Kanparka, Waldock, Julianne & Edgecombe, Gregory D., 2012

Waldock, Julianne & Edgecombe, Gregory D., 2012, A new genus of scolopendrid centipede (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendrini) from the central Australian deserts, Zootaxa 3321, pp. 22-36 : 24

Genus Kanparka n. gen.

Type species: Kanparka leki n. gen. n. sp.

Diagnosis. Genus of Scolopendrini with short antenna, composed of 14–20 (usually 17 or 18) articles. Cephalic plate overlying tergite 1. Tergites lacking margination except for T21. Tarsal spur on legs 1–19. Coxopleural process with one or two spines along its medial margin in addition to 3–5 apical spines. Ultimate leg podomeres short, tarsi particularly stout; strong spines in rows on ventral surface of ultimate leg prefemur and more numerous, irregularly arranged spines of varied size on mesial surface; spines present on femur and tibia; ultimate leg pretarsus a stout claw, lacking accessory spines.

Etymology. Kanparka , “centipede” in Pitjanjantjara/Yankunytjatjara dialects of the Western Desert Language.

Discussion. External morphological features such as continuous paramedian sutures on the sternites and spiracles having tripartite flaps that form a valve delimiting a subatrial chamber indicate membership of this genus in the subfamily Scolopendrinae. These characters are diagnostic apomorphies of Scolopendrinae ( Edgecombe & Koch 2008). The presence of a distomedial prefemoral process on the ultimate leg and the arrangement of the median cluster of sensilla on the clypeal part of the epipharynx as a large field ( Edgecombe & Koch 2008, character 54, state 2) more specifically assign it to the tribe Scolopendrini; these characters are unique to Scolopendrini, the former at least being an unambiguous autapomorphy. The ultimate leg characters, particularly the presence of spines on articles distal to the prefemur, are not found in any other scolopendrid presently known, and the “stumpy” morphology of these legs is distinctive in the context of Australian scolopendrids apart from, at least superficially, Asanada . Membership of Kanparka in Scolopendrinae and Scolopendrini is further defended by phylogenetic analysis (see below).

The presence of tarsal spurs on legs 1–19, the overlap of T1 by the cephalic plate, and the moderate length of the coxosternal tooth plates resemble Scolopendra , though these similarities may be symplesiomorphic. Robust conical projections that line the margins of the valves of the spiracular flaps in Kanparka leki ( Fig. 8 ) correspond in their size and position to the setose cones observed in Old World Scolopendra ( Lewis et al. 1996) . No species of Scolopendra (nor any other scolopendrid) has spines on the ultimate leg femur and tibia. The restriction of margination to the ultimate tergite is uncommon in Scolopendra , though seen in some species, such as S. afra ( Meinert, 1886) . Affinities to Scolopendra and allied genera of Scolopendrini are substantiated in the section on phylogenetic analysis.

The short antenna, generally unmargined tergites, and forcipulate ultimate legs suggest Asanada , but a close relationship is contradicted by the presence of a distomedial prefemoral process, spines on the ultimate leg prefemur, the presence of coxopleural pores, and the tergites lacking a transverse suture that delineates a pretergite.

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 8. Kanparka leki n. gen. n. sp. 2. Dorsal view of head and T 1. Scale = 1 mm. 3. Dorsal view of antennae. Scale = 0.5 mm. 4. Ventral view of forcipules and maxillae. Scale = 0.5 mm. 5. Detail of forcipular tooth plates. Scale = 250 µm. 6. Ventral view of segment 21. Scale = 0.5 mm. 7. Epipharynx. Scale = 100 µm. 8. External view of spiracle on segment 3. Scale = 100 µm. All holotype WAM T 99422 except 2, WAM T 79350, 7, WAM T 117570.