Aztecolus Chamberlin, 1943

Shelley, Rowland M. & Floyd, Samuel D., 2014, Expanded concept of the milliped family Spirobolidae Diplopoda: Spirobolida: Spirobolidea): Proposals of Aztecolini n. tribe and Floridobolinae / ini and Tylobolini n. stats.; (re) descriptions of Floridobolus and F. penneri, both Causey, 1957, and F. orini n. sp.; hypotheses on origins and affinities, Insecta Mundi 2014 (357), pp. 1-50 : 27

Genus Aztecolus Chamberlin, 1943

Aztecolus Chamberlin, 1943b:28 . Hoffman and Keeton, 1960:9. Keeton, 1960a:33–35. Loomis, 1968a:92; 1968b:391. Jeekel, 1971:194. Hoffman, 1980a:76; 1999:37.

Type-species. Spirobolus nigrior Chamberlin, 1941 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Posterior gonopod telopodite subupright. Prefemoral process relatively long, extending beyond level of acropodital midlength. Anterior acropodital margin narrowing abruptly distad, terminating in spiniform or bifurcate projection.

Components. Three nominal species: A. nigrior ( Chamberlin, 1941) ; A. pablillo Chamberlin, 1947 ; and A. productus Loomis, 1968 ( Keeton 1960a, Hoffman 1999, Bueno-Villegas et al. 2004).

Distribution ( Fig. 28 , letter A). Aztecolus inhabits the Mexican tribal area where it is partly sympatric with Floridobolinae / Tylobolini / Hiltonius / H. carpinus . Aside from the minor overlap of Spirobolinae and Floridobolinae in Florida, this is the only region where the two subfamilies are sympatric. We believe they overlapped along the Pacific Coast of North America during the early Cretaceous, but only Floridobolinae / Tylobolini occur there today. Maximal dimensions of the area of Aztecolus are roughly 752 km (470 mi) north-south and 491 km (307 mi) east-west. The northernmost locality (Nuevo León, Cañon de las Anahuac) is only ~ 115 km (72 mi) south of the Rio Grande and Laredo, Webb Co., Texas, so Aztecolini / Aztecolus may inhabit this region of southernmost Texas, USA.

Origin. Occurring in the subfamilial and tribal source area, Aztecolus is the same age as these taxa, <296 my.

Figures

Figure 28. Distribution of Aztecolini plotted against Cretaceous land patterns; submerged, marine Florida terrane and approximate maximal dimensions of the Western Interior Seaway in light blue. Ap, Appalachia. AZ, Aztecolus. C, Chicobolus. L, Laramidia. SA, Presumptive Source Area in the “northern Mexican Highlands.” The area encircled with brown squares is that of Tylobolini/Hiltonius/H. carpinus; the area where Aztecolus and Tylobolini/Hiltonius overlap is plausibly the source area.