Scolopocryptops brevisulcatus, Jonishi & Nakano, 2023

Jonishi, Taro & Nakano, Takafumi, 2023, Two new species of Scolopocryptops centipedes from southern Japan (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha: Scolopocryptopidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 908, pp. 155-182 : 168-174

Scolopocryptops brevisulcatus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3C9DB52B-2691-4980-B339-1B31E177F10C

Figs 9–14

Diagnosis

Antenna with sparse minute hairs and short setae on dorsal surface of basal four articles, subsequent articles densely setose. Cephalic plate with short and shallow lateral marginal sulci in posterior half. Forcipular coxosternite with anterior margin slightly bilobed but median diastema almost lacking, darkly sclerotized bands not reaching outer part of anterior margin, with a pair of almost-reduced teeth. Coxopleuron approx. 1.6–1.7 × as long as sternite 23; pleural dorsal margin slightly protruding from lateral margin of tergite 23, posterior and ventral margins forming approx. 70–80° angle; coxopleural process short.

Etymology

The specific name is derived from the Latin words ‘ brevis ’ (‘short, shallow’) and ‘ sulcus ’ (‘groove’), referring to the unapparent cephalic marginal sulcus of this new species.

We herein suggest a Japanese name for this species as ‘Kirekomi-akamukade’.

Material examined

Holotype JAPAN – Okinawa Island • ♂; Motobu, near Mt. Katsuu-dake ( Figs 1 , 9A ); 26.63157 ° N, 127.93771 ° E; 311 m alt.; 14 Jun. 2022; T. Jonishi leg.; KUZ Z4390 .

Paratypes JAPAN – Okinawa Island • 1 subadult; Kunigami, near Mt. Nishime-dake ; 26.80745 ° N, 128.26618 ° E; 298 m alt.; 4 May 2021; F. Okuyama leg.; KUZ Z4386 • 1 adult, sex undetermined; same locality as for preceding; 26.81195 ° N, 128.28415 ° E; 107 m alt.; 8 Apr. 2022; F. Okuyama leg; KUZ Z4387 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; KUZ Z4389 • 1 ♂; Kunigami, near Mt. Nishime-dake ; 26.80080 ° N, 128.27728° E; 355 m alt.; 15 Jun. 2022; T. Jonishi leg.; KUZ Z4391 • 1 subadult; Kunigami, Mt. Fuenchiji ; 26.75251 ° N, 128.24303 ° E, 384 m alt.; 16 Jun. 2022; T. Jonishi leg.; KUZ Z4392 .

Additional material

JAPAN – Okinawa Island • 1 adult, sex undetermined; same locality as for holotype; 26.63145 ° N, 127.93812 ° E; 291 m alt.; 20 Sep. 2019; T. Jonishi leg.; KUZ Z4385 • 1 subadult; same locality as for holotype; 26.63139 ° N, 127.93792° E; 307 m alt.; 14 Jun. 2022; T. Jonishi leg.; KUZ Z4388 • 1 juv.; Ogimi, near Mt. Nekumachiji ; 26.68491 ° N, 128.13430 ° E; 244 m alt.; 16 Jun. 2022; T. Jonishi leg.; KUZ Z4393 . – Izena Island • 1 ♀; Mt. Ufu-yama ; 26.94288° N, 127.92713° E; 48 m alt.; 8 Nov. 2022; Ryobu Fukuyama leg.; KUZ Z4394 .

Description of holotype [variation in other specimens given in square brackets]

Body length 58.0 mm [43.6–59.1 mm in adults] in 80% ethanol, 64.0 mm before fixation. Body color brownish red [brownish orange]; antennae, legs, and ultimate legs yellowish ( Fig. 9B ).

Antennae damaged, 13 th and subsequent articles lost [9.9 mm in length, approx. 0.2 × as long as body, composed of 17 articles in paratype KUZ Z4391]; density of setae increasing toward distal articles; basal 4 articles with sparse minute hairs (see Bonato et al. 2010) and short setae dorsally, 5 th and subsequent articles setose, 6 th –17 th articles more densely covered with setae [basal 2 articles sparsely setose, 3 rd and subsequent articles densely covered with setae in juvenile KUZ Z4393; 4 th article moderately setose, 5 th –17 th articles more densely covered with setae in subadults] ( Fig. 10A ). Cephalic plate as long as wide, sides converging anteriorly ( Figs 10B , 11A ); its surface finely punctate [minute setae on each punctum present in juvenile and subadults]; short and shallow lateral marginal sulci present in posterior half [marginal sulci absent in juvenile and subadults] ( Figs 10B , 11A ).

Second maxillae article 2 with elongated and semi-transparent dorsal spur distally; dorsal brush without transparent margin ( Fig. 11B–C ); pretarsus consisting of dark brown basal and semi-transparent short apical parts ( Fig. 11B–C ). Forcipular coxosternite and trochanteroprefemora sparsely punctate, coxosternite without sutures ( Fig. 11D ); forcipular trochanteroprefemur with small and blunt black process, with apparent basal suture ( Figs 11D , 12 ); anterior margin of coxosternite almost straight and slightly bilobed but median diastema almost lacking; darkly sclerotized bands not reaching outer part of anterior margin of coxosternite; a pair of teeth almost reduced, forming antero-lateral corner of sclerotized bands [teeth on anterior margin prominent in juvenile and subadults] ( Figs 11D–E , 12 ).

Tergites finely punctate; tergite 1 with anterior transverse suture, anterior margin covered by cephalic plate ( Figs 11A , 13A ). Paramedian sutures present on tergites 2–22, lateral marginations complete on tergites 6–21 ( Fig. 13A ).

Sternites lacking paramedian sutures, finely punctate ( Fig. 13B ); sternites 2–20 with shallow longitudinal sulcus and slight median depression ( Fig. 13B ), both shallower and unapparent on anterior sternites. Sternite 23 damaged, right posterior margin lost [sides of sternite 23 converging posteriorly, posterior margin slightly concave in paratype KUZ Z4387 and other specimens] ( Fig. 13C ).

Spiracles ovoid, present on leg-bearing segments 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22.

Legs lacking setae; tarsi of legs 1–21 undivided; legs 1–19 with lateral and ventral tibial spurs and tarsal spur, legs 20 and 21, respectively, with tibial spur and tarsal spur; leg 22 without spurs. All legs with two accessory spines.

Coxopleuron approx. 1.7 × [1.6–1.7 ×] as long as sternite 23 ( Fig. 13D ). Dorsal margin of ultimate pleuron slightly protruding from lateral side of tergite 23 ( Fig. 13D–E ), posterior margin with minute dark spine ( Fig. 13D ). Posterior and ventral margins of coxopleuron converging posteriorly, forming approx. 70° [70–80°] angle ( Fig. 13D ); coxopleural process short, tip of process broken [tip of process pointed, slightly directed dorsally in KUZ Z4387] ( Fig. 13D ). Surface of coxopleuron without setae, covered with coxal pores of various size; coxopleural process and dorso-posterior area of coxopleuron poreless ( Fig. 13D ).

Ultimate leg 15.3 mm in length, 0.26 × as long as body; all articles lacking setae ( Fig. 14A ); prefemur with two conical and pointed spinose processes, ventral process large, dorso-medial one minute; pretarsus with two accessory spines.

Genital segments occupying approx. ½ length of sternite 23. Sternite of genital segment 1 with sparse minute setae; posterior margin weakly convex ( Fig. 14B ). Sternite of genital segment 2 well developed, covered with sparse minute setae; posterior part of genital segment 2 overlapped by anal valves, penis not visible in ventral view ( Fig. 14B ); lamina subanalis situated between genital segment 2 and anal valves ( Fig. 14B ) [in female paratype KUZ Z4389, genital segment 1 as described for holotype, genital segment 2 absent; lamina subanalis situated between genital segment 1 and anal valves] ( Fig. 14C ).

Remarks

This species has previously been identified as S. elegans (e.g., Ômine 1987, 2002) and S. curtus ( Omine & Ito 1998) and is quite similar to S. miyosii sp. nov. (see above). However, S. brevisulcatus sp. nov. can be distinguished by the combination of the following features: basal 4 antennal articles of adults with sparse setae ( Fig. 10A ) (vs only basalmost article sparsely setose or all articles densely setose in S. elegans , and basal 2 or 3 articles with sparse setae in S. miyosii ), the presence of short sulci along the lateral margin of the cephalic plate in adults ( Fig. 10B ) (vs sulci absent in S. curtus ), the anterior margin of coxosternite almost lacking median diastema ( Figs 11D , 12A ) (vs median diastema apparent in S. elegans , S. miyosii , and S. curtus ), the sclerotized bands of coxosternite not reaching outer part of anterior margin ( Figs 11D , 12A ) (vs sclerotized bands almost reaching outer part in S. elegans and S. miyosii ), the almost-reduced teeth on coxosternite ( Figs 11D , 12A ) (vs teeth prominent in S. miyosii ), the dorsal margin of the ultimate pleuron protruding from the lateral margin of tergite 23 ( Fig. 13E ) (vs dorsal margin flattened in S. curtus ) and the short coxopleural process ( Fig. 13D ) (vs the process moderately long in S. elegans ) (see Table 3).

Distribution

Known from Okinawa Island and its adjacent islet (Izena Island), Ryukyu Islands.

Figures

Fig. 9. Scolopocryptops brevisulcatus sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (KUZ Z4390) and habitat at the type locality. A. Habitat (laurel tree forest) on Okinawa Island. B. Live specimen, dorsal view. Scale bar = 10 mm.

Fig. 10. Scolopocryptops brevisulcatus sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (KUZ Z4390). A. Basal articles of left antenna, dorsal view. B. Cephalic plate, dorsal view; arrowhead indicates left cephalic marginal sulcus. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 11. Scolopocryptops brevisulcatus sp. nov. A–D. Holotype, ♂ (KUZ Z4390). E. Paratype, subadult, sex undetermined (KUZ Z4386). A. Cephalic plate and tergite 1, dorsal view. B. Distal part of article 2, article 3, and pretarsus of left second maxilla, medial view. C. Article 3 and pretarsus of left second maxilla, lateral view. D–E. Head, ventral view. Abbreviations: am = anterior margin of forcipular coxosternite; bs = basal suture on forcipular trochanteroprefemoral process; db = dorsal brush on article 3 of second maxilla; ds = dorsal spur on article 2 of second maxilla; pt = pretarsus of second maxilla; ptr = process of forcipular trochanteroprefemur; t = tooth on anterior margin of forcipular coxosternite. Scale bars: A, D–E = 1 mm; B–C = 0.2 mm.

Fig. 12. Scolopocryptops brevisulcatus sp. nov. A. Holotype, ♂ (KUZ Z4390). B. Paratype, subadult, sex undetermined (KUZ Z4386). Forcipules and forcipular coxosternite, ventral view. Abbreviations: am = anterior margin of forcipular coxosternite; bs = basal suture on forcipular trochanteroprefemoral process; md = median diastema; op = outer part of anterior margin of forcipular coxosternite; ptr = process of forcipular trochanteroprefemur; t = tooth on anterior margin of forcipular coxosternite. Scale bars: A = 1 mm; B = 0.2 mm.

Fig. 13. Scolopocryptops brevisulcatus sp. nov. A–B, D–E. Holotype, ♂ (KUZ Z4390). C. Paratype, sex undetermined (KUZ Z4387). A. Cephalic plate and tergites 1–8, dorsal view. B. Sternites 10–17, ventral view.C. Sternite 23, ventral view. D. Right coxopleuron, lateral view. E. Tergite 23, dorsal view. Abbreviations: cxp = coxopleural process; dm = dorsal margin of ultimate pleuron; mds = minute dark spine on ultimate pleuron; tm = tergal margination; tps = tergal paramedian suture. Scale bars: A–B = 5 mm; C–E = 1 mm.

Fig. 14. Scolopocryptops brevisulcatus sp. nov. A–B. Holotype, ♂ (KUZ Z4390). C. Paratype, ♀ (KUZ Z4389). A. Right ultimate leg, lateral view. B. Male genital segments, lamina subanalis, and anal valves, ventral view. C. Female genital segment, lamina subanalis, and anal valves, ventral view. Abbreviations: av = anal valve; ls = lamina subanalis; sgs I = sternite of genital segment 1; sgs II = sternite of genital segment 2. Scale bars: A = 2 mm; B–C = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 1. Map showing the collection localities of Scolopocryptops elegans (Takakuwa, 1937), S. miyosii sp. nov., S. brevisulcatus sp. nov., and S. curtus (Takakuwa, 1939) in the present study and Jonishi & Nakano (2022).Orange circles:S. elegans; pink diamonds:S. miyosii sp. nov.; red squares:S. brevisulcatus sp. nov.; yellow triangles: S. curtus; black triangles: localities of the sequence data of S. curtus obtained from INSD (see Table 1). Shapes with two lines indicate the type localities of each species (S. curtus from its type locality was not examined). Locality numbers (E1–E5, M1–M5, B1–B4, C1 and C2) are shown in Fig. 2 and Table 1.