Mecistocephalus changi, Published, 2007

Published, First, 2007, The Mecistocephalidae of the Japanese and Taiwanese islands (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha), Zootaxa 1396, pp. 1-84 : 51-53

Mecistocephalus changi n. sp.

Figs. 61–65

Diagnosis. A Mecistocephalus species with 49 leg­bearing segments. Body length reaching at least 5 cm in adults. Trunk without dark patches. Head 1.7–2.0 times as long as wide. Areolate part of the clypeus without smooth insulae, each side with 4 setae; clypeal ratio 2.2–2.8, plagulae without spine­like sensilla. Basal tooth of the mandible narrow, shorter than the first tooth of the first lamella, with fringed margin; intermediate lamellae with about 10 teeth. Buccae with setae in the posterior half only. Forcipular article I with two teeth, one distal to the other, nearly equal in size. Sternal sulcus furcate. Legs of the last pair without additional short ventral setae.

Type material. Holotype: female, 40 mm long, adult. Paratypes: 2 males, 42 and 46 mm long, adult; 1 female, 50 mm long, adult.

Type locality. Yungan , Taiwan .

Depository of type material. National Museum of Natural Science , Taichung, Taiwan (holotype). Coll. Hsueh­Wen Chang, National Sun Yat­Sen University, and coll. A. Minelli, University of Padova (paratypes) .

Material examined. 4 specimens. 2 males, adult (42 and 46 mm, paratypes), and 2 females, adult (40 and 50 mm, holotype and paratype respectively), from Yungan , Taiwan, date unknown, H.W. Chang leg., coll. NMT (holotype), AM (2 paratypes) and HWC (1 paratype) .

Description of the holotype. Male, adult, 40 mm long (telopodites of the last leg­bearing segment broken). Body colour orange, without dark patches; head and forcipular segment darker. Head 1.9 times as long as wide; frontal line rounded. Antennae 4.4 times longer than the head width. Apical sensilla about 7 µm long. Clypeus: clypeal ratio about 2.6; areolate part without smooth insulae; 4 patterned setae on each side of the clypeus, including one medial near the plagula and three transversally aligned; plagulae without evident sensilla; about 4–6 spine­like sensilla on each side of the clypeus. Labrum: anterior ala subtrapezoidal, medial margin convex, about one third of the medial margin of the posterior ala; posterior ala with parallel internal margin; posterior margin of each side piece slightly sinuous, slightly convex close to the internal and external ends, not crenulate and without hair­like projections. Spiculum present; buccae with about 10 setae in the posterior half only. Mandible: about 7 well­developed lamellae; first lamella with 6 teeth; average intermediate lamella with about 10 teeth; basal tooth of the mandible narrow, shorter than the first tooth of the first lamella, with fringed margin. First maxillae: anterior corners of coxosternum projecting; each medial projection about 2.1 times as long as wide, distal lobe about 2.5 times as long as wide, indistinctly clavate; each telopodite about 3.3 times as long as wide, with 3 basal setae, slightly sinuate along the external margin. Second maxillae: article I of telopodite about 4.0 times as long as wide; article III about 2.4 times as long as wide, with many setae; apical claw well developed. Forcipular segment: width to length ratio of exposed part of coxosternum about 1.2; cerrus absent; dorsal ridge of each pleuron evident. Forcipules: article I about 2.2 times as long as wide, basal tooth subequal to the distal tooth; articles II and III each with a tooth; tarsungulum with two small basal teeth, one dorsal to the other; poison calyx extending backwards to the distal part of the forcipular article I. A total of 49 leg­bearing segments. Sternal sulcus furcate, branches long but faintly impressed. Last leg­bearing segment: sternum subtriangular, with a pair of lateral notches, as long as wide.

Interindividual variation (based on 4 specimens). Size of adults between about 4 and 5 cm at least. Head 1.7–2.0 times as long as wide. Antennae 4.2–5.8 times longer than head width. Clypeal ratio 2.2–2.8. Forcipular article I 2.0–2.5 times as long as wide.

Distribution in the considered area.

Taiwan: Yungan (type locality) .

General distribution. Only known from the type locality.

Derivatio nominis. To Hsueh­Wen Chang, National Sun Yat­Sen University, Kaohsiung, who collected the type material of this new species and sent us the material for study.

Remarks. The type locality is impossible to locate as more than one ‘Yungan’ toponyms are present in Taiwan. The adult condition of both the holotype and the paratype was inferred by the presence of mature sperm cells inside the posterior part of the trunk. The last pair of legs is present, though damaged, in one adult male only and therefore the presence of short, additional setae is uncertain.