Mecistocephalus momotoriensis Takakuwa, 1938

Published, First, 2007, The Mecistocephalidae of the Japanese and Taiwanese islands (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha), Zootaxa 1396, pp. 1-84 : 32-34

Mecistocephalus momotoriensis Takakuwa, 1938

Figs. 40–42

[1] Mecistocephalus momotoriensis: Takakuwa 1938c — Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Formosa 28: 8 (original description); fig. 1–4

Mecistocephalus (Mecistocephalus) momotoriensis: Takakuwa 1938a — Annot. Zool. Japon. 17: 354 Mecistocephalus momotoriensis: Takakuwa 1938d — Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Formosa 28: 281, 283

Mecistocephalus (Mecistocephalus) momotoriensis: Takakuwa 1940 — Fauna Nippon. 9: 74 (key); fig. 74–75 Mecistocephalus (Mecistocephalus) momotoriensis: Takakuwa 1942b — Micron. Sci. 5: 18, 21 (key) Mecistocephalus momotoriensis: Verhoeff 1942 — Zool. Anz. 137: 52

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

Mecistocephalus momotoriensis: Attems 1947 — Ann. Naturhistor. Mus. Wien 55: 96 (key)

Mecistocephalus (Mecistocephalus) momotoriensis: Takashima 1949 — Acta Arachn. 11: 13

Mecistocephalus momotoriensis: Shinohara 1961b — Zool. Mag. Tokyo 70: 215

Mecistocephalus momotoriensis: Takano 1980 — Atypus 76: 53

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

Diagnosis. A Mecistocephalus species with 45 leg­bearing segments. Each clypeal plagula about 2.7 times as wide as long. Posterior ala of the labrum subtriangular. Forcipular article I with two teeth, one distal to the other.

Type material. Holotype: sex not stated, 35 mm long ( Takakuwa, 1938c), probably subadult.

Type locality. ‘Momotori’, Toshi Id., Honshu ( Takakuwa, 1938c).

Depository of type material. The holotype is probably lost (see Discussion).

Material examined. None.

Description. Body length reaching at least 3.5 cm. Body colour brownish­yellow, head and forcipular segment darker. Head about 1.5 times as long as wide; frontal line rounded. Clypeus: clypeal ratio about 1.0; areolate part without smooth insulae, each side with 3 setae, close to the medial line; plagulae without evident sensilla or setae, each plagula about 2.7 times as wide as long. Labrum: anterior ala subtrapezoidal, its medial margin shorter than the external margin and about one half of the length of the medial margin of the posterior ala; posterior ala subtriangular, with the external margin reduced to a vertex. Spiculum small, buccae with setae in the posterior half only. Mandible: about 5 lamellae; first lamella with about 5 teeth; average intermediate lamella with about 8 teeth. First maxillae: anterior corners of coxosternum not projecting. Second maxillae: telopodite with one apical claw. Forcipules: article I about 1.7 times as long as wide, with two teeth similar in size; articles II and III each with a tooth; tarsungulum with a small basal tooth; poison calyx extending to the distal part of the article I. A total of 45 leg­bearing segments. Ratio between the length of the first leg and the length of the second about 0.7. Sternal sulcus not furcate. Last leg­bearing segment: sternum as long as wide, trapezoidal.

Distribution in the considered area.

Honshu: ‘Momotori, Toshi Id.’ [1] (type locality).

General distribution. Only known from the type locality.

Remarks. The immature status of the holotype was inferred from its small size, the presence of only about 15 pores on each coxopleuron, the evidence of anal pores and the fact that Takakuwa did not assess the sex of the specimen ( Takakuwa, 1938c: 9).