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 brevisternalis Takakuwa, 1934 Fig. 52 [1] Mecistocephalus brevisternalis : Takakuwa 1934d — Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Formosa 24: 223, 224 (original descrip­ tion); fig. 2–3 Mecistocephalus brevisternalis : Takakuwa 1934a — Annot. Zool. Japon . 14: 362 (redescription); fig. 11 Mecistocephalus brevisternalis : Takakuwa 1934c — Bot. & Zool. Tokyo 2: 884 Mecistocephalus ( Mecistocephalus ) brevisternalis : Takakuwa 1936b — Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Formosa 26: 434 (key) Mecistocephalus brevisternalis : Verhoeff 1937 — Bull. Raffles Mus. Singapore 13: 235 Mecistocephalus brevisternalis : Attems 1938b — Proc. Zool. Soc. London B 108: 365 [2] Mecistocephalus ( Mecistocephalus ) brevisternalis : Takakuwa 1938a — Annot. Zool. Japon . 17: 354 Mecistocephalus brevisternalis : Verhoeff 1939 — Zool. Jahrb. Syst. 72: 86 Mecistocephalus ( Mecistocephalus ) brevisternalis : Takakuwa 1940 — Fauna Nippon . 9: 68 (redescription, key); fig. 64 Mecistocephalus ( Mecistocephalus ) brevisternalis : Takakuwa 1942b — Micron. Sci. 5: 17 Mecistocephalus brevisternalis : Takakuwa 1943 — Bull. Biogeogr. Soc. Japan 13: 170 Mecistocephalus brevisternalis : Attems 1947 — Ann. Naturhistor. Mus. Wien 55: 101 Mecistocephalus brevisternalis : Chamberlin 1953 — Great Basin Nat. 13: 78 (key) Mecistocephalus brevisternalis : Wang & Mauriès 1996 — Mém. Mus. natn. Hist. Nat. Paris 169: 89 Diagnosis . A Mecistocephalus species with 49 leg­bearing segments. Body length reaching at least 3 cm . Trunk without dark patches. Head about 1.5 times as long as wide. Areolate part of the clypeus without smooth insulae, each side with about 10 setae; clypeal ratio about 2,5–3,0. Anterior ala of the labrum subtriangular, with medial margin reduced to a vertex. Buccae with setae on the posterior half only. Sternal sulcus furcate, with a wide angle between the branches. Sternum of the last leg­bearing segment very short, 2 times as wide as long. Type material . Syntypes : number, sex and age not stated; length up to 30 mm ( Takakuwa, 1934d ), at least one adult male (age inferred from original drawings). Type locality . ‘ Yaruto’ [= Jaluit Id.], Marshall Ids ( Takakuwa, 1934d ) . Depository of type material . The syntypes are probably lost (see Discussion). Material examined . None. Description . Body size reaching at least about 3 cm . Body colour yellow, without dark patches, head and forcipular segment darker. Head 1.5 times as long as wide. Clypeus: clypeal ratio about 2.5–3.0; areolate part without smooth insulae; about 10 setae on each side, irregularly distributed; plagulae without evident sensilla or setae. Labrum: anterior ala subtriangular, medial margin reduced to a vertex; posterior margin of each sidepiece with a small tooth close to the medial piece. Spiculum present, buccae with setae in the posterior half only. Mandible: about 6 well­developed lamellae; first lamella with 6 teeth; average intermediate lamella with 10–17 teeth, proximal teeth evidently smaller than distal teeth. Forcipules: article I with two, strong teeth; articles II and III each with a tubercle; tarsungulum without teeth. A total of 49 leg­bearing segments. Sternal sulcus furcate, with a right angle between branches. Last leg­bearing segment: sternum triangular about 2.0 times as wide as long; about 10 large coxal pores on each side. Distribution in the considered area . To be confirmed: Taiwan : ‘Taiwan’ [2] . General distribution . Marshall Islands [1] and possibly Taiwan (see Remarks). Remarks . M . brevisternalis was first described from the Marshall Islands and later found in Taiwan by Takakuwa (1938a) . Due to the considerable distance between the type locality and Taiwan the presence of this species in the latter island requires confirmation.