Cryptops niloticus Lewis, 1967

Lewis, John G. E., 2011, A review of the species in the genus Cryptops Leach, 1815 from the Old World related to Cryptops (Cryptops) hortensis (Donovan, 1810) (Chilopoda, Scolopendromorpha, International Journal of Myriapodology 4, pp. 11-50 : 27

Cryptops niloticus Lewis, 1967 Figs 74-77

Cryptops niloticus Lewis, 1967 Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. 178: 201, figs 23-37.

?Cryptops niloticus : Lewis, 1969 J. Nat. Hist. 3: 461-470.

Cryptops niloticus : Zapparoli, 1990b Lav. Soc. Ital. Biogeogr. N. S. 14: 144.

Cryptops niloticus : Lewis, 1996 Fauna of Saudi Arabia 15: 146, figs 14-15.

Cryptops niloticus : Lewis, 2002 J. Nat. Hist. 36: 96, figs 44-52.

Material re-examined.

BMNH Holotype BMNH(E) 200011 Chilo 1996.9.62 Sudan 28.ix.1964. Holotype Reg. No. 1966.9.6.2. Khartoum, Sudan 28.ix.1964. Paratype Reg. No. 1966.9.6.3. Khartoum, Sudan 9.ix.1962.

Description

(Sudanese material) Length 16 (male)-20 mm (female). With dark brown subcuticular pigment. Cephalic plate without or with very short posterior paramedian sutures. Anterior margin of forcipular coxosternite typically 2+2(3) and several smaller setae some just submarginal (Fig. 74). Poison gland calyx spherical or subspherical situated in anterior region of forcipular coxosternite. Posterior margin of sternite 21 broadly rounded. Pore field occupying anterior 70% of coxopleuron with 10-25 (31)pores. With 5 setae in pore field, 3 between pore field and posterior margin on which there are 4 or 5 setae (these data from 2 specimens only). Ultimate legs with 4-7 tibial and 3 tarsal saw teeth. Pretarsi of legs 1-20 each with a single long accessory spur 54-66% of length of pretarsus.

Non-Sudanese material

The brief description of the specimens from Eritrea precludes definite confirmation of identity. They were destroyed in a fire at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. A male from the Yemen ( Lewis 1996), body length 11 mm with 2+2 large and 2+1 small submarginal coxosternal setae (Fig. 75), with only 5+5 coxopleural pores was mature. Specimens from Rodrigues, body length 13 mm, have anterior margin of coxosternite as in Fig. 76, coxopleural pores 7-11, ultimate leg with 6-7 tibial and 3-4 tarsal saw teeth. One of the three specimens had a very narrow median longitudinal glabrous area on the ultimate pretarsus. Pretarsal accessory spur 50% the length of the pretarsus (Fig. 77). Zapparoli (1990) recorded the species from Somalia.

Remarks.

Lewis (2002) gave forcipular coxosternite with 5+5 to 6+7 small to large setae in an irregular row in a diagnosis for Cryptops niloticus as opposed to coxosternite with 2+2 to 3+3 large submarginal setae for Cryptops decoratus . This distinction is difficult to maintain. The setae are likely to increase in length and number with the size of the individual and different growth pattern of different populations may lead to such differences: individuals reach a relatively large size in the Sudanese population with concomitant increase in the number of coxopleural pores. The populations identified as Cryptops niloticus from Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, Rodrigues and possibly Eritrea, I regard as conspecific with Cryptops nigropictus of which Cryptops niloticus is a junior subjective synonym (see p. 35).