Otostigmus moluccanus Chamberlin, 1914

Lewis, J. G. E., 2002, A re-examination of 11 species of Otostigmus from the Indo- Australian region described by R. V. Chamberlin based on type specimens in the collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard (Chilopoda; Scolopendromorpha; Scolopendridae), Journal of Natural History 36 (14), pp. 1687-1706 : 1695

Otostigmus moluccanus Chamberlin, 1914

(gures 23–25)

Otostigmus moluccanus Chamberlin, 1914: 388 , gures 6, 7.

Otostigmus (O.) moluccanus: Attems, 1930: 142 .

Material examined

Holotype labelled 1133. Otostigmus moluccanus . Moluccas: Ternate, Thomas Barber coll. 1906–1907.

Description

(Chamberlin’s data in parentheses where appropriate). (Length 20 mm.) Head capsule very nely punctate. Antennomeres 181 18, the basal two and a quarter to two and a third glabrous (2 to 2.25).

Forcipular coxosternal with 31 3 principal teeth, comprising an isolated outer and two almost completely fused inner teeth on each side, each outer tooth with a small subsidiary tooth (gure 23). Process of femoroid with one inner tooth. Tergites marginate from 7, a trace on 6 (from third to fth caudad margined). A very weak median ridge from 6. Paramedian sutures from 5, the lateral region slightly corrugated on posterior tergites (plates in caudal region weakly scabrous). Tergite 21 with very weak posterior median depression.

Paramedian sutures occupying anterior two-thirds to three-quarters of sternites in mid-body region, the mid-part in a sulcus (gure 24). A weak median longitudinal depression from 6 to12 and a small round median posterior depression from 8 to 19. Sternite 21 with sides converging posteriorly with concave posterior margin and very weak posterior median depression (gure 25).

Both coxopleural processes with ends missing (gure 25). The left with three lateral and one dorsal spine, the right with one lateral spine (three lateral, one dorsal, the process ending in two points). End legs wanting.

Most trunk legs missing (only the rst ve pairs of legs with two tarsal spines).

Remarks

The small size and low number of coxopleural pores suggest that this is an immature specimen. It lacks end legs. Chamberlin stated that it was nearest to O. punctiventer (Tömösváry, 1885) but this has very short sternite paramedian sutures. In Chamberlin’s specimen they occupy two-thirds to three-quarters in the mid-body region. In O. astenus the sternite paramedian sutures occupy the anterior third to a half on posterior sternites but are longer in small specimens ( Lewis, 2000). O. moluccanus may well be an immature O. astenus . It is not suYciently distinct to merit speci c status and is here regarded as a nomen dubium.