Revision of the Harpagophoridae (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida) of southern Africa, including descriptions of five new species
Author
Redman, Guy T.
Author
Hamer, Michelle L.
Author
Barraclough, David A.
text
African Invertebrates
2003
2003-12-31
44
2
203
277
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.7666308
2305-2562
7666308
Harpagophora monodus
Attems, 1909
Figs 1
,
50–58
Harpagophora monodus
Attems, 1909: 43
; Attems 1914 1928; Lawrence 1938;
Schubart 1966
.
Harpagophora
(
Harpagophora
)
monodus
;
Demange 1983
;
Hamer 1998
.
Type
material (not examined): The whereabouts of the
type
material is unknown, but the
type
locality was given as ‘Cape’ (
Attems 1909
). The
type
locality is here fixed as
Northern Cape
,
Skilpad Nature Reserve
,
Swartjies River
(30.16596˚S:17.79866˚E)
.
Material
examined:
SOUTH AFRICA
:
Northern Cape
: 1ơ2^,
14 miles
inland of
Port Nolloth
[2916BD],
4.vi.1962
,
W. J. Lawson
(
NMSA18922
)
;
2ơ,
Little Namaqualand
,
Springbok
,
Anenous Pass
[2917BA],
xi.1962
,
W. Haacke
(
NMSA 18943
)
;
1ơ3^,
Garies
[3018CA],
6 km
NE of and south of road to
Studers Pass
, on hill slope facing north under stones and walking around on ground
29.viii.1986
,
P. Croeser
,
J. Londt
& B.
Stuckenberg
(
NMSA 16159
)
;
1ơ,
Kamiesberg Pass
[3018AC],
Hardeveld
, under rock,
28.ix.1994
,
P. Reavell
(
NMSA 15632
)
;
1ơ,
South Richtersveld
,
Vlieholteberg
(29˚10'S:17˚37'E),
900 m
,
29.ix.1994
,
P. Reavell
(
NMSA 16489
)
;
2ơ,
Skilpad Nature Reserve
,
Swartjies River
, (30.16596˚S:17.79866˚E),
Succulent Karoo
,
10.ix.2001
,
R. Slotow
&
M. Hamer
(
NMSA 19101
)
;
1ơ 4^,
Garies
[3018CA],
Little Namaqualand
, - no original label with specimen lot (
SAMC
C2102
)
.
No locality data
: 2ơ (
SAMC
B7674
)
.
Diagnosis
:
Distinct
black projection at apex of larger femoral spine, directed laterally at right angle to major part of spine (
Fig. 55
).
Spine
branch a laminate plate, broadening apically with smooth margin and one large, curved, black tooth at one end (
Fig. 57
).
Telocoxite
rounded with short, blunt protuberance on medial distal margin.
Lateral
margin of telocoxite forming obscure, broadly rounded lobe (
Fig. 53
).
Telocoxal
spine absent
.
Figs 50–58.
Harpagophora monodus
Attems, 1909
. 50. Lateral view of collum; arrow indicates anterior end of millipede. 51. Oral view of first pair of male legs. 52. Aboral view of gonopod (NMSA 19102). 53. Aboral view of gonopods (NMSA 16159). 54. Oral view of telopodite. 55. Detail of femoral spines of telopodite. 56–58.Apical elements of telopodite, showing different orientations. bp = black process; f1 = large femoral spine; f2 = small femoral spine; ll = lateral lobe; mrp = median rounded process; p = pectinophore; s = spine branch.
Description:
Dimensions
: Males, n = 8; females, n = 2. Body width 5.7–8.3 [7.3], female 9.0–11.0; collum width 7.0–8.7 [6.9], female 7.8–9.0; body length 65.0–100.0 [81.3], female 85.0–86.0; leg length 2.6–5.0, female 2.5–4.0; antenna length 5.0–5.4 [5.1], female 5.0.
Number of segments
: 47–51 [49], female 49.
Colour
: Head, clypeus and collum light brown. Prozonites brown, mesozonites light brown, metazonites dark brown. Anal valve and caudal spine light brown. Legs and antennae light brown to orange.
First ozopore
: Segment 6.
Collum
: Anterior corner with approximately 90˚ angle, posterior corner passing a little beyond posterior margin (
Fig. 50
). One submarginal groove.
Gonopods
: Larger femoral spine directed distally, apex broad with black spine positioned at right angle and pointing towards lateral margin of telocoxite. Margin of area at base of black spine serrated (
Fig. 55
). Smaller femoral spine slender and partially curled round base of larger femoral spine (
Fig. 55
). Pectinophore with laminate plate expanded apically, hollow, saucer-like and curved inwards towards other apical elements. Surface of pectinophore with several setiform processes along entire margin of branch (
Figs 56, 57
). Spine branch a laminate plate with apical black spine (
Fig. 57
). Telocoxal spines absent. Telocoxite rounded with short, blunt protuberance on medial distal margin. Surface of telocoxite raised between medial margin and larger femoral spine, such that first femoral spine partially concealed. Outer margin of telocoxite formed into obscure, broadly rounded lobe (
Figs 52, 53
).
Pre-anal ring
: Caudal spine short, just reaching margin of anal valve and sharply upturned distally.
Distribution: The species is endemic to the
Northern Cape
(
Fig. 1
). It occurs in the western part of the province in the succulent Karoo biome.
Remarks: In terms of gonopod structure, the species is most similar to
H
.
attenuata
,
but
H. monodus
differs from
H
.
attenuata
in the lack of telocoxal spines along the inner margin of the telocoxite. In
H
.
monodus
the protuberances on the medial distal margin of the telocoxite are not as long as in
H
.
attenuata
, and are more bluntly rounded. Specimens of
H. monodus
are much shorter and less robust than
H
.
attenuata
.
In some specimens the suture on the syncoxosternum is incomplete.
The origin of the name
monodus
is unclear and it has therefore not been modified to agree with the gender of the genus name.