Strigamia ziyunensis Jiang & Yu, 2025

Yu, Yifei, You, Chunxue & Jiang, Chao, 2025, Taxonomy of the Strigamia centipedes from the East Asian mainland (Geophilomorpha, Geophilidae), Zoosystematics and Evolution 101 (4), pp. 2065-2101 : 2065-2101

Strigamia ziyunensis Jiang & Yu sp. nov.

Figs 1 L , 14

Material examined.

Holotype. China • ♂ ( CMMI 20231221003 D ), Guizhou Province, Ziyun Miao and Bouyei Autonomous County, Maoying Town, Huangsandong Cave ( 25.8798°N, 106.0760°E), 1168 m asl., 21. xii. 2023, leg. Chao Jiang .

Paratypes. 2 ♂♂ ( CMMI 20231221001 D – 002 D), same as holotype .

Other materials.

China • 1 ♂ 2 ♀♀ ( CMMI 20231221006 D , 20231221004 D – 005 D), Guizhou Province, Ziyun Miao and Bouyei Autonomous County, Tianba Grand Cave ( 25.9324°N, 50.7507°E), 1230 m asl., 21. xii. 2023, leg. Chao Jiang .

Diagnosis.

Body length reaching at least 19 mm; number of leg-bearing segments usually 47–57; with transverse suture on the cephalic plate; cephalic pleurite evidently with sparse setae; with 25 pectinate hyaline teeth in the mandible; anterior margin of the second maxillae coxosternite deeply concave; telopodite longer than coxal projection of the first maxillae; denticle of the tarsungulum sub-triangular; internal margin uniformly curved moderately concave and converging uniformly to the external margin; calyx of poison gland ca. 2.3 times as long as wide, situated in the distal half of trochanteroprefemur; metasternites with dense setae of various sizes; pore-fields not on the anterior part; metasternites without mid-longitudinal deep sulcus; distinct sulcus separating pretergite and intercalary pleurites of the ultimate leg-bearing segment; metasternite of the ultimate leg-bearing segment smooth, with no concave on each side; coxal pores at least 8 on each coxopleuron, distinctly aggregated close to the lateral margins of the metasternite.

Description.

General features. Body 19–34 ( ♀), 28–40 ( ♂) mm long; with 45–57 ( ♀), 55 ( ♂) leg-bearing segments; narrowing forward and towards the posterior tip. Color (in ethanol 75 %) orange-yellow; forcipules darker.

Cephalic capsule (Fig. 14 A, C ) sub-quadratic; ca. 1.0–1.1 times as wide as long; all margins convex; areolation uniform on the entire surface, less sclerotized along a distinct transverse suture; setae arranged scattered. Clypeus with rather uniform areolation; sclerotized along the anterior margin and a median triangular area; fading close to the labrum and the paraclypeal sutures; 4 post-antennal setae aligned on the anterior part of the clypeus, grouped in the medial part. Labrum slightly projecting backwards medially, without distinct mid-piece; marginal denticles absent, with two unordered rows of long slender hyaline filaments along the entire labral margin and further rows of shorter filaments behind.

Antennae (Fig. 14 B ) almost uniform in width; ca. 3.3 times as long as the width of the head. Basal articles only slightly more elongated (article II ca. 0.9 times as long as wide); distal articles stouter (article XIII ca. 0.8 times as long as wide); article XIV ca. 2 times as long as wide. Setae gradually denser and shorter from the basal articles to the distal ones. Articles I – IX with three basal whorled long setae along with numerous short setae; remaining articles equipped solely with short setae.

Mandible (Fig. 14 D ) with a single pectinate lamella with ca. 25 hyaline teeth.

First maxillae (Fig. 14 E ). Coxosternite entire; uniformly areolate; without lappets; 3 + 2 setae on anterior middle part. Coxal projection sub-triangular; about as wide as long; ventral side with 3 + 3 small setae and 2 + 2 long setae on distal half; dorsal surface with numerous small sensilla on distal half. Telopodite longer than the coxal projection; distinctly articulated; without lappets; ventral side with 4 + 5 long setae on distal half; dorsal surface with numerous small sensilla on distal half.

Second maxillae (Fig. 14 E ). Coxosternite entire; uniformly areolate; anterior margin deeply concave; 2 + 2 small setae close to the anterior margin. Telopodite composed of three articles; gradually narrowing towards the tip; claws simple; almost straight and gradually tapering on the telopodite.

Forcipular segment (Fig. 14 F ). Tergite sub-trapezoid; with lateral margins convex and subparallel; ca. 2.9 times as wide as long. Coxosternite ca. 1.8 times as wide as long on exposed part; anterior margin projecting with respect to its condyles; anterior border slightly concave medially; coxopleural sutures strongly converging backward. Trochanteroprefemur ca. 1.3 times as wide as long; basal distance between trochanteroprefemora ca. 0.4 times of their basal breadth. Forcipular intermediate articles with slight projections. Tarsungulum ca. 2.2 times as long as wide. Basal denticle of tarsungulum sub-triangular, with distal margin distinctly convex, basal margin straight to slightly bulging and ca. 0.3 times as long as the basal breadth of the tarsungulum. Distal part of the tarsungulum uniformly tapering, its internal margin uniformly curved moderately concave and converging uniformly to the external margin. Calyx of poison gland ca. 2.3 times as long as wide, situated in the distal half of trochanteroprefemur.

Leg-bearing segments (Fig. 14 G ). Tergite 1 wider than metatergite 2; lateral margins converging backward. Metasternites sub-rectangular; without a deeply mid-longitudinal sulcus. Posterior pair of sub-ovoid pore-fields present in all metasternites from 1 to penultimate. Pore-fields present also on all procoxae and metacoxae from 1 to penultimate. Legs 1 smaller than the others; pretarsus claw-like, reaching ca. 1 / 5 of the length of the tarsus.

Ultimate leg-bearing segment (Fig. 14 H – K ). Pretergite and intercalary pleurites separated by distinct sulcus; pretergite ca. 2.3–3.0 ( ♀), 3.3–3.5 ( ♂) times as wide as long on exposed part. Metatergite ca. 1.2–1.3 ( ♀), 1.3 ( ♂) times as wide as long; shield-shaped. Metasternite sub-trapezoid to sub-cordiform; ca. 1.3 ( ♂), 1.6 ( ♀) times as wide as long; lateral margins slightly concave to nearly straight, strongly narrowing backwards; posterior margin ca. 0.2 times as wide as anterior margin; with sparse setae of various sizes. Coxal pores 10–13 ( ♀), 8–9 ( ♂) on each coxopleuron; opening nearly congruently; all coxal pores distinctly aggregated close to the lateral margins of the metasternite and some of them covered by that; diameter of the coxal pores similar to that of the respective ducts; male setae slightly denser close to the ventral posterior edge of the coxopleuron, female sparse. Ultimate leg ca. 0.9 times as long as penultimate leg, male distinctly swollen, ventral and lateral sides with very dense setae, female sparse. Ultimate pretarsus a claw; ca. 0.2 ( ♂), 0.3 ( ♀) times as long as tarsus.

Postpedal segments (Fig. 14 H, J ). Male: intermediate sternite distinct and exposed; first genital sternite separated from pleurites by distinct sutures; gonopods bi-articulate, with setae; penis conical; anal pores present. Female: intermediate sternite indistinct, medially not exposed; first genital pleurosternite ca. 3.2–4.8 times as wide as long, posterior margin slightly concave, uniformly with sparse setae; gonopods lamina not distinctly bilobate, with sparse setae; anal pores indistinct.

Etymology.

Latin: ziyunensis = Ziyun. The specific epithet refers to its type locality Ziyun Miao and Bouyei Autonomous County. We suggest the Chinese common name as “ 紫云地蜈蚣 ”.

Remarks.

This new species resembles S. svenhedini ( Verhoeff, 1933) in its coxal pore distribution; the coxal pores cluster into a single group on the metasternite of the ultimate leg-bearing segment. However, S. svenhedini ( Verhoeff, 1933) has the largest number of posterior coxal pores on each coxopleuron, which are distinctly displaced from all other pores ( Verhoeff 1933: fig. 16), allowing it to be distinguished from S. ziyunensis sp. nov.

Distribution.

China ( Guizhou Province).

Figures

Figure 1. Forcipular segments of Strigamia spp. (A – M). A. S. svenhedini (Verhoeff, 1933) (spm. CMMI 20220903086); B. S. japonica (Verhoeff, 1935) (spm. CMMI 20231128001 D); C. S. tenuiungulata (Takakuwa, 1938) (spm. CMMI 20230414002 D); D. S. bicolor Shinohara, 1981 (spm. CMMI 20210227106); E. S. platydentata Shinohara, 1981 (spm. CMMI 20210702003 D); F. S. korsosi Bonato, Bortolin, Drago, Orlando, Dányi, 2017 (spm. CMMI 20191031044); G. S. laterisetosa sp. nov., holotype; H. S. longiglanda sp. nov., holotype; I. S. dianguiensis sp. nov., holotype; J. S. obliquidentata sp. nov., holotype; K. S. xizangensis sp. nov., paratype; L. S. ziyunensis sp. nov., holotype; M. S. asiatica sp. nov., holotype. N, O. live specimens of S. laterisetosa (Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China; photo by Chao Jiang). Scale bars: 250 μm (A – M).

Figure 14. Strigamia ziyunensis sp. nov. A. Cephalic plate, dorsal; B. Left antenna, ventral; C. Anterior part of cephalic capsule, ventral (forcipules, maxillae and mandibles removed); D. Mandible; E. Maxillary complex, ventral (setae on right part omitted); F. Forcipular segment, ventral (venom canal drawn with dashed lines); G. Sternum of leg-bearing segment, ventral (setae on right part omitted); H. Posterior end of body in adult male, ventral (setae on right coxopleuron and ultimate leg omitted); I. Ditto, dorsal (setae on left coxopleuron and ultimate leg omitted); J. Posterior end of body in adult female, ventral (setae on left coxopleuron and ultimate leg omitted); K. Ditto, dorsal (legs partially omitted). Areolation drawn in part in C – E. Specimens: A – I, holotype; other material (I – J), ♀ (CMMI 20231221005 D). Scale bars: 250 μm.