Sinocallipus Zhang, 1993

Shear, W, Shelley, R & Heatwole, H, 2003, Occurrence of the milliped Sinocallipus simplipodicus Zhang, 1993 in Laos, with reviews of the Southeast Asian and global callipodidan faunas, and remarks on the phylogenetic position of the order (Callipodida: Sinocallipodidea: Sinocallipodidae)., Zootaxa 365, pp. 1-20 : 8

Genus Sinocallipus Zhang, 1993

Sinocallipus Zhang, 1993:129 . Shelley et al., 2000:59.

Type species. Sinocallipus simplipodicus Zhang, 1993 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. A genus of moderate­size Callipodida with low, narrow, primary crests, secondary and tertiary crests absent, without crest transition or setal migration. Gonopodal coxa with two medial, clavate processes anteriad and long, slender cannula, either curved or coiled, directed anteriolaterad, terminating freely, not interconnecting apically with telopodite; latter without prostatic groove, with three or four slender, narrowly separated, terminal projections directed anteriomediad and overlapping or terminating close to coxal processes. 9th legs in males with distomedial, deeply excavated trochanteral lobe, possessing central pore and spur­like to subspiniform projections.

Distribution. Known from one locality each in Yunnan Province, China, and Champasak/Attapu Provinces, in southern Laos, both of which are south of the Tropic of Cancer. These sites are approximately 600 mi (960 km) apart, which constitutes the known generic range.

Species. One is known, but others may exist in the projected ordinal area in southeastern Asia. Callipodidan telopodites usually exhibit distinct prostatic grooves and are the presumably “functional” elements that inseminate females. They are also typically elaborate structures possessing most of the taxonomic characters at the specific levels, so without such a telopodite and with so few specimens available, it is unknown how specific differences manifest themselves in Sinocallipus . Whether features like a markedly longer cannula that curves rather than coils reflect reproductive isolation remains for future workers to determine. Cannula length could also vary geographically or clinally, being longer in southern populations and indicative of geographic races that may warrant taxonomic recognition at the subspecific level. The Laotian specimens differ from Zhang’s account of those from China in both somatic and gonopodal features; not knowing how much taxonomic value to place on them, we adopt the conservative treatment and assign the specimens to S. simplipodicus . Additional material from other localities is needed before species and subspecific distinctions in Sinocallipus can be properly evaluated.