Scolopendrellidae (Myriapoda, Symphyla) from the Afrotropics with descriptions of seven new species Camacho, Miguel Domínguez Vandenspiegel, Didier European Journal of Taxonomy 2012 2012-12-13 32 1 28 36ba1339-285e-45c0-9c8d-9ce7f5c50c42 Aubry & Masson, 1952 a Aubry & Masson 1952 [595,1075,1687,1714] Symphyla Scolopendrellidae Remysymphyla CoL Animalia 16 17 Arthropoda genus     Typespecies   Remysymphyla maura Aubry & Masson, 1952a, described from Morocco.    Diagnosis First pair of legs very short, jointed, with terminal setae instead of claws ( Figs 8B, C, D, 9H). 15-21 tergites, first tergite rudimentary, posterior tergites of tergal areas ( fide Domínguez Camacho 2009: 108, fig. 4) 2-14 with paired, triangular posterior processes. The presence of 15 tergites was defined as one of the main autapomorphies of this genus in the literature ( Aubry & Masson 1952a; Edwards 1959). However, the observation of typematerial of  Remysymphyla hova Aubry & Masson, 1952b(MNHN K002) using SEM has shown that it really presents 21 tergites. It means that the tergites of the tergal areas 6, 9, 12, 13, 14 and 15 ( fide Domínguez Camacho 2009: 108, fig. 4) are subdivided into two subtergites each ( Figs 8A, E, 10A), as occurs in many scolopendrellid genera.   Fig. 7.Schemata of the three first tergites and chaetotaxy of the described species of  Symphylella. A.  S. erecta sp. nov. B.  S. fuko sp. nov. C.  S. kalundu sp. nov. D.  S. lubumbashi sp. nov. E.  S. malagassa sp. nov. F.  S. tanganyika sp. nov.— Marginal setae of second and third tergites labelled: lm, lateromarginal setae; lm (al), anterolateral seta of lateromarginal; p, posteromarginal setae; p(a), apical setae – belonging to the posteromarginal setae; p(c), central setae of posteromarginal; p(ib),inner basal setae of posteromarginal; s, seta between first and second tergites. Scale: 50 μm. Tergites of the tergal areas 3-14 ( fide Domínguez Camacho 2009: 108, fig. 4) partially sclerotized; only both exterior parts of these tergites are completely sclerotized ( Fig. 8A, E). This diagnostic character has to be verified carefully, since it has been observed only in two species. In  Remysymphyla spinosa sp. nov.the second tergite is partially sclerotized ( Fig. 9A, E). Last tergite subelliptical, with posterior margin convex ( Figs 8E, F, 10B). In addition, the size of the last tergite is smaller than in  Symphylellaand its shape resembles  Ribautiella. Terminal area of cerci smaller than in  Symphylella, with diagonal striae rather than transversal, pointing back- and inwards ( Fig. 8F, 10B). Basis of terminal area also diagonal back- and inwards rather than transversal – as in  Symphylella. Apical seta also pointing inwards ( Fig. 10B, C). The shape of the terminal area of cerci also resembles in some aspects  Ribautiella. This character has to be observed carefully since it has been inferred from diagrams in the literature ( Aubry & Masson 1952a, 1952b; Scheller 1971) and directly observed only in two species.   Species included The genus  Remysymphylacontains only 3 species: 1.  Remysymphyla maura Aubry & Masson, 1952a, described from Moroccoand afterwards reported from the Spanish island of Minorca( Juberthie-Jupeau 1961). 2.  Remysymphyla hova Aubry & Masson, 1952b, described from Madagascarand then reported again from Madagascar( Rochaix 1956) and from Réunion( Jupeau, 1954) 3.  Remysymphyla hebetocornuta Scheller, 1971, described from Ceylon.    Remarks In addition to the low number of described species of this genus, the material studied and cited in the literature is also very scant. Therefore, the gross incongruence detected between the studied material in this work and the descriptions in the literature – specifically regarding  Remysymphyla hova– leads the authors to think that the presence of only 15 tergites is a dubious autapomorphy. It was cited for the first time in the definition for the genus ( Aubry & Masson 1952a) but it was notaccompanied by diagrams or detailed descriptions of this feature, neither in further works on other species. For this reason, the authors draw attention to this feature for future studies on this genus, since the number of tergites has a major role in the systematics and phylogeny of the scolopendrellid symphylans ( Edwards 1959; Domínguez Camacho 2009).