Cryptops decoratus Lawrence, 1960

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 : 18-20

Cryptops decoratus Lawrence, 1960 Figs 28-30

Cryptops decoratus Lawrence, 1960 Faune de Madagascar 12. Myriapodes Chilopodes, p. 84, fig. 25 c, d, 26 a-d.

Cryptops penicillatus Lawrence, 1960 Faune de Madagascar 12. Myriapodes Chilopodes, p. 76, fig. 22 a-d. Syn. n.

nec Cryptops decoratus Lewis, 2002 J. Nat. Hist. 36: 95, figs 27-35.

nec Cryptops decoratus : Lewis, 2007b Phelsuma 15: 18, figs 17-25.

nec Cryptops decoratus : Lewis, 2010a In: Gerlach J, Marusik Y (Eds) The Arachnida and Myriapoda of the Seychelles Islands, p. 283, figs 14-15.

Material examined.

MNHN. Holotype [Madagascar Sambirano]. Mt. Tsaratanana [Andilabe] 2200 m. II 51 RP [R. Paulian, févr, 1951]. (Forcipules are missing).

Diagnosis.

(Based on Cryptops decoratus sensu Lawrence (1960) and Cryptops penicillatus . See below for description of Cryptops penicillatus ). Length: 14-16.5 mm. With or without dark subcuticular pigment. Cephalic plate and tergite 1 without sutures. Poison gland calyx spherical, situated in anterior region of forcipular trochanteroprefemur. Anterior margin of forcipular coxosternite almost straight with 1+2 or 2+2 long submarginal setae on each side. Sternites with wide longitudinal sulcus, very narrow transverse sulcus. Posterior margin of sternite 21 straight or slightly concave. Pore field widely separated from caudal margin of coxopleuron, with 6-9 pores and 3-6 minute setae; 5-9 setae between it and the coxopleural margin. Ultimate legs with 4-5 tibial and 2-4 tarsal saw teeth. Pretarsal accessory spurs of legs 1-20 short.

Description of holotype.

(Additional data from Lawrence (1960) in parentheses).

Length 14 mm. Colour after preservation for 48 years uniform greyish orange (yellow with green black pigment forming a central double band and along lateral margins from tergite 2).

Cephalic plate without sutures. Tergite 1 without sutures and overlying posterior margin of cephalic plate. (Anterior margin of coxosternite almost straight with 1+2 long submarginal and 1+2 shorter setae on each side. Poison gland calyx spherical, situated in anterior part of forcipular trochanteroprefemur [these data from Lawrence 1960, fig. 25 c]).

Tergites with median ridge from 3 (5-20). Paramedian sutures from 5 ( “sillons” from 5 or 6-20). Lateral crescentic sulci from 3-20 (5-19). Tergite 21 with posterior median depression. Sternites with cruciform sulci, the longitudinal sulcus longer and wider than the narrow lateral arms (the longitudinal sulcus present on all segments, the transverse weak and absent on anterior half of trunk). (Sternite 21 with posterior margin straight or slightly concave). Sternite 21 was not figured by Lawrence (1960) and shape could not be seen in the holotype.

Coxopleuron with 8 large pores (7-9) occupying anterior 50% of coxopleuron and with at least 3 minute setae in pore field; 3 or 4 fine setae on posterior margin and up to 5 between this and the pore field (several moderately long setae between the pores) (Fig. 28). Prefemur of ultimate legs with long fine setae dorsally, but thicker setae on lateral, ventral and medial surfaces (Fig. 29) without medial longitudinal glabrous area. Femur with long fine setae, those of medial surface thicker. (End legs with numerous strong setae). Tibia with 4, tarsus 1 with 2 saw teeth (5+2/3). Legs 1-19 with fine setae, tarsi undivided, pretarsal accessory spurs very short (Fig. 30).

Distribution.

Madagascar.

Remarks.

Cryptops penicillatus (from Madagascar Centre and Madagascar Sambirano) is very similar to Cryptops decoratus (from Madagascar Sambirano, Madagascar Nord and Madagascar Est). These are distinguished in Lawrence’s (1960) key as follows:

His key, however, does not tally with the text which states that Cryptops penicillatus is without transverse sulci on the sternites and Cryptops decoratus the transverse sulci are weak. These do not tally with my observations on the two holotypes which both have a broad longitudinal and a narrow transverse sulcus and thus do not differentiate the species. I regard the two as conspecific Cryptops penicillatus being a Cryptops decoratus lacking dark subcutaneous pigment.

NB. Lawrence (1960) noted variation in the intensity of pigmentation of his specimens of Cryptops decoratus , the example from Navana being more pigmented than the others. Both “species” were described in the same work by Lawrence (1960). In such a case the first reviewer is to fix precedence (ICZN Article 24.2.2). Cryptops decoratus is here selected as the senior synonym being the more common form (recorded from 7 localities as compared to 2 for Cryptops penicillatus ).

Other material hitherto assigned to Cryptops decoratus

Figs 31-38

Lewis (2002) assigned specimens from Mauritius and the Seychelles ( Lewis 2007b, 2010a) to Cryptops decoratus .The material is here reconsidered.

Description of Mauritius and Seychelles material.

(The latter in parentheses where appropriate). Length: 10-15 (7.5-14) mm. With dark subcuticular pigment, though very little in specimens from Serpent Island as compared to those from Round Island (only 5 of 15 specimens from the Seychelles had black or grey subcuticular pigmentation the remainder showed no dark colouration). Cephalic plate and T1 without sutures. Clypeus with 2+1+2+6 (Fig. 34) or 2+1+2+2+6 setae. Anterior margin of forcipular coxosternite slightly curved on each side with 2+2 or 2+3 or 3+3 long submarginal setae (Fig. 31) (2+2). Poison gland calyx subspherical, situated in anterior region of forcipular trochanteroprefemur (Fig. 32). Posterior margin of sternite 21 straight or slightly curved (mostly with rounded posterior margin, rarely straight) (Fig. 35). Pore field occupying anterior 60-70% of coxopleuron, with 7-16 pores (8-14), 5-8 small setae in the pore field (4-6) and 1-3(4) between it and the coxopleural margin ((0)1-2) (Fig. 36). Ultimate leg prefemora with broad medial longitudinal glabrous area with 5-7 tibial and 3-4 tarsal saw teeth (Fig. 37). Lewis (2002) described the setae on the anterior, ventral and posterior surfaces of theprefemur of ultimate legs as “spine-like” but his Fig. 41 shows them to be just a little thickened.

Pretarsal accessory spurs of legs 1-20, the posterior 40% length of pretarsus the anterior slightly shorter but sometimes only 12% of the pretarsal length (Fig. 33). The accessory spurs short in Seychelles material, the second very short and easily overlooked (Fig. 38).

Remarks.

The specimens from Mauritius and the Seychelles may be differentiated from Madagascan Cryptops decoratus by the possession of the glabrous area on the ultimate prefemur and lower number of setae posterior to the coxopleural pore fields. These differences are relatively minor but consistent. They are clearly very closely related to Cryptops melanotypus Chamberlin, 1921 and are here regarded as belonging to that species although it is known only from a single specimen (see p. 3).