Alipes Imhoff, 1854

Schileyko, Arkady A., Vahtera, Varpu & Edgecombe, Gregory D., 2020, An overview of the extant genera and subgenera of the order Scolopendromorpha (Chilopoda): a new identification key and updated diagnoses, Zootaxa 4825 (1), pp. 1-64 : 46

(!) Alipes Imhoff, 1854

Figs 84–88

Type species. Alipes multicostis Imhoff, 1854 (by monotypy).

Diagnosis. Median tooth of labrum well developed. Forcipular tooth-plates present, trochantero-prefemur with well-developed process ( Fig. 86 ). Tergites with some (usually five) longitudinal keels ( Fig. 87 ); well-developed spinules (not tubercles, as noted Edgecombe & Bonato 2011) of various sizes arranged along the keels (“spinulated keels”, see above). Space between tergal keels spinulated (not granulated, as noted Edgecombe & Bonato 2011). Sternites lacking both paramedian sutures and longitudinal sulci, sometimes with some (in most species three) shallow depressions. LBS 7 lacking spiracles, the latter with an atrium. Legs with tarsal spur(s). Coxopleural process very short, apically rounded and spineless ( Fig. 88 ). Ultimate legs considerably elongated, prefemur and femur normal, tibia and tarsi strongly flattened forming an oval leaf-shaped structure ( Fig. 85 ), with stridulatory grates on opposite surfaces of tibia and tarsus 1; pretarsus rudimentary or totally reduced. Ultimate prefemur ( Fig. 88 ) lacking both spines and corner spine; in A. appendiculatus Pocock, 1896 and A. calcipes Cook, 1897 prefemur with a median digitiform process attaching close to its base. This process is long in males (fig. 214 in Attems 1930) and rudimentary in females and is similar to that of Parotostigmus males.

Number of species. 7 ( Bonato et al. 2016).

Sexual dimorphism. Present in two species.

Remarks. Treated as a genus by Edgecombe & Bonato (2011: 402), Vahtera et al. (2012a: 7, 2012b: 235, 2013: 581), Joshi & Edgecombe (2018: 1318). The most recent morphological accounts on Alipes are Lewis (2001) and Iorio (2003).

Figures

FIGURES 84–88. Alipes multicostis Imhoff, 1854; Live specimen CDT (photo by Dmitry Telnov) 84 general view dorsally; Alipes grandidieri Lucas, 1864; BMNH 1959.3.8 85 distal part of ultimate leg laterally; Alipes appendiculatus Pocock, 1896; BMNH1950.3.9.2 86 forcipular segment ventrally 87 LBS 4–10 dorsally; Alipes grandidieri Lucas, 1864; BMNH1959.3.8 88 LBS 21 + prefemora of ultimate legs ventrally; (bs)—basal suture of forcipular tooth-plate, (cp)—very short spineless coxopleural process, (cx)—coxopleuron, (pf)—ultimate prefemur, (pr)—trochantero-prefemoral process, (t1)—flattened tarsus 1, (t2)—flattened tarsus 2, (T5)—terite 5, (ti)—flattened tibia, (tk)—tergal longitudinal keels, (tp)—forcipular tooth-plate, (ust)—ultimate sternite.