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
Psiloscolopendra
Kraepelin, 1903
Type
species.
Scolopendra feae
Pocock, 1891
(by original designation).
Diagnosis.
Cephalic plate overlapping anterior margin of tergite 1, with weak median incomplete sulcus/depression in the posterior half. Forcipular tooth-plates well-developed but small, trochantero-prefemoral process very small. Tergite 1 lacking sutures. Legs lacking tarsal spurs, pretarsal accessory spines present; tarsus 1 longer than tarsus 2. Coxopleural process short, conical with apical spine only, no other coxopleural spines. Ultimate sternite longer than wide, with straight posterior margin and without(?) median longitudinal sulcus. Ultimate legs of “common” shape; prefemoral corner spine with a single spine apically, pretarsus with only poorly-developed accessory spine.
Number of species.
1.
Sexual dimorphism.
Unknown.
Remarks.
Treated as a genus in
Edgecombe & Bonato (2011: 399)
. As there are very little available morphological data on
Psiloscolopendra
, the information given by
Attems (1930)
(who apparently copied the data of
Kraepelin 1903
) is the last taxonomic scrutiny of this enigmatic genus. No information on structure of either the pleuron or the spiracles is available; this is the only scolopendromorph genus that is not even known from drawings.
Psiloscolopendra
is presumably closest to
Notiasemus
and
Akymnopellis
, i.e. to those scolopendrines that have legs without tarsal spurs and tergite 1 lacking any sutures. We have kept
Psiloscolopendra
as a valid taxon, but the “diagnostic” characters listed above (see the key) do not allow its unambiguous identification; more material is necessary to confirm its validity.