Odontopeltis, POCOCK, 1894

Pena-Barbosa, João P. P., Sierwald, Petra & Brescovit, Antonio D., 2013, On the largest chelodesmid millipedes: taxonomic review and cladistic analysis of the genus Odontopeltis Pocock, 1894 (Diplopoda; Polydesmida; Chelodesmidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 169 (4), pp. 737-764 : 754-755

GENUS ODONTOPELTIS POCOCK, 1894

Rhacophorus Koch, 1847 , 59: 137. Type species Polydesmus conspersus Perty, 1833 , by subsequent designation of Pocock, 1909: 168. Pre-occupied by Rhacophorus Kuhl & van Hasselt, 1822 , Amphibia . Neave, 4: 30; Jeekel, 1970: 284; Hoffman, 1980: 151.

Odontotropis Humbert & deSaussure, 1869: 152 . Type species Polydesmus (Odontotropis) clarazianus Humbert & deSaussure, 1869 , by monotypy. Preoccupied by Odontotropis Agassiz, 1846 , Mollusca. Attems, 1898: 408. Neave 3: 389, Neave 5: 180; Jeekel, 1970: 276; Hoffman, 1980: 151.

Odontopeltis Pocock, 1894: 509 . New name for Rhacophorus . Silvestri, 1895a: 769, with type species Polydesmus conspersus , by direct substitution, see Rhacophorus . Silvestri, 1895b: 3; Pocock, 1909: 168; Neave 3, 386; Jeekel, 1970: 275; Hoffman, 1980: 151; Hoffman, 1981a: 55 (revalidation of the genus name).

Storthotropis Attems, 1938: 200 . New name for Odontotropis Humbert & deSaussure, 1869 , with type species Polydesmus clariazianus , by direct substitution, Odontotropis . Hoffman, 1980: 151 (synonymized with Odontopeltis ); Neave 5: 259; Schubart, 1949: 18; Jeekel, 1970: 289.

Diagnosis: Males and females of Odontopeltis differ from other chelodesmid genera by the oval-shaped Tömösváry organ (character 3, Fig. 7A ) and by the flat ozopore rim ( Fig. 14B ). Males of the genus differ from other Chelodesmidae by the following unique characters: absence of prefemoral processes, solenomere sickle-shaped ( Fig. 4B ) and laminar ( Fig. 4A , mesal view). Acropodite with two apical processes, process A and process B, in addition to the solenomere; process B two times as long as process A; two macrobristles demarcate distal end of the prefemoral region ( Fig. 4B ); prefemoral region two to three times as long as the femoral region; spermatic groove straight in femoral region (mesal view), turning ectally in the solenomere. Females differ from those of all other genera in this data set, except Rondonaria and Macrocoxodesmus marcusi ( Macrocoxodesmus marcusi , vulva of female unknown), by the short cyphopod, without apical elongation ( Fig. 53 ). This same feature is observed in females of Rondonaria , which differ from Odontopeltis by the posterior opening of the cyphopod in the former.

Description: Body length between 80 mm ( Odontopeltis conspersus ) and 107 mm ( Odontopeltis giganteus ). Head: face with three rows of bristles ( Fig. 6 ). Antenna: distal antennomere with modified bristles arranged in patches, bristles with a median projection ( Fig. 58 ); very small spines on the ectal side. Body rings: integument with small tubercles on the metazonite ( Fig. 57 ), without bristles. Coloration: animals preserved in alcohol range from black, red to white. Living specimens black with yellow paranota ( Fig. 1 ). Collum: anterior border arched and posterior border straight. Sternite of body rings 5 and 6 with two or four ventral projections ( Figs 17, 18 ), respectively. Ozopore arrangement: 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15–19; ozopores surrounded by peritremata. Paranota: prominent and long, covering half of the legs. The first four body rings, body rings 18 and 19 with simple paranota without projections. Paranota of body rings 5 to 17 with teeth-like projections ( Figs 15, 16 ), varying between the species. Body rings with ozopores show a prominent projection owing to the presence of peritrema. The species-specific teeth-projection formula of the paranota follows Schubart (1949), e.g.: 0-0-0-0-2-2-3-2-3-3-2-3-3-2-3-3- 3-0-0 ( Odontopeltis conspersus ). Legs: pregonopodal legs without modifications, but with higher concentration of bristles than on posterior legs. Telson: triangular, with five pairs of macrobristles on the dorsal side and two pairs in the apical region.

Male characters: Gonopore: coxae of second pair of legs ventrally elongated, sclerotized, the conical projection bearing an apical pore.

Gonopod opening on seventh body ring: trapezoidal, with a depression on the posterior edge and a membranous support basis of the gonopod.

Gonopods: cylindrical, projecting anteriorly; coxae with or without spiniform process. Spermatic groove always on the mesal side of the gonopod. Prefemoral region covered by bristles, with an angular basal projection (BPPf). Prefemoral process absent. Prefemoral region two or three times as long as femoral region. Femoral region without bristles; with three apical projections. Process B pointing dorsally; process A varying in direction. Solenomere sickle- shaped, with a median projection ( Fig. 43 ). Spermatic opening with many internal spine-shaped projections ( Fig. 41 ).

Female characters: Cyphopods: oval-shaped cyphopod located right behind the second pair of legs on the second body ring. Composed of two valves united by a membrane ( Figs 71–73 ), with a third apically hinged sclerite, appressed against both lower valves.

Distribution: Known only from the south-eastern region of Brazil, recorded from the states of Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro.

Composition: Eight species, four previously described: Odontopeltis conspersus ( Perty, 1833) , Odontopeltis anchisteus Hoffman, 1981 (see Hoffman, 1981a), Odontopeltis clarazianus ( Humbert & deSaussure, 1869), Odontopeltis giganteus ( Schubart, 1949) , and four new species: Odontopeltis tiradentes , Odontopeltis xica , Odontopeltis aleijadinho , and Odontopeltis donabeja .

Figures

Figure 1. Live male specimen of Odontopeltis donabeja sp. nov., from Estação Biológica de Peti, CEMIG, São Gonçalo do Rio Abaixo, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Figure 4. Gonopod structures of Odontopeltis, left gonopod. A, Odontopeltis conspersus, mesal view. B, Odontopeltis anchisteus, ventral view. AB, acropodite bristles; AF, acropodite folds; BPPf, basal projection of prefemoral region; C, cannula; Cx, coxa of gonopod; FR, femoral region; Pf, prefemoral region; PrA, process A of the acropodite; PrB, process B of the acropodite; S, solenomere; SG, spermatic groove; SP, spiniform projection on gonopod coxa. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figures 6–11. Head characters of Odontopeltis. Figure 6. Dorsal face of head of Odontopeltis giganteus, showing the rows of bristles (documenting characters 1 and 2 of the phylogenetic analysis). I, first row between antennal sockets; II, second row; III, third row. Figures 7, 8. Chelodesmid head, schematic, lateral view, showing shape of the Tömösváry organ (TO, character 3). Figure 7. Suboval. Figure 8. Circular. Figures 9–11. Last antennomere of chelodesmids, showing the four apical sense cones (character 4). Figure 9. Double invagination. Figure 10. Triple invagination. Figure 11. Quadruple invagination.

Figures 12–18. Body ring characters. Figures 12, 13. Collum shape of chelodesmids, showing the posterior edge (PB) (character 5). Figure 12. Straight. Figure 13. Arched. Figures 14–16. Tip of seventh paranota in Odontopeltis species, showing the shape of the yellow spot (dashed line, characters 7, 12). Figure 14. Subrectangular, Odontopeltis anchisteus. Figure 15. Subtriangular, Odontopeltis donabeja. Figure 16. Semicircular, Odontopeltis clarazianus. Figures 17, 18. Ventral projections at the fifth body ring (character 8). Figure 17. Four projections. Figure 18. Two projections.

Figures 51–54. Gonopod and cyphopod characters. Figures 51, 52. Schema of gonopod coxa in Chelodesmidae, ectal view (character 43). Figure 51. No projection. Figure 52. Projection. Figures 53, 54. Cyphopod structure, posterior aspect of cyphopod in ventral view (character 46). Figure 53. Odontopeltis giganteus, short state of cyphopod. Figure 54. Eucampesmella ferrii, long state of cyphopod.

Figures 55–58. Gonopod and body characters (scanning electron microscopy). Figures 55, 56. Left gonopods, mesal view (characters 42, 43, 45). Figure 55. Manfrediodesmus passarelii, with projection (IPCx, internal projection of coxa: arrow) and curved spermatic groove. Scale bar = 2.0 mm. Figure 56. Odontopeltis giganteus, without projection and straight spermatic groove. Scale bar = 1.0 mm. Figures 57, 58. Odontopeltis donabeja. Figure 57. Tubercles on paranota, dorsal region. Scale bar = 100 μm. Figure 58. Small spines and bristles with median projection on penultimate and ultimate antennomeres. Scale bar = 100 μm.

Figures 43–50. Gonopod characters in Odontopeltis. Figures 43–45. Solenomere (S) and median projection (MPS) in Odontopeltis, ventral view (characters 32, 34). Figure 43. Solenomere tip smaller than MPS of solenomere. Figure 44. Solenomere tip and median projection equal in size. Figure 45. Solenomere tip larger than the median projection. Figures 46–48. Extension of solenomere basis (BS) (character 35). Figure 46. Not reaching half of the width of process A (PrA). Figure 47. Reaching half of the width of PrA. Figure 48. Reaching beyond half of the width of PrA. Figures 49, 50. Hump on PrA, ventral view (character 36). Figure 49. PrA without apical hump. Figure 50. PrA with apical hump.

Figures 38–42. Gonopod characters. Figures 38–40. Sternal gonopod opening, showing the lateral folds (LF), the central support (CS), and the posterior excavation (PE) (characters 20, 22). Figure 38. Presence of lateral folds, central support membranous and posterior margin deeply excavated, surpassing half of the coxae (Cx) of ninth pair of legs (Character 23), Macrocoxodesmus marcusi. Scale bar = 1.0 mm. Figure 39. Sternal gonopod opening showing the central support sclerotized and posterior excavation reaching half of the coxae of ninth pair of legs (Character 23), Telonychopus klossae. Scale bar = 1.0 mm. Figure 40. Absence of lateral folds and posterior edge not reaching half of the coxa, Odontopeltis giganteus. Figures 41, 42. Spines on solenomeres (character 30 in this analysis). Scale bar = 1.0 mm. Figure 41. Spines within spermatic groove, Odontopeltis donabeja. Figure 42. Spines inside and outside spermatic groove, covering the solenomere, Leiodesmus major. Scale bar = 20 μm.

Figures 71–73. Left cyphopod of Odontopeltis giganteus. Figure 71. Posterior aspect. Figure 72. Anterior aspect. Figure 73. Mesal view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.