Cryptops

Schileyko, Arkady A. & Stoev, Pavel E., 2016, Scolopendromorpha of New Guinea and adjacent islands (Myriapoda, Chilopoda), Zootaxa 4147 (3), pp. 247-280 : 262-264

Subgenus Cryptops s.str.

Type-species. Cryptops hortensis (Donovan, 1810) (by monotypy).

Range. All tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions.

8. Cryptops (C.) doriae Pocock, 1891 Figs 40–44

Cryptops (C.) doriae: Lewis, 1999: 20 ;

Cryptops (C.) doriae: Lewis, 2007: 15 ; Cryptops (C.) doriae: Schileyko, 2007: 86 ; Cryptops (C.) doriae: Lewis, 2013: 12 .

Material. E Indonesia, West Papua Province, leg. DT: 1 ad + 1 sad [spm 3, СDT; spm 4, No. 7516; in both no ult.legs], S Bird’s Neck, Kaimana 47 km E, Triton bay, Kamaka (former Warika) village env., lake Kamakawalar and surroundings, 03°46’22”S , 134°12’02”E, 60–310 m, primeval lowland rainforest on limestone, 08.09.2010; 1 ad [spm 7, No. 7517], Doberai [= Bird’s Head] Peninsula, Arfak mts, Anggi Gigi Lake S env., Uper vill. & surroundings , 1°18’09”S, 135°54’07”E, 1890–2100 m, primary mid montane rainforest, 08.09.2015. Papua New Guinea , Western Province, [West Sepik District]: 1 sad + 1 juv [spm 1, 2], Mt. Fugilil , 2980 m, 29.09.1975, leg. PB , No. 10 804 in NMNHS; 1 juv [spm 6], Mt. Fugilil , the top, 3150 m, 29.08.1975, leg. PB , No . 10 805 in NMNHS; 1 juv [spm 5; no ult. legs], Bahrman Mts., from Finim Tel [Plateau] to the pass , 2260–2600 m, BSE [?], 1975, leg. PB & Ph. Chapman , No. 10 806 in NMNHS.

Description of spm 1 (data on spm 2 in square brackets, when relevant).

17 antennomeres. Head capsule with very subtle (hardly recognizable at x87.5) but complete paramedian sutures [with half-complete paramedian sulci?] which clearly diverging from heads posterior margin; the latter is covered by tergite 1 ( Fig. 40). Clypeus anteriorly with 2 setae ( Fig. 41), without setose clypeal plates sensu Lewis (2005) (= they are not recognizable at x87.5).

Tergites 1–2 without sutures and sulci ( Fig. 40), tergites 4–6(7) with incomplete paramedian sutures posteriorly, from tergites (7)8 these sutures become complete [tergites from 3 with well-developed complete paramedian sutures]. Sternites with median and transverse sutures equally developed in the anterior body half, without any trigonal sutures (sensu Lewis 2005).

Tarsi of legs undivided, pretarsus with 2 small accessory spines.

Small pore field approximately as long as ½ of coxopleuron. Femur of left ultimate leg with 1 saw tooth, femur of right one without [present on both femora]; tibia with four and tarsus 1 with two saw teeth (as ultimate legs of spm 1 are somewhat contorted we present a picture of spm 7 which has tibia with five and tarsus 1 with three saw teeth, Fig. 42). Prefemora, femora and tibiae of ultimate legs with paired apical dorso-distal teeth (“Endz ӓhne” sensu Attems (1930)).

Range. Myanmar, E Nepal (Sagarmatha National Park), W Nepal (Poon-Hill Ridge) , India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia (Tanah Rata), Indonesia (Java and Sumatra) , Tonga Islands ( Niuafo’ou Island ), the Seychelles ( Schileyko (2007), updated; Lewis (2013)). Introduced into UK . To the above list we add also SW Australia (Collie), the Philippines ( Luzon Island , Batad), E Indonesia and Papua New Guinea .

Schileyko (2007: 88) recorded 1 exemplar of C. doriae (No. 6507) from “Pacific Ocean, Luisiade Archipelago near New Guinea, Niuafoou Isl.” following the original label, which read as “Niuafoou, Louisiade Archipelago”. In fact Niuafo’ou Island belongs to the Tonga Islands, so Louisiade Archipelago should be excluded from the species range.

Variability. Studied specimens conform well to the description above, but only spm 1 has head capsule with well defined paramedian sutures.

Spm 3–5, 7 have three setae at the place of setose clypeal plates. In general, the studied specimens have anterior margin of forcipular coxosternite with 2+2 submarginal setae.

In adult spm 3, 7 and two additional specimens from Tonga and Philippines (No. 6507, 7493) pretarsal accessory spines of both legs and ultimate legs are not visible at x87.5 ( Fig. 42).

Specimens 1–6 as well as the Australian one (No. 137 in NHMW) show no traces of dark pigmentation ( Fig. 40) at tergites and pleurites, which fact cannot be explained by discoloration in alcohol, as our specimens are quite “fresh-collected”. In specimen 7 and two other additional specimens (No. 7124, 7493) this pigmentation welldeveloped ( Fig. 43).

In general, the sternal “cruciform” sutures are equally developed ( Fig. 44), but in spm 5 the transverse suture seems to be more sclerotised than the median one.

Remarks. Paramedian sutures of head capsule, which are very hardly visible only in spm 1, are not typical for this species but according to all other characters this specimen is also a typical C. doriae .

In the studied specimens (as well as in No. 137 in NHMW) the tarsus of legs is not (or not definitely) divided in tarsus 1 and 2, this division being found instead in numerous Vietnamese specimens described by Schileyko (2007). So we confirm Lewis’ (2009) statement that this character (mono- vs bipartite leg tarsus) is quite subjective. We regard this character as not reliable as diagnostic for C. doriae and related species (i.e. C. nepalensis Lewis, 1999 , C. niuensis Chamberlin, 1920 , etc). See also Remarks to C. nepalensis below.

In C. doriae the pretarsal accessory spines of both legs and ultimate legs may be absent, so this character should not be used as diagnostic.