minelli, 2000, (female holotype; Brazil: Amazonas: 02°34’S, 60°06’W): (28) Clypeus and bases of antennae (a: strong stout seta); (29) Detail of duct and calyx of poison gland in left forcipular telopodite, ventral (a: internal edge of tarsungulum, entirely serrate). (From Pereira et al. 2000). Scale bars: 0.1 mm (28, 29); 0.2 mm (25); 0.3 mm (24); no scales available (26, 27).