Otostigmus (Parotostigmus) pococki Kraepelin, 1903

Schileyko, Arkady A., 2014, A contribution to the centipede fauna of Venezuela (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha), Zootaxa 3821 (1), pp. 151-192 : 178-181

Otostigmus (Parotostigmus) pococki Kraepelin, 1903

Figs 49–52, 54–57

Otostigmus pococki: Bücherl, 1950: 190 ; Otostigmus pococki: Chagas, 2012: 22 .

Locus typicus: French Guiana, Haut Carsevenne.

Material. Mérida [State, Municipio Libertador], [loc.21], Paramo Escorial, 3000 m, 11.06.198[5/8?], 1 sad ♀, N 7276; Mérida [State], [loc.20], [Sierra Nevada National] Parque La Mucuy, 2400m, 14.02.1986, 1 sad ♀, N 7201. Trujillo State, [loc.17], N 87, Boconó, Guaramacal National Park, la Laguna, 2000 m, bosque humedo montano, 0 2.1987, 1 sad ♀, N 7277. Aragua State, [loc.2], Parco Henri Pittier, Pico Rancho Grande, Bds, muro, sotto muschio, 29.08.1980, 1 sad ♀, N 7278. 4 specimens in all.

Material of O. (P.) scabricauda examined for comparison. Brazil, Amazônas, env. Manaos: 1 ad ♀, N 7269; 2 sad ♂, N 7270; 1 ad ♂, N 6730; 1 ad ♂, N 6729; Brazil, Para, Rio Tocantins, 1 juv, N 7208. Peru, Region Ukayali, env. Pucalpa: 1 ad ♀, N 6347; 1 ad ♂, N 6346; 1 ♀, N 7312.

Description of subadult ♀ N 7276. Length of body ca 34 mm (maximal length for this species up to 70 mm according to Attems, 1930). Color in ethanol: entire animal uniformly dark blue-grayish with both cephalic and posterior ends somewhat darker. Body with a very few minute setae; cephalic plate and distal articles of legs slightly more setose.

Antennae composed of 17 articles, reaching the middle of tergite 5 when reflexed. 2.1–2.2 basal articles with few long setae both dorsally and ventrally, subsequent articles densely pilose. Basal articles cylindrical.

Cephalic plate ( Fig. 54 ) nearly round in shape and without sutures, its posterior margin covered by tergite 1.

Second maxillae: article 2 of telopodite with a well-developed dorso-distal spur. Pretarsus without accessory spines.

Forcipular segment ( Fig. 55 ): coxosternite with short median suture. Tooth-plates somewhat wider than long; each plate with 4 teeth, the lateral tooth the lower. The basal sutures form an obtuse angle, their lateral ends are bifurcate. Trochanteroprefemur with large process, with a median tubercle; this process extends beyond the toothplates. Tarsungula thin and pointed, their interior surface with two sharp longitudinal ridges.

Tergites spinulated; tergite 2 very short (as long as 1/3 of tergite 1). Tergites 1–5 without sutures; tergite 6 with poorly-developed paramedian sutures, tergites 7–20 with complete and definite paramedian sutures. Tergite 3 without paired oblique anterior sutures. Tergites 3–20 with wide well-developed median keel ( Figs 50 , 52 ), which is much lighter in color than the surrounding surface of the tergite ( Attems, 1930 called these keels “white stripes”). Tergites 15–19 with two poorly-developed keels, which are parallel to the paramedian sutures. Tergite 21 ( Fig. 52 ) lacks sutures, with poorly-developed median keel in the anterior half and shallow median depression in posterior half. Tergite 21 somewhat longer than wide, not narrowed posteriorly; its sides curved and posterior margin obtusely angled. Tergites 6(7)–21 marginate, margination much better developed on posterior tergites, but posterior part of tergite 20 is weakly marginate.

Sternites (4)5–21 narrowed posteriorly and without sutures. Sternite 1 with two lateral and one median depression in anterior half. Sternites 2–17 with incomplete paramedian sulci and two median depressions ( Fig. 55 )—the anterior somewhat elongated, the posterior round; these depressions are much better developed on midbody sternites. Sternites 18–20 with poorly-developed paramedian sulci. Ultimate sternite ( Fig. 56 ) longer than wide, distinctly narrowed towards the straight posterior margin, with poorly-developed longitudinal median depression in the posterior half. Endosternites not recognizable.

Legs: two tarsal spurs on left leg 1 and on right legs 1–3; legs 4–20 with one tarsal spur. Tibial spurs absent; pretarsus of legs 1–20 with two accessory spines.

Coxopleuron ( Fig. 56 ) considerably longer than sternite 21, almost completely covered with coxal pores of various sizes. Coxopleural process extremely short, its tip rounded and spineless. Coxopleural surface without setae; posterior margin of ultimate pleuron straight.

Ultimate legs 7 mm long, rather slender (width of prefemur ca 0.5 mm). All articles cylindrical; prefemur without any spines ( Fig. 56 ) as long as femur and slightly longer than tibia. Tibia as long as tarsus 1 and slightly longer than tarsus 2. Right leg with normally developed tarsal spur, the left one without; pretarsus with two small accessory spines.

Description of subadult N 7201 (differs from N 7276 in the following details). Length of body ca 26–27 mm. Color in ethanol: entire animal uniformly yellow-grayish with cephalic plate and forcipular segment and segment 1 somewhat lighter ( Figs 51 , 57 ).

Antennae: very long, reaching the anterior margin of tergite 8 when reflexed. Right antenna composed of 17 articles, the distal part of the left one missing.

Tergites: tergites 1–(8)9 without sutures. Very poorly-developed paramedian sutures on tergites of posterior body half are hardly recognizable. Tergites 5(6)–21 definitely rugose/corrugated (“runzelig” sensu Attems, 1930; Fig. 51 ), tergites (4)5–20 with well-developed median keel. Tergites (8)9–20 with two or four poorly-developed low longitudinal keels, which are parallel to the median keel ( Fig. 51 ). Tergites 5–21 with definite margination.

Sternites with longitudinal median depression (which is better developed in anterior half of sternite) and two paramedian sulci (which are better developed in posterior part of sternite). Ultimate sternite with nearly complete longitudinal median sulcus.

Legs: left leg 1 with one tarsal spur, right leg 1 missing; legs 2–20 with one tarsal spur.

Ultimate legs missing.

Range. French Guiana. British Guiana: Kartabo. Brazil: Amazônas; Pará, Belém. Peru. Colombia. Ecuador.

In Venezuela. Mérida State: Municipio Libertador, Sierra de La Culata, Páramo El Escorial; Municipio Santos Marquina, Sierra Nevada National Park, La Mucuy Alta. Trujillo State, Municipio Boconó, Guaramacal National Park, Laguna de Los Cedros. Aragua State, Municipio Mario Briceño Iragorry, Henri Pittier National Park. Capital District, Municipio Libertador, Caracas.

Figures

FIGURES 46 – 50. Scolopendra conjungens Muralewicz, 1913 (holotype, adult N 6815) 46 forcipular segment and segment 1, ventral view 47 segments 19 – 21 and ultimate legs, dorsal view 48 segments 19 – 21 and ultimate legs, ventral view; Otostigmus (Parotostigmus) pococki Kraepelin, 1903 49 subadult ♀ N 7278: segments of mid body, dorsal view 50 subadult ♀ N 7276: segments 18 – 20, dorsal view; (pl) — procoxae of legs, (bs) — basal sutures, (sl) — spines of legs 18 – 21, (ust) — sternite of ultimate leg-bearing segment, (cx) — coxopleuron, (utg) — tergite of ultimate leg-bearing segment, (lk) — tergal longitudinal keels, (mk) — median keel, (sp) — tergal spinules.

FIGURES 51 – 55. Otostigmus (Parotostigmus) pococki Kraepelin, 1903 51 subadult ♀ N 7201: posterior segments, dorsal view 52 subadult ♀ N 7276: segments 20 – 21, dorsal view; Otostigmus (Parotostigmus) goeldii Brölemann, 1898 53 subadult ♂ N 7076: segment 21 and prefemora of ultimate legs, dorsal view; Otostigmus (Parotostigmus) pococki Kraepelin, 1903 54 subadult ♀ N 7276: cephalic plate and segments 1 – 3, dorsal view 55 subadult ♀ N 7276: forcipular segment and segments 1 – 2, ventral view; (llk) — tergal low longitudinal keels, (utg) — tergite of ultimate leg-bearing segment, (dp) — male digitiform process, (tp) — forcipular tooth-plates, (bs) — basal suture, (ptr) — process of forcipular trochanteroprefemur, (mk) — median keel, (md) — sternal median depression.

FIGURES 56 – 60. Otostigmus (Parotostigmus) pococki Kraepelin, 1903 56 subadult ♀ N 7276: segments 20 – 21 and prefemora of ultimate legs, ventro-lateral 57 subadult ♀ N 7201: forcipular segment and segment 1, ventral view; Otostigmus (Parotostigmus) goeldii Brölemann, 1898 (♂ N 7076) 58 forcipular segment and segment 1, ventral view 59 tergite 19 60 segment 21 and prefemora of ultimate legs, ventro-lateral view; (ust) — sternite of ultimate leg-bearing segment, (cx) — coxopleuron, (up) — prefemur of ultimate legs, (llk) — tergal low longitudinal keel, (tp) — forcipular tooth-plates, (ptr) — process of forcipular trochanteroprefemur, (md) — sternal median depression, (dp) — male digitiform process.