Cryptops

Schileyko, Arkady A. & Stoev, Pavel E., 2016, Scolopendromorpha of New Guinea and adjacent islands (Myriapoda, Chilopoda), Zootaxa 4147 (3), pp. 247-280 : 269-270

11. Cryptops (T.) sp.

Figs 54–57

Material. Papua New Guinea, Western Province, [West Sepik District], Mt. Fugilil , the top, 3150 m, 1 ad [no ult.legs], 29.08.1975, leg. PB , No. 10 810 in NMNHS.

Description. The whole body covered by setae of various length; setae are considerably more numerous at forcipules, legs, margins of tergites and sternites, coxopleuron and ultimate sternite ( Fig. 54).

Head capsule with thin but well-developed complete paramedian sutures diverging frontwards, posterior margin covered by tergite 1 ( Fig. 55). Clypeus with 2 setose clypeal plates: larger and well-limited rhomboid anterior one (which bears 3 setae) and very undefinitely developed minute posterior one ( Fig. 56). Labrum with 1 tooth.

Anterior margin of forcipular coxosternite with 5+5 marginal setae plus 3+3 setae on the coxosternite. Tarsungula very thin and long.

Tergite 1 without sutures, tergites (6)7–19 with paramedian sulci and sutures (the latter are visible from a certain angle of illumination). Sternites: transverse ridge between the coxae quite poorly developed ( Fig. 57), trigonal sutures well recognizable at sternites 2–6. Katopleure not divided vertically; spiracles oval.

Legs 3–30 with definitely divided tarsus ( Fig. 54), accessory spines well-developed.

Coxopleural pore field consists of ca 40 pores of various sizes and is bordered posteriorly by narrow poreless area ( Fig. 54).

Remarks. The studied specimen resembles C. (T.) pictus Ribaut, 1923 in most characters except for the lack of dark pigmentation of tergites ( Fig. 55), a character which is known to vary a lot in Cryptops . Maurienne et al. (2011) considered C. pictus as a species restricted to New Caledonia stating (p. 71): “ Cryptops pictus is more widely distributed than is represented by our sampling”. This specimen has sternal transverse thickening between the coxae of legs less developed than in C. (T.) spinipes ( Fig. 57), thus more resembling the sternal transverse suture of Cryptops s.str. The body and legs are less setose compared with C. (T.) spinipes .

As the ultimate legs of the studied specimen are missing and important taxonomic characters are thus lost its true identity remains uncertain until further material is examined.