A review of the orientalis group of the Otostigmus subgenus Otostigmus Porat, 1876 (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae)
Author
Lewis, John G. E.
text
Zootaxa
2014
3889
3
388
413
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3889.3.3
0f472ebf-c9c3-441b-96cc-510a76de5b4e
1175-5326
224919
F5294390-C1C6-4011-89F7-76BBCE641919
Otostigmus metallicus
Haase, 1887
(
Figs 38–40
)
Otostigma metallicum
Haase, 1887
, 70, Tab.4, Fig. 68 a–d. Sangir Island [between Sulawesi and the
Philippines
].
Otostigmus metallicus
:
Kraepelin, 1903
, 121,
Fig. 58
. Sangir Island,
Ceylon
[
Sri Lanka
].
O. (O.) metallicus
:
Attems, 1930
, 140.
O. metallicus
:
Chamberlin, 1944b
, 2 (in list).
O. (O.) metallicus
:
Lewis, 1982
, 391, Figs 5–11.
Sarawak
.
?
O. (O.) metallicus
:
Lewis, 1991
, 338,
Figs 1–3
. Sumatra.
Diagnosis
. (Based on
holotype
, Kraepelin’s (1903) and Lewis’s (1982, 1991) data). Length up to
42 mm
. (19, 20) 21–22 antennal articles, the basal (2) 2.33–2.66 (3) glabrous. 3+3 main forcipular coxosternal teeth. Tergite paramedian sutures from 5 or 6 (may be indistinct), marginate from (7) 9–11 (12) (with very fine tubercles/spinules in some Sulawesi specimens). Sternites without or with very short anterior paramedian sutures. Sternite of ultimate leg-bearing segment trapezoidal. Coxopleural process short with (1) 2 apical spines and 1 (2) laterals. Two tarsal spurs on legs 1–3/4 or on 1 only, 2, 3, 4 or 5–21 with one. Ultimate leg prefemoral spines VL 3/4, VM (0, 1) 2 (3), M 2–3, DM 1/2/3, CS 1. Kraepelin gives VL 3, VM 2, M 2–3, D 1, CS 1.
Type
material
.
RMNH
.
Holotype
.
Otostigma metallicum
Haase. Sanger
eil [Indischer Archipel] [North Sulawesi]. Hoedt,
type
. [colln no] 105. 546. The specimen is brittle and curved ventrally, many legs missing.
Description of
holotype
.
(Haase’s (1887) data in parentheses where relevant). Length 35 (37) mm. Colour dark brown with pale brown median stripe and a slight metallic sheen. (Tergites very dark brown ... lateral margin greenish black; strong metallic bronze green with violet sheen). Antennal articles 21+21, the basal 2.33 glabrous. Each forcipular coxosternal tooth-plate with three teeth, the lateral isolated, the inner two partially fused, trochanteroprefemoral process with slight indication of two medial denticles (
Fig. 38
) (basal tooth simple).
Tergites with very fine paramedian sutures complete from 5 (indistinct), marginate from 9 (10) without keels, spines or corrugations. Sternite paramedian sutures absent except for traces on anterior margin of sternites 1 and 2, without spines or depressions. Sternite of ultimate leg-bearing segment with sides converging posteriorly and angular posterior embayment (
Fig. 39
). Coxopleural process short, with one or two small apical spines, no lateral spines (one scarcely noticeable). Legs 1–7 missing, 9–21 with one tarsal spur (legs 1–4 with two tarsal spurs). Ultimate leg prefemoral spines VL 3, VM 0–1, M 2, DM 1, CS 1 (
Fig. 40
) (VL 3, VM 2, DM 1 CS 1).
Other material examined.
BMNH
three spms.
Otostignus
(
O.
)
punctiventer
1896
25 6–8. Bonthain Peak, Celebes [Sulawesi] A. Everett
5,000ft
. Length,
31 to 35 mm
. 19–20 antennal articles, the basal 2–2.25 glabrous. 3+3 forcipular coxosternal teeth. Tergites with minute tubercles/spinules from T6 or 10, with complete paramedian sutures from 5, 6 or 7, marginate from 6–8. Sternites without paramedian sutures. Sternite of ultimate leg-bearing segment with sides converging and posterior margin concave. Coxopleural process with two apical, and 0+1 or no lateral spines. Two tarsal spurs on first two or five pairs of legs, the remainder to 21 with one. Ultimate leg prefemoral spines VL 3–4 VM (1)2, M 0 or 1, DM 0, 1 or 2, CS 1.
Variation in populations of
O. metallicus
.
Kraepelin (1903)
gave, presumably for specimens from
Ceylon
, tergites with indistinct paramedian sutures and sternites without paramedian sutures. Coxopleural process 1–2 spined and a minute lateral spine. Legs 1–4 with two tarsal spurs, 20 and often 21 with one. VL 3, VM 2, M 2–3, DM 1, CS 1.
Lewis (1982)
described specimens from
Sarawak
as having 17, 19, 20 or 22, antennal articles, the basal 2.33–3 glabrous dorsally but a re-examination of the original data shows that specimen with 17 articles was a juvenile (
18 mm
) and most specimens had 2.25–2.33 articles glabrous.
Four small specimens (
10.5–18 mm
) from Liwa, Sumatra (
Lewis, 1991
) have 21 antennal articles, the basal 2.33–2.66 glabrous dorsally. Forcipular coxosternal tooth-plates each with three main teeth, the first and third often with a small subsidiary tooth. Anterior sternites with very short anterior paramedian sutures extending to two-thirds on posterior sternites. This may be a juvenile character and is not used in the diagnosis.
The presence of minute tubercles/spinules on the tergites of the specimens from Bonthain Peak, Sulawesi I consider insufficient to separate them from
O. metallicus
.
Remarks.
Kraepelin (1903)
gave the distribution of
O. metallicus
as Sangir-Inseln,
Ceylon
. He did not examine the
type
material.
Minelli, Bonato, Dioguardi
et al.
(2006
onwards) note that “the
type
locality was in
Indonesia
but it was incorrectly considered in
Sri Lanka
by
Kraepelin (1903)
”. This was due to a misinterpretation by Lewis of the meaning of Kraepelin’s “Sangir-Inseln,
Ceylon
”. It would appear that Kraepelin’s description was based on specimens from
Ceylon
.