Plutoniumidae Bollman, 1893

Schileyko, Arkady A., Vahtera, Varpu & Edgecombe, Gregory D., 2020, An overview of the extant genera and subgenera of the order Scolopendromorpha (Chilopoda): a new identification key and updated diagnoses, Zootaxa 4825 (1), pp. 1-64 : 23-24

Family Plutoniumidae Bollman, 1893

Synonyms. Theatopidae Verhoeff, 1906; Theatopinae Verhoeff, 1906 ; Theatopsidae Verhoeff, 1907.

Diagnosis. Eyes absent, light/depigmented spots at their place ( Fig. 34 ). Labrum with a single median tooth. Slender pretarsus of maxillae 2 ( Fig. 35 ) not pectinate, consisting of two well-distinguishable parts (darker basal and a semi-transparent apical ones), curved and pointed apically. Pretarsus (at least in Theatops ) is accompanied by welldeveloped ventral projection ( Fig. 35 ) which is of the same shape as pretarsus but visibly thinner and shorter (sometimes nearly as long as it; see below); it is never accompanied by accessory spine(s). Anterior margin of forcipular coxosternite with well-developed tooth-plates ( Fig. 36 ), forcipular trochantero-prefemur with simple processes of various length. Sternites with a single longitudinal median suture, developed to varying degrees (hardly visible in some Theatops ). 21 LBS; spiracles (figs 1AB in Vahtera et al. 2012b) on LBS 2–20 or on macrosegments only (if so LBS 7 with or without spiracles). Ultimate LBS considerably elongated with ultimate tergite nearly twice as long the penultimate one. Coxopleuron virtually without process ( Fig. 37 ), sometimes with a single spine at its place. Tarsus of legs 1–19 monopartite; legs with two tibial spurs and one tarsal spur. Ultimate legs forcipulate ( Figs 33, 37 ), swollen, strongly sclerotized, truly “pincer-shaped” (sensu Schileyko 2009) with all articles much shortened and enlarged, excluding falcate pretarsus which is considerably elongated being at least as long as corresponding tarsus 2 (or much longer; see below). Dorsal and medial surface of both prefemur and femur flat, these articles with or without ( Fig. 37 ) ventral spines. Edgecombe & Bonato (2011: 395) also wrote: “Poison calyx extending into the forcipular coxosternite… Gizzard with stiff anteriorly/directed projections; projections evenly curved, covered by multifurcating scales that spirally encircle the projection, branching into slender, needle-like spines”.

Number of subtaxa. 2 genera.

Sexual dimorphism. Unknown.

Range. Southern Europe (Southern Iberian Peninsula, Southern Italian Peninsula , Balkan Peninsula, Sardinia, Sicily); South-West, East and South-East of USA , Northern Mexico ; Central China (Sichuan, Hunan, Gansu) .

Remarks. Treated as a family in Edgecombe & Bonato (2011: 395), Edgecombe et al. (2012: 770), Vahtera et al. (2012a: 9, 2012b: 229, 2013: 580), Bonato et al. (2017: 2).

Figures

FIGURES 33–39. Theatops posticus (Say, 1821); Sad. Rc 6488; 33 ultimate and penultimate LBS + ultimate legs dorsally; Theatops spinicaudus Wood, 1862; Ad. Rc 6489 34 head + LBS 1 dorsally; Theatops erythrocephalus (C. L. Koch, 1847); ZMB 3393 35 apical part of maxilla 2 laterally; Theatops spinicaudus Wood, 1862; Ad. Rc 6489 36 head + forcipular segment ventrally; Theatops posticus (Say, 1821); Sad. Rc 6488 37 LBS 21 + ultimate legs ventrally; Tonkinodentus lestes Schileyko, 1992; Holotype ad. Rc 6358 38 ultimate + penultimate LBS dorsally 39 cephalic plate + LBS 1 dorsally; (cst)—forcipular coxosternite, (cx)—coxopleuron, (ds)—depigmented eye spot, (p2)—non pectinate pretarsus of maxilla 2, (pf)—prefemur, (pr)—trochantero-prefemural process, (pts)—pretarsus, (T1)—tergite 1, (t2)—tarsus 2, (tp)—forcipular tooth-plate, (ust)—ultimate sternite, (ut)—ultimate tergite, (vp)—short ventral projection of pretarsus of maxilla 2.