An overview of the extant genera and subgenera of the order Scolopendromorpha (Chilopoda): a new identification key and updated diagnoses
Author
Schileyko, Arkady A.
schileyko1965@gmail.com
Author
Vahtera, Varpu
varpu.vahtera@gmail.com
Author
Edgecombe, Gregory D.
0000-0002-9591-8011
schileyko1965@gmail.com
text
Zootaxa
2020
2020-08-10
4825
1
1
64
journal article
8703
10.11646/zootaxa.4825.1.1
5ab5f5c8-481e-4d1a-8643-21e72c367278
1175-5326
4402145
F230F199-1C94-4E2E-9CE4-5F56212C015F
Family
Cryptopidae Kohlrausch, 1881
Synonyms.
Cryptopsidae in
Machado (1953: 83)
Diagnosis.
Eyes absent. Labrum with a single median tooth (only in a few species of
Cryptops
(
Cryptops
)
with two additional lateral teeth;
Fig. 29
). Slender pretarsus of maxillae 2 not pectinate, more or less curved (
Figs 30, 31
), pointed (figs 3C, 6C in
Ázara & Ferreira 2013
) or lobe-shaped (fig.
69 in
Verhoeff 1934
). Maxillary pretarsus in most species is accompanied by a ventral projection (“flange” sensu
Edgecombe & Bonato 2011
,
Figs 30, 31
) but never by accessory spine(s). Anterior margin of forcipular coxosternite in most species bilobed, with some long enlarged marginal setae (
Fig. 26
); rarely is this margin additionally chitinised or with short rounded projections (in
Cryptops
(
Paracryptops
)
,
Fig. 27
), but never with tooth-plates. Forcipular trochantero-prefemur never with process. Sternites never with paramedian sutures, but usually with “cruciform” sutures (
Fig. 32
), i.e. with well-developed transverse suture (sometimes with skeletal transverse ridge/thickening at its place) and with a single median longitudinal suture (more rarely sulcus) developed to varying degrees. 21 LBS; spiracles on macrosegments except for LBS 7; spiracles open, lacking flaps (fig. 4 A in
Vahtera
et al
. 2012b
). Ultimate LBS considerably shorter than the penultimate one; coxopleuron without a process. Tarsal articles of locomotory legs (
Fig. 26
) in most species fused in a solid tarsus (with or without visible traces of an articulation between them); legs lack both tibial and tarsal spurs. Relatively short ultimate legs (
Fig. 28
) of “pocket knife” shape (sensu
Schileyko 2009
) forming a kind of clasping apparatus, their femur (not always), tibia and tarsus
1 in
overwhelming majority of species with characteristic saw teeth, pretarsus not enlarged. Prefemur of the ultimate legs without processes (spinous ones or saw teeth), sometimes with short enlarged setae (
Fig. 28
).
Edgecombe & Bonato (2011: 393)
also wrote: “Median cluster of sensilla coeloconica on clypeal part of epipharynx rhomboid, with lids covering the distal edge of the sensilla… Gizzard with stiff anteriorly-directed projections; projections without a distinct kink near their midlength”.
Number of subtaxa.
1 genus, 4 subgenera.
Sexual dimorphism.
Unknown.
Range.
All tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions.
Remarks.
Treated as a family in
Edgecombe & Bonato (2011: 393)
,
Vahtera
et al.
(2012a: 6)
,
Edgecombe
et al.
(2012: 770)
,
Lewis (2013: 1)
,
Lewis (2016a: 575)
,
Stojanović, Mitić & Makarov (2019: 21)
.
Edgecombe and Bonato (2011: 393)
divided this family into two closely related genera—
Cryptops
and
Paracryptops
, and
Vahtera
et al.
(2012a: 13)
suggested (without formalizing; see below) the latter to be a synonym of the former; so at the moment this family is monotypic. According to both
Edgecombe & Bonato (2011: 393)
and
Lewis (2016a: 575)
the genus
Cryptops
comprises four subgenera:
Cryptops
(
Cryptops
)
,
Trigonocryptops
Verhoeff, 1906,
Haplocryptops
Verhoeff, 1934
and
Chromatanops
Verhoeff, 1906
, but we regard the latter to be a synonym of
Cryptops
(
Cryptops
)
(see below).
There is certain confusion concerning structure of the pretarsus of maxillae
2 in
this family (i.e. in genus
Cryptops
).
Attems (1930: 7)
only wrote that this structure is “schlank” (slim/slender) and gave a drawing (fig. 285) of a slightly[!] curved and apically pointed claw accompanied by a well-developed and apically rounded ventral projection. In 1934 Verhoeff, describing the new subgenus
C.
(
Haplocryptops
), noted two
types
of maxillary pretarsus in
Cryptops
(see below). Recent authors (
Edgecombe & Koch 2008: 883
,
Koch et
al
. 2010: 77
,
Edgecombe & Bonato 2011: 393
) describe this pretarsus only as a “hook-like and flanged”, confirming these terms by corresponding drawings or SEMs (
Figs 30, 31
). We note, however, that this character is not stable in
Cryptops
, not even being subgenus-specific as five adults of
C.
(
C.
)
caucasius
Verhoef, 1934
(Rc 6430, 8004) and two adults of
C.
(
C.
)
anomalans
Newport
, 1844
(Rc 7450) show this pretarsus to be slightly curved (i.e. not hooked), apically pointed and lacking any ventral projection (see also Remarks to
C.
(
Paracryptops
) below). Thus there should be at least four
types
of this pretarsus in
Cryptopidae
: 1. slightly curved, apically pointed, without ventral projection, 2. slightly curved, apically pointed, with ventral projection, 3. slightly curved, lobe-shaped, with ventral projection, 4. hooklike, with ventral projection.