Pelmatojulus Saussure, 1860

Fiemapong, Armand Richard Nzoko & Enghoff, Henrik, 2018, A giant African millipede re-discovered, re-located and re-classified after 120 years (Diplopoda, Spirobolida, Pachybolidae), Zootaxa 4527 (3), pp. 403-413 : 404

Genus Pelmatojulus Saussure, 1860

Pelmatojulus Saussure, 1860 . Type species Julus insignis Saussure, 1859 , by subsequent designation of Hoffman (1962) Pachybolus Cook, 1897 . Type species Pachybolus tectus Cook, 1897 , by original designation, new synonym

Pelmatojulus belongs to the tribe Pachybolini sensu Wesener et al. (2008) and Enghoff (2011). Diagnostic apomorphies of Pachybolini include a closed incisura lateralis on the head capsule, two or more setae placed in an apical transverse row on each lamella lingualis of the gnathochilarium; kidney- to crescent-shaped vulvae with the valves meeting in a more or less sinuous fissure. Pelmatojulus differs from all other genera of Pachybolini by the apomorphic, much enlarged number (15 or more) of apical antennal sensilla (the other genera have four such sensilla). A further, semi-diagnostic character is provided by the abovementioned setae of the lamellae linguales: in Pelmatojulus there are usually two such setae per lamella, a condition shared with the likewise West African genus Gabolus Enghoff, 2008 , whereas the other genera in the tribe have three or more setae per lamella.

The species of Pelmatojulus and their known distributions are listed in Table 1.