Scolopocryptops ferrugineus, Linnaeus, 1767

Schileyko, Arkady, Iorio, Etienne & Coulis, Mathieu, 2024, A synthesis on the scolopendromorph centipedes (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha) of Martinique, with description of Cryptops (Trigonocryptops) amicitia n. sp. and new data on some Neotropical scolopendromorphs, Zootaxa 5486 (4), pp. 563-599 : 589-591

Scolopocryptops ferrugineus (L., 1767)

Figs 42, 43

Locus typicus: St. Vincent Island, Lesser Antilles.

Recent material from Martinique. 1 spm, HC, Saint-Joseph , Rivière Lézarde, BN, 66 m a.s.l., lat.14,66262, long. -60,99917, leg. MC, 21.08.2019 ( CAEC, 16303) .

Additional material. Haiti Island, Dominican Republic: 1 ad. + 1 sad. ( ZMMU, Rc 6761, 6762), La Vega Province ; 1 ad. ( ZMMU, Rc 6763), Barahona Province . Jamaica: 1 juv. ( ZMMU, Rc 6765), Southern Cockpit Country ; 1 juv. ( ZMMU, Rc 6961), St. Andrew Parish . Cuba: 1 spm ( ZMMU, Rc 6345), Pinar del Río Province ; 1 sad. ( ZMMU, Rc 7054), Guantanamo Province . Brazil, Mato Grosso State, 3 sad. ( ZMMU, Rc 7175, Rc 7176) . Peru: 4 ad. + 2 juv. ( ZMMU, Rc 6690–6692), Ucayali Region ; 1 ad. + 1 sad. ( ZMMU, Rc 7366, Rc 7716), Junin Region . West Africa , Guinea, Nimba , 1 ad. ( ZMMU, Rc 7321) .

Description (based on two adults ZMMU Rc 6345). Body length up to 60 mm. Antennae of 17 articles of them 3 (dorsally) and 2 (ventrally) basal ones with some long setae; the following articles with the same long setae plus densely covered by minute setae, organized in definite longitudinal rows from articles 6–7.

Cephalic plate ( Fig. 42 ) practically as wide as long, lacking any sutures and any margination.

Second maxillae: article 2 of telopodite distally with a long, well-developed brown dorsal spur; article 3 with well-developed dorsal brush. Pretarsus thin, as long as 1/3 of pretarsus’ length; it consists of two well-distinguishable halves: a dark brown basal and much shorter apical one, which is semi-transparent, very delicate and visibly thinner than the basal one. Pretarsal accessory spines absent.

Forcipular segment ( Fig. 43 ): the first third of the coxosternite with a quite characteristic pattern, consisting of nearly complete transverse suture(s) which branch out and anastomose with an incomplete median suture (the latter may be reduced to varying degree or practically absent); chitin-lines long and well-developed. Anterior margin of forcipular coxosternite ( Fig. 43 ) with very characteristic tooth-plates (or, rather, “tooth-margin”, divided in two halves by very narrow median diastema); corresponding basal sutures well visible, forming very obtuse angle. Interior surface of tarsungula with three longitudinal ridges the median of which is sharp and visibly serrated.

Tergite 1 with semicircular anterior transverse suture plus very thin “additional” complete transverse suture in front of main transverse one; the “additional” one is covered by cephalic plate (as in S. miersii , Fig. 38 ). Tergites (5)6–21 with complete paramedian sutures; tergites from 7–9 to19–22 with incomplete (or nearly complete) lateral margination. Sternites lacking any longitudinal sutures or sulci.

Legs 1–21 with monopartite tarsus. Legs 1–21 with one tarsal spur, legs1–(18)19 with two and legs (19)20 with one tibial spur, all these spurs are cylindrical (not flattened like some tibial spurs in Newportia ); legs 1–22 with two weak pretarsal accessory spines.

Ultimate LBS: tergite 23 practically as wide as long, not marginate laterally; lateral sides not parallel to each other, posterior margin considerably convex (linguiform in the middle). Posterior margin of sternite 23 deeply concave. Coxopleuron (excluding coxopleural process) considerably longer than sternite 23 and is covered (except for corresponding process) by pores of various sizes, coxopleural process relatively short (compared to that of S. melanostoma ). Pore field visibly longer than sternite 23, size of the pores varies widely; posterior margin of corresponding pleuron with a minute (sometimes rudimentary / hardly recognizable) dorsal spine.

Ultimate legs: prefemur with the usual spinous processes—larger ventral, and remarkably smaller dorso-medial one; pretarsus with two minute accessory spines (which can be rudimentary and tightly appressed to base of pretarsus).

Range. Central America: Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador; Bahama Islands; Antilles: Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, St. Vincent, Grenadines Islands; South America: Guyana (Dunoon), “ Mexico altior” (sensu Humbert & Saussure, 1869), Venezuela, Colombia (Regions: Caribbean, Pacific, Amazonian and Andean), Peru (Regions: Ucayali, Junin, Apurimac), Ecuador (Azuay Province, Narihuina [Nariguiña] Mountain), Brazil (Mato Grosso State). West Africa ( Gabon, Liberia, Guinea and Cameroon), Central ( Congo) and South Africa ( Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe).

Remarks. We believe that there is a certain confusion concerning the validity of S. guacharensis Manfredi, 1957 which is the closest relative of S. ferrugineus . It was described originally as S. ferrugineus guacharensis and was redescribed by Chagas-Jr (2003: 31) as S. guacharensis . Therein neither key of Chagas-Jr (2003: 17), nor his descriptions (or drawings) allow separation of these two forms definitely. The only confusing “difference” between them seems be shape of the forcipular tooth-margin, which should be “rhombous [?], slightly sharp or straight; the space that separates the external tooth from the internal tooth is less than the length of two internal teeth together” ( S. ferrugineus ) vs “straight or slightly concave; the space that separates the external tooth from the internal tooth is greater or equal to the length of two internal teeth together” ( S. guacharensis ). We consider this subjective difference to be insignificant, which cannot be used for reliable identification of S. guacharensis , so we doubt a validity of this “species”. Thus the status of adult Rc 7167 (ZMMU) described in detail by Schileyko (2014: 156) as S. guacharensis from Venezuela is questionable (compare fig. 9 of Schileyko 2014 and Fig. 43 ).

S. ferrugineus was first recorded from Martinique by Marshall (1878: 37) who described it as “ Scolopocryptops Antillarum ” (synonymized under S. ferrugineus by Attems 1930: 261) collected from “rotten timber, Mt. Pelee [Pelée]”. Chagas-Jr e t al. (2014: 143) also mentioned this species from Martinique giving no other details, indicating for this species an altitudinal range from 250 to 2500 m.

We consider it important to re-describe such a widespread Neotropical species based on the typical specimens from ZMMU because the most recent (and not complete) morphological data of this species are those of Attems (1930: 261) and of Bücherl (1939: 355).

Figures

FIGURES 42, 43. Scolopocryptops ferrugineus (L., 1767). 42. General view of live specimen, dorso-laterally. Photo by Baptiste Bentameur. Rc 6345 (ZMMU). 43. Head, ventrally.

FIGURES 37–41. Scolopocryptops miersii Newport, 1845, Rc 6979 (ZMMU). 37. General view, dorsally. Scale bar: 5 mm. 38. Head + LBS 1–3, dorsally. Scale bar: 5 mm. 39. Head + LBS 1 and 2, ventrally. Scale bar: 5 mm. 40. LBS 22 and 23 + legs 22 and 23, dorsally. Scale bar: 5 mm. 41. LBS 22 and 23 + legs 21–23, ventrally. Scale bar: 5 mm.