Otostigmus (Parotostigmus) suitius Chamberlin, 1914

Chagas-Jr, Amazonas, 2016, A systematic appraisal of the types of ten species of Otostigmus (Parotostigmus) (Scolopendromorpha, Scolopendridae, Otostigminae), Zootaxa 4147 (1), pp. 36-58 : 52-53

Otostigmus (Parotostigmus) suitius Chamberlin, 1914

( Figures 34–37 )

Otostigmus suitius Chamberlin, 1914: 174 ;

Otostigmus (Parotostigmus) suitius Attems, 1930: 167 (Listed by Attems (ibid) as inadequately described); Bücherl, 1942: 64, 118;

Otostigmus casus Chamberlin, 1914: 176 . Syn. nov.

Otostigmus rex Chamberlin, 1914: 175 . Syn. nov.

Otostigmus samacus Chamberlin, 1942: 175 . Syn. nov.

Type material examined. Holotype MCZ IZ no.1488 (14559), Brazil, Rio Madeira , 306 Km from Porto Velho Expedition, Stanford Expedition to Brazil 1911, Coll: W.M. Mann, 1911 ( Figs 34–35 ).

Diagnosis. Tergites 9–21 with scattered tubercles; tergites 12–20 with the sides more tuberculate. Sternites without sutures; sternite 2–18 with a rounded depression at center. Legs 1–19 with one tarsal spur.

Redescription (holotype). Length: 55 mm from the anterior margin of the cephalic plate to the posterior margin of tergite 21. Antennae with 17 articles on the left and 13 on the right (damage), the two basal articles glabrous. Cephalic plate smooth, without sutures and depressions (with two short longitudinal furrows).

Coxosternal tooth-plates, wider than long, with 4+4 teeth and a strong seta in each plate. Coxosternite with a transverse suture at the base of the tooth plates, this suture is bifurcate laterally. Margin of the forcipular trochanteroprefemoral process with two short denticles and the tip pointed.

Tergites 5–20 with complete paramedian sutures (from 4); tergites 7–21 marginate (only in tergite 21); tergites 1–8 smooth (wholly smooth), the number of tubercles increasing from tergites 9–21; posterior tergites are densely tuberculate; tergites 12–20 with the sides more tuberculate (plates mostly depressed between median sulci and with a weak developed median keel indicated on plates from third caudad).

Tergite 21 with posterior margin convex (moderately bowed caudad), the posterior margin with a shallow median longitudinal depression ( Fig. 36 ).

Sternites without sutures; sternite 2–18 with a rounded depression at center, those of sternites 2 and 3 very shallow (with three pit-like depressions arranged in a triangle as usual; there are also three other depressions along the caudal border); sternite 21 with straight posterior margin (truncate caudad with the corners slightly round) ( Fig. 37 ).

Coxopleuron without spines. Pore-field covers almost all coxopleuron, only the posterior end poreless. Legs 1 with prefemoral and tibial spurs; legs 1–19 with one tarsal spur (not described). Ultimate legs missing.

Remarks. Chamberlin (1914) suggested that O. suitius is closely related to O. scabricauda because of the presence of digital appendix on prefemur of ultimate legs of males, but this character examined in the type of O. suitius show that it is similar to O. casus , O. rex , and O. samacus . Besides, O. suitius , O. casus , and O. rex were collected at the same type locality. All three species have the anterior tergites smooth and the following tergites increasingly tuberculate, coxosternal tooth-plates with 4+4 teeth, and shallow rounded depressions in sternites. Therefore, O. casus , O. rex and O. samacus are here considered as the junior synonyms of O. suitius .

Figures

FIGURES 34 – 35. Otostigmus (P.) suitius. Holotype MCZ IZ no. 1488 (14559). 34. Habitus, (dorsal view). 35. Habitus, (ventral view). Scale bars 10 mm.

FIGURES 36 – 37. Otostigmus (P.) suitius. Holotype MCZ IZ no. 1488 (14559). 36. Tergite of ultimate leg-bearing segment. 37. Sternite and coxopleuron of ultimate leg-bearing segment. Scale bars 1 mm.