Corresponding author: Huiqin Ma (
Academic editor: M. Zapparoli
The present study describes a new
Chang X, Pei S, Zhu C, Ma H (2020) An unusual new centipede subgenus
Located in the east of the Asian continent, on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean, the People’s Republic of China has a land area of approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, and is the third largest country in the world (
Currently, the World Catalogue of Centipedes (
Specimens were collected under leaf litter or stones and preserved in 75% ethanol. Illustrations and measurements were produced using a ZEISS SteREO Discovery.V20 microscope equipped with an Abbe drawing tube and an ocular micrometre and Axiocam 512 colour 12-megapixel microscope camera. The colour description is based on specimens fixed in 75% ethanol. The body length was measured from the anterior margin of the cephalic plate to the posterior end of the postpedal tergite. Type specimens and other material are deposited in the School of Life Sciences, Hengshui University, Hengshui, China (
To emphasize the obviously curved posterior spurs on the dorsal side of the femur of the male leg 15.
Fujian and Henan provinces, China.
Antennae 20–25 articles; ocelli usually nine on each side, in three irregular rows; posterior two ocelli comparatively large; Tömösváry’s organ larger than adjacent ocelli. Commonly 2+2 coxosternal teeth; porodonts lying posterolateral to lateral-most tooth. Coxal pore formula 3–5 in one row. Tarsal articulation ill-defined on legs 1–13, well-defined on legs 14 and 15. Female gonopods with 2+2 moderately small, coniform spurs; male gonopods short and small. Legs 15 are considerably modified in males: posterior spurs on dorsal side of femur of male legs 15 curving backward near base.
2 ♂♂ (LS01-2), South East China, Yulinting, Wuyishan National Nature Reserve, Wuyishan County, Nanping City, Fujian Province,
Body 11.6–15.2 mm long; cephalic plate 1.1–1.3 mm long, 1.2–1.4 mm wide.
Nine, oval to rounded ocelli on each side, from small to large, arranged in three irregular rows; posterior two ocelli comparatively large. Ventral ocelli slightly smaller than the dorsal, domed, translucent, and usually darkly pigmented (Fig.
Tömösváry’s organ (Fig.
Coxosternite subtrapezoidal (Fig.
All tergites smooth, without wrinkles, tiny setae emerging from pores scattered sparsely over entire surface; near margin with few long setae. T1 narrower postero-laterally than antero-laterally, generally trapezoidal; T1 and T3 narrower than cephalic plate; T3 wider than T1; T8 widest. Lateral marginal ridges of all tergites continuous. Posterior margin of TT1 and 6 straight;
Posterior side of sternites narrower than anterior, generally trapezoidal, smooth. Setae emerging from sparsely scattered pores on the surface and lateral margin, very few long setae scattered sparsely among them. One comparatively long thick seta on both anterior angles of each sternite; more setae on surface of anterior and middle parts than posterior part of each sternite.
Leg plectrotaxy of
Legs | Ventral | Dorsal | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C |
|
P | F |
|
C |
|
P | F |
|
|
1 | p | am | am | mp | ap | a | ||||
2 | mp | am | am | mp | ap | (a)p | ||||
3–9 | mp | amp | am | mp | ap | ap | ||||
10 | mp | amp | am | (a)mp | ap | ap | ||||
11 | mp | amp | am | amp | ap | ap | ||||
12 | (a)mp | amp | am | amp | ap | ap | ||||
13 | m | amp | amp | am | a | amp | ap | ap | ||
14 | m | amp | amp | am | a | amp | ap | p | ||
15 | m | amp | amp | a | a | amp | ap |
Leg plectrotaxy of
Legs | Ventral | Dorsal | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C |
|
P | F |
|
C |
|
P | F |
|
|
1 | p | am | am | mp | ap | a | ||||
2 | p | am (p) | am | mp | ap | ap | ||||
3–6 | mp | amp | am | mp | ap | ap | ||||
7–11 | mp | amp | am | amp | ap | ap | ||||
12 | (a)mp | amp | am | amp | ap | ap | ||||
13 | m | amp | amp | am | a | amp | ap | ap | ||
14 | m | amp | amp | am | a | amp | ap | p | ||
15 | m | amp | amp | a | a | amp | ap | p |
Coxal pores 3–5 in a row, round or slightly oval, size of pores varies greatly from 19.3 μm to 48.7 μm; coxal pore field set in a relatively deep groove; coxal pore-field fringe with prominence; prominence with 4–8 moderately long setae sparsely scattered over the surface.
Antennae composed of 20–23 articles; ocelli 8–10 on each side, arranged in three irregular rows; posterior two ocelli comparatively large. Tömösváry’s organ larger than adjacent ocelli. Commonly 2+2 coxosternal teeth; porodonts lying posterolateral to the lateral-most tooth. Coxal pore formula 3–6, usually 4443 or 5555. Female gonopods with 2+2 moderately small, coniform spurs; male gonopods short and small. Legs 15 considerably modified; prefemur and femur markedly strong, slightly raised inwards, and posterior spurs on dorsal side of femur of male legs 15 curved backward at base of tibia at no more than 45° angle.
The specific name refers to the small, backward-curved posterior spines on the dorsal end of the femur.
Eight to ten (commonly nine) oval to rounded ocelli on each side, from small to large, in three irregular rows; posterior two ocelli comparatively large. Ventral ocelli slightly larger than dorsal ocelli, domed, translucent, and usually darkly pigmented (Fig.
Tömösváry’s organ (Fig.
Coxosternite subtrapezoidal (Fig.
All tergites smooth, without wrinkles; dorsum slightly convex; tiny setae emerging from sparsely scattered pores over entire surface; near margin bearing a few long setae; TT1 and 14 narrower postero-laterally than antero-laterally, generally trapezoidal; T1 narrower than cephalic plate; T3 approximately equal to cephalic plate; T10 widest. Lateral marginal ridges of all tergites continuous. Posterior margins of TT1, 3, 5, and 7 straight; TT8, 10, 12, and 14 slightly concave. Posterior angles of tergites rounded, without triangular projections. Miniscule setae sparsely scattered over surface.
Posterior side of sternites narrower than anterior, generally trapezoidal, smooth; SS6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 more wider, setae emerging from sparsely scattered pores on surface and lateral margin, with very few long setae sparsely scattered among of them; 2–4 comparatively thick, long setae on both of anterior angles of each sternite; one or two comparatively long, thick setae on both posterior angles of each sternite; more setae on surface of anterior and middle parts than posterior part of each sternite.
Coxal pores 3–6, in a row, round or slightly oval, greatly variable in size from 18.6 μm to 50.7 μm; coxal pore field set in a relatively deep groove; coxal pore-field fringe with prominence; prominence with 8–12 moderately long setae sparsely scattered over surface.
Leg plectrotaxy of
Legs | Ventral | Dorsal | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C |
|
P | F |
|
C |
|
P | F |
|
|
1 | p | amp | am | mp | a(p) | a | ||||
2 | p | amp | am | mp | ap | a | ||||
3 | p | amp | am | mp | ap | ap | ||||
4–10 | mp | amp | am | mp | ap | ap | ||||
11 | (a)mp | amp | am | amp | ap | ap | ||||
12 | amp | amp | am | amp | p | ap | ||||
13 | m | amp | amp | am | amp | p | ap | |||
14 | m | amp | amp | (m) | a | amp | p | p | ||
15 | m | amp | am | a | amp | ap |
Leg plectrotaxy of
Legs | Ventral | Dorsal | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C |
|
P | F |
|
C |
|
P | F |
|
|
1 | (p) | am | am | mp | (a)p | a | ||||
2 | mp | am | am | mp | ap | a | ||||
3 | mp | am | am | mp | ap | ap | ||||
4–7 | mp | am | am | mp | ap | ap | ||||
8–10 | m | amp | am | mp | ap | ap | ||||
11 | m | amp | am | amp | ap | ap | ||||
12 | (a)mp | amp | am | amp | (a)p | ap | ||||
13 | m | amp | amp | am | amp | p | ap | |||
14 | m | amp | amp | m | a | amp | p | |||
15 | m | amp | am | a | amp | (a)p |
The specimens were collected in a
The two new species resemble each other in having the antennae with commonly 20 articles, 8–10 ocelli on each side arranged in three irregular rows, the posterior two ocelli comparatively large, the Tömösváry’s organ larger than the adjoining ocelli, 2+2 prosternal teeth, a coxal pore formula of 3–5, and female gonopods with 2+2 coniform spurs. However, they can be distinguished easily by the following characters. T10 is the widest tergite in
This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC grant no. 31572239) and the Key Discipline of Zoology of Hengshui University. We are grateful to Dr Gregory D. Edgecombe, London, UK, Dr Pavel Stoev, Sofia, Bulgaria, and Dr Marzio Zapparoli, Viterbo, Italy, for their hospitality and great help during our research. We thank Dr Rowland M. Shelley, North Carolina, USA, and Dr His-Te Shih, Taichung, China, for providing us with invaluable literature.