Mecistocephalus japonicus Meinert, 1886

Published, First, 2007, The Mecistocephalidae of the Japanese and Taiwanese islands (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha), Zootaxa 1396, pp. 1-84 : 59-62

Mecistocephalus japonicus Meinert, 1886

[1] Mecistocephalus Japonicus Meinert 1886 — Vidensk. Meddel. Naturhistor. Foren. 36–38: 142 (original description)

Mecistocephalus japonicus: Haase 1887 — Abh. Ber. zool. anthr. Mus. Dresden 5: 105 (key); pl. VI: 112

Lamnonyx japonicus: Cook 1895 — Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 18: 61

[2] Mecistocephalus mirandus Pocock 1895 — Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6) 15: 352 (original description) new synonymy

Mecistocephalus japonicus: Attems 1903 — Zool. Jahrb. Syst. 18: 219

Mecistocephalus mirandus: Attems 1903 — Zool. Jahrb. Syst. 18: 213

Mecistocephalus ? japonicus: Attems 1914 — Arch. Naturgesch. 80 A: 131

Mecistocephalus ? mirandus: Attems 1914 — Arch. Naturgesch. 80 A: 131

Lamnonyx japonicus: Silvestri 1919 — Rec. Ind. Mus. 16: 49

[3] Lamnonyx mirandus: Silvestri 1919 — Rec. Ind. Mus. 16: 78 (redescription, key); fig. 21

Mecistocephalus japonicus: Chamberlin 1920a — Can. Ent. 52: 185

Brachyptyx mirandus: Chamberlin 1920a — Can. Ent. 52: 186

Mecistocephalus ( Mecistocephalus) japonicus: Attems 1929 — Tierreich 52: 139 (key)

Mecistocephalus ( Brachyptyx) mirandus: Attems 1929 — Tierreich 52: 143 (key); fig. 154, 155

Mecistocephalus japonicus: Takakuwa 1934a — Annot. Zool. Japon. 14: 363

[4] Mecistocephalus japonicus: Takakuwa 1934b — Bot. & Zool. Tokyo 2: 709 (redescription, key); fig. 5–6

Mecistocephalus japonicus: Takakuwa 1934c — Bot. & Zool. Tokyo 2: 884

[5] Mecistocephalus ( Mecistocephalus) fenestratus: Verhoeff 1934 — Zool. Jahrb. Syst. 66: 35 (original description, key); pl. 3: fig. 57 new synonymy

Mecistocephalus fenestratus: Takakuwa 1934c — Bot. & Zool. Tokyo 2: 884

Mecistocephalus mirandus: Takakuwa 1934a — Annot. Zool. Japon. 14: 363

[6] Mecistocephalus ( Brachyptyx) mirandus: Takakuwa 1934b — Bot. & Zool. Tokyo 2: 711 (redescription, key); fig. 11–12

Mecistocephalus ( Brachyptyx) mirandus: Takakuwa 1934c — Bot. & Zool. Tokyo 2: 884

Mecistocephalus japonicus: Takakuwa 1937 — Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Formosa 27: 49, 51

[7] Mecistocephalus ( Brachyptyx) fenestratus: Takakuwa 1937 — Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Formosa 27: 49 (redescription); fig. 1–2

Mecistocephalus ( Brachyptyx) mirandus: Takakuwa 1937 — Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Formosa 27: 49

Mecistocephalus ( Mecistocephalus) japonicus: Takakuwa 1938a — Annot. Zool. Japon. 17: 354

Mecistocephalus japonicus: Takakuwa 1938b — Bot. & Zool. Tokyo 6: 2030 (key)

Mecistocephalus japonicus: Takakuwa 1938d — Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Formosa 28: 281

Mecistocephalus ( Brachyptyx) fenestratus: Takakuwa 1938a — Annot. Zool. Japon. 17: 354

Mecistocephalus fenestratus: Takakuwa 1938b — Bot. & Zool. Tokyo 6: 2030 (key)

Mecistocephalus ( Brachyptyx) mirandus: Takakuwa 1938a — Annot. Zool. Japon. 17: 354

Mecistocephalus mirandus: Takakuwa 1938b — Bot. & Zool. Tokyo 6: 2030 (key)

Mecistocephalus japonicus: Takakuwa 1939 — Trans. Biogeogr. Soc. Japan 3: 123

Mecistocephalus mirandus: Takakuwa 1939 — Trans. Biogeogr. Soc. Japan 3: 123

Mecistocephalus fenestratus: Verhoeff 1939 — Zool. Jahrb. Syst. 72: 86

Mecistocephalus ( Mecistocephalus) japonicus: Takakuwa 1940 — Fauna Nippon. 9: 58

[8] Mecistocephalus ( Brachyptyx) fenestratus: Takakuwa 1940 — Fauna Nippon. 9: 59; fig. 53–55

[9] Mecistocephalus ( Brachyptyx) mirandus: Takakuwa 1940 — Fauna Nippon. 9: 55 (redescription, key); fig. 50 Mecistocephalus ( Brachyptyx) fenestratus: Takakuwa 1942b — Micron. Sci. 5: 19

[10] Mecistocephalus fenestratus: Takakuwa 1942c — Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Formosa 32: 359

Mecistocephalus ( Brachyptyx) mirandus: Takakuwa 1942b — Micron. Sci. 5: 19

Mecistocephalus japonicus: Takakuwa 1943 — Bull. Biogeogr. Soc. Japan 13: 170

Mecistocephalus ( Brachyptyx) fenestratus: Takakuwa 1943 — Bull. Biogeogr. Soc. Japan 13: 170

Mecistocephalus mirandus: Takakuwa 1943 — Bull. Biogeogr. Soc. Japan 13: 170

Mecistocephalus japonicus: Attems 1947 — Ann. Naturhistor. Mus. Wien 55: 102

Mecistocephalus ( Brachyptyx) fenestratus: Attems 1947 — Ann. Naturhistor. Mus. Wien 55: 102

Mecistocephalus ( Mecistocephalus) japonicus: Takashima 1949 — Acta Arachn.11: 12

Mecistocephalus ( Mecistocephalus) fenestratus: Takashima 1949 — Acta Arachn.11: 12

Mecistocephalus ( Brachyptyx) mirandus: Takashima 1949 — Acta Arachn.11: 12

[11] Mecistocephalus ( Mecistocephalus) japonicus: Takashima & Shinohara 1952 — Acta Arachn. 13: 7 Mecistocephalus ( Mecistocephalus) fenestratus: Takashima & Shinohara 1952 — Acta Arachn. 13: 16 (key)

[12] Mecistocephalus ( Brachyptyx) mirandus: Wang 1960 — Proc. XI Int. Congr. Ent.: 290

[13] Mecistocephalus japonicus: Shinohara 1961a — Sc. Rep. Yokosuka City Mus. 6: 76

[14] Mecistocephalus fenestratus: Shinohara 1961a — Sc. Rep. Yokosuka City Mus. 6: 76

[15] Mecistocephalus japonicus: Wang 1963 — Quart. J. Taiwan Mus. 16: 94

[16] Mecistocephalus mirandus: Wang 1963 — Quart. J. Taiwan Mus. 16: 94

[17] Mecistocephalus japonicus: Shinohara 1964a — Sci. Invest. Tanzawa Mts: 380

[18] Mecistocephalus japonicus: Shinohara 1971 — Fuji­Kyuko Tokyo: 1011

Mecistocephalus mirandus: Murakami 1975a — Bull. natn. Sci. Mus. Tokyo ser. A Zool. 1: 85

[19] Mecistocephalus japonicus: Takano 1980 — Atypus 76: 53

Mecistocephalus japonicus: Murakami 1993 — List Species Anim. Japan 5: 104

Mecistocephalus mirandus: Murakami 1993 — List Species Anim. Japan 5: 105

Mecistocephalus japonicus: Wang & Mauriès 1996 — Mém. Mus. natn. Hist. Nat. Paris 169: 89

Mecistocephalus fenestratus: Wang & Mauriès 1996 — Mém. Mus. natn. Hist. Nat. Paris 169: 89

Mecistocephalus mirandus: Wang & Mauriès 1996 — Mém. Mus. natn. Hist. Nat. Paris 169: 89

Mecistocephalus fenestratus: Shinohara 1999 — Pictorial Keys Soil Anim. Japan: 709

Mecistocephalus mirandus: Shinohara 1999 — Pictorial Keys Soil Anim. Japan: 709

Mecistocephalus mirandus: Bonato et al. 2001 — Ital. J. Zool. 68: 351

Mecistocephalus japonicus: Bonato et al. 2003 — Syst. Entom. 28: 550, 551

Mecistocephalus mirandus: Bonato et al. 2003 — Syst. Entom. 28: 550, 551

Diagnosis. A Mecistocephalus species with 63 or 65 leg­bearing segments. Body length of adults reaching 17 cm. Trunk without dark patches. Head about 1.8–2.2 times as long as wide. Clypeus about 1.9–2.2 times wider than long; clypeal ratio about 1.6–2.3. Areolate part of the clypeus without insulae, each side with 20– 30 setae. Plagulae with pore­like sensilla. Buccae without setae. Sternal sulcus not furcate.

Type material. Holotype: female, 70 mm long, probably subadult ( Meinert, 1886).

Type locality. ‘Nangasaki (Pallisen)’, Kyushu ( Meinert, 1886).

Depository of type material. Zoological Museum , University of Copenhagen .

Material examined. 16 specimens. Specimens with 63 leg­bearing segments : 2 males, adult (72 and 100 mm), 2 females, adult (104 and 100 mm), and 1 subadult ( 68 mm), from Odamiyama, Ehime Pref., Shikoku, 19. VI .1996, E. Yamamoto leg., coll. AM; 1 juvenile ( 38 mm), from Aono, Minami­Izu­Machi, Shizuoka Pref., Honshu, 26.VIII.1978, K. Ishii leg., coll. AM ; 1 male, adult ( 85 mm), from Beililungshan, Taiwan (date and collector unknown), coll. AM ; 1 male, adult ( 85 mm), from Dahanshan, Taiwan (date and collector unknown), coll. HWC ; 2 males, adult (76 and 85 mm), 1 female, adult ( 90 mm), and 1 juvenile ( 72 mm), from Lungkeng (date unknown), H.W. Chang leg., coll. AM and HWC . Specimens with 65 leg­bearing segments : 1 male and 1 female, adult (about 100 and 110 mm long, preserved in alcohol 70%) from "Great Loo­Choo" [= Okinawa, Ryukyu Ids], coll. Holst at the NHML (code 200532 and 200533) ( syntypes of Mecistocephalus mirandus Pocock, 1895 ; labelled as lectotype and paralectotype by R. E. Crabill, but not published) ; 1 female, adult ( 175 mm long), from Saimyo­dake, Kunigami­son, Okinawa, Ryukyu Ids, 1.X.1999, K. Futagami leg., coll. AM ; 1 male, adult ( 90 mm long, preserved in 70% alcohol), from Kanegusuku — SDF base, 2.7 km from prefectural road, Gushikawa­Son, Kume­Jiima Id., Okinawa pref., Ryukyu Ids, 23. II .1992, T . Tanabe leg., coll. TT.

Description. Body length of adults between about 7 and 17 cm, at least. Body colour yellow, without dark patches; head and forcipular segment darker. Head 1.8–2.2 times as long as wide; frontal line angled, with the vertex pointing backwards. Antennae 3.8–5.0 times longer than the head width. Apical sensilla about 8–10 µm long. Clypeus: width to length about 1.9–2.2; clypeal ratio about 1.6–2.3; areolate part without smooth insulae; about 20–30 setae scattered on each side, more dense in the medial part; a group of setae near the antero­external angles; plagulae bearing up to about 35 pore­like sensilla on the antero­external corner of each plagula and in the adjacent areolate part; each plagula about 2.1–2.9 times as wide as long, without setae. Labrum: anterior ala triangular, medial margin short to reduced to a vertex; posterior margin of each sidepiece straight to slightly sinuous. Spiculum present; buccae without setae. Mandible: about 10–11 lamellae; first lamella with 4–6 teeth; average intermediate lamella with 30–50 teeth; basal tooth covered with scales. First maxillae: anterior corners of coxosternum projecting; each medial projection about 1.9–2.2 times as long as wide, internal margin with many setae, distal lobe subtriangular about 1.4–1.8 times as long as wide; each telopodite about 3.1–4.0 times as long as wide, sinuate along the external margin; hyaline scales both on the internal margin of the medial projections and, smaller, on the sinus of the telopodite. Second maxillae: article I of telopodite about 3.5–3.8 times as long as wide; article III about 1.8–2.0 times as long as wide, densely covered with setae; apical claw present. Forcipular segment: width to length ratio of exposed part of coxosternum about 1.3–1.5; cerrus composed of two lateral groups of setae only; dorsal ridge of each pleuron evident, scapular point elongate; condylar process elongate, projecting in a spine. Forcipules: article I about 1.7–2.2 times as long as wide, with two subequal teeth; articles II and III with a tubercle each; tarsungulum almost smooth or with two tubercles, one dorsal to the other; poison calyx extending backwards to the distal part of the forcipular article I. A total of 63 or 65 leg­bearing segments. Sternal sulcus not furcate. Last legbearing segment: sternum subtriangular, about 1.0–1.3 times as long as wide, the posterior part much narrowed; telopodites with dense short setae on the ventral side in males, some short setae often also in females; apical spine absent.

Distribution in the considered area.

Honshu: Tsurumi (Yokohama, Kanagawa pref.) [4] (transcribed from Japanese); ‘ Gegend von Tokyo’ [= Tokyo region] [5]; Hakone (Hakone­machi, Ashigara­shimo­gun, Kanagawa pref.), Ishiyama (Otsu, Shiga pref.?), Nachi (Nachi­Katuura­cho, Higashi­Muro­gun, Wakayama pref.) [8] (transcribed from Japanese); ‘ Tokyo district’ [11]; ‘Manazuru Seashore’ [13, 14]; Dodaira, Mt. Tanzawa, ( Kanagawa pref.) [17] (transcribed from Japanese); ‘ Mt. Fuji area : Misaka hills’ [18]; ‘Yokosuka ( Kanagawa pref.)’ [19]; Aono, Shizuoka pref. (new) .

Shikoku: Imabari ( Ehime pref.) [4] (transcribed from Japanese); Niihamai ( Ehime pref.) [6] (transcribed from Japanese); Niihama; Bessi [9] (transcribed from Japanese); Odamiyama, Ehime Pref. (new).

Kyushu: ‘Nangasaki (Pallisen)’ [1]; Kumamoto ( Kumamoto pref.) (transcribed from Japanese); Mt. Hiko (Soeda­machi, Tagawa­gun, Fukuoka pref.), Oita ( Oita pref.), Shibushi (Shibushi­cho, Soo­gun, Kagoshima pref.) [8] (transcribed from Japanese) .

[4]

Ryukyu Islands : ‘Great Loo­Choo’ [= Okinawa] [2]; Amami­Oshima; Iriomote [9] (transcribed from Japanese); Saimyo­dake, Kunigami­son, Okinawa (new); Kanegusuku ­ SDF base, Kume­Jiima Id., Okinawa (new) .

Taiwan: ‘Kankan’ [3]; ‘Taiwan’ [7]; ‘ Taidong, Taidong­xian’ [8]; Taipingshan, Yilan­xian [10] (transcribed from Japanese); ‘Ilan’, ‘Fu Su Shan’, ‘Yan Ming Mountains’ [12]; ‘Sze­ling, Taipei’; ‘Ta Ping Shan’, ‘Kwei Kun Shan, Yingko’ [16]; Beililungshan (new); Dahanshan (new); Lungkeng (new).

[15]

Also reported from ‘Shushu’ [3] (location unknown).

General distribution. From Honshu to Taiwan, including Shikoku, Kyushu, and Ryukyu Islands.

Remarks. Mecistocephalus fenestratus Verhoeff, 1934 , described upon one male from Tokyo, is here recognised as a junior synonym of Mecistocephalus japonicus Meinert, 1886 , as no consistent difference among these two putative species emerge from published account nor from our observations. Some authors ( Takakuwa, 1937, 1940; Attems, 1947) already suspected this synonymy, but no one formally stated it. Therefore these two nominal species were treated up to now as different (e.g.: Takashima, 1949; Takashima & Shinohara, 1952; Shinohara, 1961a; Wang & Mauriès, 1996).

M. mirandus Pocock, 1895 , described upon two specimens from 'Great Loo­Choo' [= Okinawa], is here recognised as junior synonym of M. japonicus Meinert, 1886 . These two species have been distinguished so far based on the number of leg­bearing segments, supposed to be invariably 65 in M. mirandus and 63 in M. japonicus . After a comparative review of all available descriptions and the direct examination of four specimens with 65 trunk segments from the considered area (including the syntypes of M. mirandus ), we could not find any morphological character, other than the number of trunk segments, allowing the distinction between M. mirandus and M. japonicus . The occurrence of specimens with 63 and 65 leg­bearing segments is largerly overlapping particularly in Shikoku, Ryukyu Archipelago and Taiwan. Specimens with 63 leg pairs have been recorded also from Honshu and Kyushu, whereas specimens with 65 leg pairs have not ben recorded, so far, from those islands.