The Mecistocephalidae of the Japanese and Taiwanese islands (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha) Author Published, First text Zootaxa 2007 2007-01-22 1396 1 84 journal article 1175­5334 Mecistocephalus yanagiharai (Takakuwa, 1936) Fig. 57 [1] Taiwanella yanagiharai : Takakuwa 1936b — Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Formosa 26: 436 (original description, key); fig. 1–3 Taiwanella yanagiharai : Takakuwa 1938a — Annot. Zool. Japon . 17: 356 Taiwanella yanagiharai : Takakuwa 1938b — Bot. & Zool. Tokyo 6: 2032 (key) Taiwanella yanagiharai : Takakuwa 1940 — Fauna Nippon . 9: 86 (key); fig. 88–89 Taiwanella yanagiharai : Takakuwa 1943 — Bull. Biogeogr. Soc. Japan 13: 196 Taiwanella yanagiharai : Attems 1947 — Ann. Naturhistor. Mus. Wien 55: 106 (key) Taiwanella yanagiharai : Takakuwa & Takashima 1949 — Acta Arachn. 11: 57 Taiwanella yanagiharai : Miyosi 1955b — Bull. Biogeogr. Soc. Japan 16–19: 173 (key) Taiwanella yanagiharai : Wang & Mauriès 1996 — Mém. Mus. natn. Hist. Nat.169: 89 Mecistocephalus yanagiharai : Bonato et al. 2002 — Zootaxa 86: 9 Diagnosis . A Mecistocephalus species with 49 leg­bearing segments. Body length reaching at least 3.5 cm . Trunk without dark patches. Head about 2 times as long as wide. Areolate part of the clypeus without smooth insulae, each side with about 8 setae; clypeal ratio about 1.2. Anterior ala of the labrum subtriangular, with medial margin reduced to a vertex. Forcipular article I with one tooth only. Sternal sulcus furcate. Type material . Syntypes : number, sex and age not stated ( Takakuwa, 1936e ). Type localities . ‘ Taito , Byori , Kibi , Hakuhyo , Getubi’ , Taiwan ( Takakuwa, 1936e ) . Depository of type material . The syntypes are probably lost (see Discussion). Material examined . None. Description . Body size reaching at least 3.5 cm . Body colour yellow, without dark patches; head and forcipular segment darker. Head about 2 times as long as wide. Clypeus: clypeal ratio about 1.2; areolate part without smooth insulae, a small subcircular area in the middle covered with smaller scutes; about 8 setae on each side of the clypeus, aligned along a pair of foreward convergent rows; plagulae without evident sensilla or setae. Labrum: anterior ala triangular, medial margin reduced to a vertex; posterior margin of each sidepiece straight, a small tooth close to the medial piece. Spiculum apparently absent. Mandible: about 3 welldeveloped and 2 rudimentary lamellae; first lamella with 5 teeth; intermediate lamella with about 7 teeth. First maxillae: distal lobe of the medial projection clavate, subtriangular; distal lobe of the telopodite attenuate. Second maxillae: article I of telopodite about 4.5 times as long as wide, with a distal external projection; article III subconic, with an apical claw. Forcipules: article I about 1.9 times as long as wide, with a single distal tooth; article II, III and tarsungulum each with a tooth. A total of 49 leg­bearing segments. Sternal sulcus furcate, with a right angle between the branches. Last leg­bearing segment: about 15 coxal pores on each side. Distribution in the considered area . Taiwan : ‘ Taito , Byori , Kibi , Hakuhyo , Getubi’ [1] ( type localities) . General distribution . Taiwan . Remarks . This species was originally described, together with Taiwanella sculptulata Takakuwa, 1936 (now Proterotaiwanella sculptulata (Takakuwa, 1936)) , as a member of the genus Taiwanella , a name invalidly proposed by Takakuwa (1936e) ( Bonato et al. , 2002 ). In spite of the putative absence of the spiculum, it was recognised as most probably belonging to Mecistocephalus by Bonato et al. (2002) . Unfortunately, the type material was lost and no other specimens have been recorded to date.