Corresponding author: Arkady A. Schileyko (
Academic editor: P. Stoev
A new species of the centipede genus
The genus
Herewith, I describe a new species of
The identification key to the species of
Scolopocryptopidae Pocock, 1896
Newportiinae Pocock, 1896
Puerto Rico, Florida Co., Rio Encantado Cave, 1 (sub?)adult, 29.07.2009, leg. P. Beron (NMNHS).
Puerto Rico, Florida Co., Rio Encantado Cave.
named after my friend and colleague Dr Pavel Stoev who drew my attention to this new species.
Tergite 1 with rounded anterior transverse suture and incomplete paramedian sutures. Sternites distinctly margined laterally. Ultimate legs: prefemur with 4, femurwith 3 small spinous processes medially and 1 ventrally; tibia with 2 small spinous processes medially. Tarsus 1 large and clavate (bulbous), clearly differing from the much thinner tarsus 2; the latter consisting of 19–20 articles.
Length of body
Antennae composed of 17 articles (
Head: cephalic plate visibly longer than wide, with rounded corners and very short paramedian sutures at posterior margin.
Second maxillae: as in all other
Forcipular segment: coxosternite without any visible sutures (including thechitin-lines). Anterior margin of coxosternite evidently convex (
Tergites: anterior margin of tergite 1 covered by the cephalic plate; tergite 1with a rounded anterior transverse suture and paramedian sutures stretching from the transverse suture to the posterior tergal margin. Tergite 3 with a very characteristic thin oblique sutures bordering the anterior corners of tergite. Tergites 2-22 with complete paramedian sutures, tergites 3-21(22)withlateral longitudinal sutures (
Sternites: trapeziform, 2-22 with incomplete (equally shortened from both sides) but with a well expressed median longitudinal sulcus. Sternites 2-21 with definite and complete lateral margination (
Legs: prefemur, femur and tibia with a few large setae (
Coxopleuron (
Ultimate legs (
The species is hitherto known only from its type locality.
Being -250 m deep and 16 910 m long Rio Encantado is the deepest and the longest cave system in Puerto Rico. This system lies in the Tertiary limestone area which stretches along the northern coast of the island (
1 This species is morphologically close to
2
3 Some groups of scolopendromorphs (the majority of
4 As for the vague annulation of some articles of ultimate tarsus 2 in
5 In some species of
One of the main problems for identification of scolopendromorph centipedes is the high number of new species, described in the last decades that are still remaining outside the contemporary identification keys. I suggest that every description of new species in large genera (like
The most recent key to the species of
1 | Tarsus 2 of ultimate legs clearly divided into distinct articles | 2 |
– | Tarsus 2 of ultimate legs undivided | 31 |
2 | Ultimate leg with a well-developed (claw-shaped) pretarsus which is as long as, or longer than half of the ultimate article of tarsus 2 ( |
|
– | Ultimate leg without a well-developed pretarsus | 3 |
3 | Tergite 1 without an anterior transverse suture |
|
– | Tergite 1 with an anterior transverse suture |
|
4 | Tergite 1 with a rounded anterior transverse suture and, generally, with paramedian sutures which do not form a “W” just behind the anterior transverse suture; in a few species these sutures are absent or extremely short ( |
5 |
– | Tergite 1 with an anterior transverse suture in the form of a very obtuse angle and with paramedian sutures forked anteriorly, thus forming a “W” just behind the anterior transverse suture ( |
21 |
5 | Some pairs of legs, usually 2(4)-(19)20, with tibial spurs | 6 |
– | Tibial spurs missing on all legs |
|
6 | Femur of ultimate legs without spinous processes | 7 |
– | Femur of ultimate legs with spinous processes | 10 |
7 | Tergite 1 with rudimentary paramedian sutures ( |
|
– | Paramedian sutures of tergite 1 half-complete or complete, sometimes shortly interrupted in the middle | 8 |
8 | Coxopleural process extremely short; tergite 1 with poorly developed paramedian sutures ( |
|
– | Coxopleural process normal ( |
9 |
9 | Tarsus 2 of ultimate legs composed of 19–25 articles |
|
– | Tarsus 2 of ultimate legs composed of 6–7 articles |
|
10 | Tibiae 2-20 with lateral and ventral spurs | 11 |
– | Tibiae 2-20 with a lateral spur only | 12 |
11 | Femur of ultimate legs with 1(-2) ventral spinous process(es) |
|
– | Femur of ultimate legs with 2-3 medial spinous processes |
|
12 | Tarsus 2 of ultimate legs composed of 4 articles; tarsus 1 almost as long as the tibia |
|
– | Tarsus 2 of ultimate legs composed of 7-26 articles; tarsus 1 quite shorter than the tibia | 13 |
13 | Tarsus 2 of ultimate legs composed of 26 articles; cephalic plate without paramedian sutures |
|
– | Tarsus 2 of ultimate legs composed of 7–20 articles; cephalic plate often with incomplete paramedian sutures | 14 |
14 | Anterior ends of the half-complete paramedian sutures of tergite 1 very shortly bifurcate behind the anterior transverse suture ( |
|
– | Paramedian sutures of tergite 1 from absent to complete, never bifurcated anteriorly | 15 |
15 | Tarsus of ultimate legs uniformly divided, without distinction into tarsus 1 and tarsus 2 |
|
– | Tarsus of ultimate legs distinctly divided into tarsus 1 and tarsus 2 | 16 |
16 | Femur of ultimate legs with 3-4 spinous processes | 17 |
– | Femur of ultimate legs with 1-2 spinous processes | 18 |
17 | Femur of ultimate legs with 3 spinous processes, tibia without spinous processes and tarsus 2 composed of 9 articles |
|
– | Femur of ultimate legs with 4 spinous processes, tibia with 2 spinous processes ( |
|
18 | Tergite 1 with complete paramedian sutures which cross the anterior transverse suture |
|
– | Tergite 1 with incomplete paramedian sutures of various length, from half-complete ( |
19 |
19 | Cephalic plate with a thin transverse suture which crosses the short paramedian sutures close to the posterior margin of the cephalic plate |
|
– | Cephalic plate without any transverse suture | 20 |
20 | Prefemur of ultimate legs with 3 large ventral spinous processes |
|
– | Prefemur of ultimate legs with 4 large ventral spinous processes |
|
21 | Tarsus 2 of ultimate legs composed of 39–40 articles |
|
– | Tarsus 2 of ultimate legs composed of less than 30 articles | 22 |
22 | Each leg with a tarsal spur; tibia of ultimate legs longer than femur | 23 |
– | Legs without tarsal spurs; tibia of ultimate legs shorter or as long as femur | 26 |
23 | Femur of ultimate legs with 2 ventral spinous processes |
|
– | Femur of ultimate legs with 3 ventral spinous processes | 24 |
24 | Outer branches of forked paramedian sutures of tergite 1 extending in front of the anterior transverse suture up to the anterior border of this tergite | |
– | Forked paramedian sutures of tergite 1 ending up in the anterior transverse suture | 25 |
25 | Tarsus 2 of ultimate legs consists of 11–12 articles, prefemur laterally with strong setae |
|
– | Tarsus 2 of ultimate legs consists of 5–8 articles, prefemur laterally with small spines |
|
26 | Tarsus of ultimate legs composed of uniform articles ( |
27 |
– | Tarsus 1 and tarsus 2 of ultimate legs with different shapes ( |
29 |
27 | Tergite 1 with paramedian sutures in front of the anterior transverse suture ( |
|
– | Tergite 1 without paramedian sutures in front of the anterior transverse suture; tibia of ultimate legs distinctly claviform distally ( |
28 |
28 | Prefemur of ultimate legs with 4 ventral spinous processes |
|
– | Prefemur of ultimate legs with 3 ventral spinous processes |
|
29 | Outer branches of the forked paramedian sutures of tergite 1 crossing the anterior transverse suture ( |
30 |
– | Forked paramedian sutures of tergite 1 ending in the anterior transverse suture |
|
30 | Femur of ultimate legs medially with one basal and one distal spinous processes, ventrally without them. Sternites 2-12(15) each with a median longitudinal sulcus |
|
– | Femur of ultimate legs medially with one basal spinous process, ventrally with 1-2 such processes. Sternites 2-19 each with a median longitudinal sulcus |
|
31 | Ultimate legs with a well-developed claw-shaped pretarsus (which is as long as the poorly distinct ultimate article of tarsus 2) |
|
– | Ultimate legs normally without claw-shaped pretarsus (if a small ultimate claw is present, then it is less than half as long as the poorly distinct ultimate article of tarsus 2) | 32 |
32 | Tibia of ultimate legs with 3 ventral spinous processes; medial spinous processes of prefemur almost as large as the ventral ones |
|
– | Tibia of ultimate legs without spinous processes, medial spinous processes of prefemur (when present) considerably smaller than the large ventral ones | 33 |
33 | Tergite 1 with rounded anterior transverse suture and with or without paramedian sutures | 34 |
– | Tergite 1 with anterior transverse suture angulated caudad to midline and giving rise to short longitudinal suture, which bifurcate caudally ( |
|
34 | Tergite 1 without paramedian sutures between its posterior margin and the anterior transverse suture, rarely with very short tracks just behind the anterior transverse suture ( |
35 |
– | Tergite 1 with complete (more rarely half-complete) paramedian sutures | 37 |
35 | Paramedian sutures of cephalic plate very short. Forcipular coxosternite without median suture. Ultimate sternite without median longitudinal sulcus. Femur of ultimate legs with a row of 2-3 spinous processes | 36 |
– | Paramedian sutures of cephalic plate almost reaching its middle. Forcipular coxosternite with a well-developed median suture. Ultimate sternite with a clear median longitudinal sulcus or depression. Femur of ultimate legs without or with a single very small spinous process |
|
36 | Tarsus of ultimate legs uniform, without distinct division into tarsus 1 and 2. Forcipular trochanteroprefemur without process |
|
– | Tarsus of ultimate legs distinctly divided into a shorter tarsus 1 and a longer tarsus 2 ( |
|
37 | Paramedian sutures of tergite 1 not bifurcate | 38 |
– | Paramedian sutures of tergite 1 bifurcate |
|
38 | Anterior transverse suture of tergite 1 interrupted between the paramedian sutures ( |
|
– | Tergite 1 with a complete anterior transverse suture ( |
39 |
39 | Tarsus of ultimate legs uniform |
|
– | Tarsus 1 of ultimate legs abruptly differing from the tarsus 2 | 40 |
40 | Cephalic plate with a transverse suture crossing the paramedian sutures near the posterior margin ( |
41 |
– | Cephalic plate without transverse suture ( |
42 |
41 | Prefemur of ultimate legs with 6 (rarely 7) ventral spinous processes. Transverse suture of cephalic plate very distinct |
|
– | Prefemur of ultimate legs with 5 ventral spinous processes. Cephalic plate: median part of transverse suture between the paramedian sutures often poorly visible |
|
42 | Paramedian sutures of tergite 1 ending up in the anterior transverse suture; tergite 2 with complete paramedian sutures |
|
– | Paramedian sutures of tergite 1 complete, crossing the anterior transverse suture; tergite 2 with short paramedian sutures or sutures totally missing | 43 |
43 | Tergite 2 without paramedian sutures (these begin from tergite 5-6 onwards); four basal articles of tarsus 2 of ultimate legs definitely separated from each other ( |
|
– | Tergite 2 with shortened paramedian sutures ( |
44 |
44 | All legs with a tarsal spur and both lateral and ventral tibial spurs |
|
– | All legs with a lateral tibial spur only |
|
I am very grateful to Prof. Dr. Alessandro Minelli, Dr. Amazonas Chagas-Jr. and Dr. John Lewis for their valuable comments and constructive criticism that helped me improve the quality of the paper. My sincerest thanks also to my father, Prof. Dr. Anatoly A. Schileyko (Moscow Institute of Problems of Evolutionary Morphology and Ecology of Animals), for correcting the English of the earlier version of the manuscript. I would also like to thank Dr. Pavel Stoev for his invaluable support during the preparation of the paper. Open access to this paper was supported by the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) Open Access Support Project (EOASP).