Cermatobius longicornis ( Takakuwa, 1939 )

Song, Hui-Qin Ma Da-Xiang & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2007, Review of Cermatobius Haase, 1885 (Chilopoda: Henicopidae) of China and Neotype Designation for Cermatobius longicornis (Takakuwa, 1939), Zootaxa 1608, pp. 21-30 : 25-28

Cermatobius longicornis ( Takakuwa, 1939)

Esastigmatobius longicornis Takakuwa, 1939: 584 ; 1941: 84; Wang, 1959: 197; Wang & Mauriès, 1996: 90; Chao, 2005: 40.

Cermatobius longicornis: Würmli, 1977: 365 .

According to Takakuwa’s original description, the type of C. longicornis was deposited in Tokyo, Japan. However, Takashima (1954) reported that Takakuwa’s specimens were destroyed by an air-attack of Tokyo during World War II in 1945, and it is certain that no type material is still in existence. In view of this, it becomes imperative to designate a neotype for this species. In the following a detailed description of this neotype is given. In addition, some diagnostic characters for separating C. longicornis from closely related species, which have often been misidentified, are also given in key.

Neotype designated: ɗ ( Fig. 7 ), body length 24.5 mm, length of head-shield 2.5 mm, width of headshield 2.5 mm; from Hengshan Mountain, Hunan Province, 27°21'N 112°42'E, 17 May 2002, leg. Feng-xiang Liu, Zhi-sheng Zhang, Jin-yu Yang.

Other specimens examined: 1ɗ, Ganlong Town, Songtao County, Tongren City, Guizhou Province, 28°18'53.7"N 108°45'25.6"E, 6 August 2003, leg. Zhi-shun Song; 1Ψ, Lingshi Park, Lingshi County, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, 36°50'23.8"N 111°46'19.3" E, 6 October 2005, leg. Hui-qin Ma; 2Ψ, Daqingshan Mountain, Wuming County, Pingxiang City, Guangxi Province, 22°07'26"N 106°44'30"E, 14 May 2006, leg. Hui-qin Ma; 1Ψ, Langping Town, Tianlin County, Baise City, Guangxi Province, 24°24'N 106°18'E, 27 May 2006, leg. Hui-qin Ma.

Diagnosis: Maximum body length (from the anterior margin of the head-shield to the posterior end of telson) up to 27.1 mm, antennae composed of 45–56 antennomeres; one ocellus on each side; Tömösváry’s organ moderately large, ovate, smaller than the ocellus; 8+8–8+9 prosternal teeth, small and sharp; posterior angles of TT 2 and 4 having moderately round projections, TT 6 and 7 with moderately blunt projections, TT 9, 11 and 13 bearing sharp projections; a prominently strong distal spinose projection on the tibia of legs 1–13, without distal spinose projection on the tibia of legs 14–15; basitarsal-distitarsal articulation moderately welldefined on legs 1–12, well-defined on legs 13, 14 and 15; female gonopods with 4+4 moderately small, coniform spurs, and simple claw; coxal pores 7666, arranged in a row on the last pair of legs; male gonopods divided into four articles, the last one long, distally thornlike.

Description: Body length 14.3–27.1 mm; length of head-shield 1.7–2.6 mm, width of the head-shield 1.7–2.6 mm.

Color (based on specimens in 75% ethanol): Antennae deep chestnut-brown to orange, subterminal antennomeres with gradual transition into orange, the terminal orange; tergites pale chestnut-brown to chestnutbrown; the head-shield and the last tergite are slightly darker; pleural region pale grey, sternum light orange to chestnut-brown; maxillipede coxosternum and TT 14 and 15 of dust color to red-brown; distal part of forcipules red-brown, maxillipede coxosternum, TT 14 and 15 and genital sternite yellow-brown to chestnutbrown; all legs pale orange to pale chestnut-brown; distal tarsus yellow to yellow-brown.

Antennae of 45–56 antennomeres; basal antennomere slightly longer than wide, the second markedly longer than wide, the third slightly longer than wide, succeeding antennomeres typically wider than long; gradually lengthened beginning with the 20th antennomere, among them, some antennomeres show alternation of two short antennomeres and one long antennomere; terminal antennomere up to about 2.5–3.0 times as long as wide. Abundant setae inserted on antennal surface, fewer setae on both the ventral and the dorsal side and the inner side in basal antennomeres, gradually increasing in density to about the fourth or the fifth antennomere, then more or less constant.

Head-shield smooth, convex, with close netlike veins; tiny setae inserted in pores scattered very sparsely over the surface; frontal marginal ridge with deep anterior median furrow, and extending to one-third of the head-shield; posterior margin of the head-shield straight, posteromedially slightly wider than posterolaterally, marginal ridge continuous; head-shield about as long as wide or slightly longer than wide; 4 short to moderately long setae, scattered sparsely along the lateral border.

One ocellus on each side of head ( Fig. 8 ), oval, overhanging the lateral margin of head. Ocellus gently bulged, moderately domed, translucent, usually darkly pigmented in eyeground.

Tömösváry’s organ moderately large, oval, smaller than the adjoining ocellus ( Fig. 8 –T), lying on ventral margin of head posterior proventral to the ocellus.

Coxosternite of the maxillipede ( Fig. 9 ) trapezoidal, dental margin moderately broad; the outboard as long as inboard, median notch shallow, V-shaped; dental margin with obvious shoulder, with 8+8 or 8+9 teeth, moderately small and sharp ( Fig. 10 ); moderately long setae very sparsely scattered over the surface of the maxillipede coxosternite, comparatively long and thick setae near the dental margin.

All tergites moderately smooth, without wrinkles, backside slightly hunched; T 1 generally trapeziform, posterolateral narrower than anterolateral, slightly wider than T3 and the head-shield, the head-shield slightly wider than T3; tiny setae inserted in pores scattered very sparsely over the surface; lateral marginal ridge of tergites continuous, setae scattered sparsely along the lateral borders, thicker in the anterior part; posterior margin of T 1 slightly concave or straight, posterior margin of TT 3 and 5 concave, posterior margin of TT 8, 10, 12, 14 and 15 deeply concave; posterior angles of TT 2 and 4 with moderately round projections, TT 6 and 7 with moderately blunt projections, TT 9, 11 and 13 bearing sharp projections.

All sternites generally trapeziform, moderately smooth, setae scattered very sparsely on the lateral borders, and 2–4 relatively longer bristles on both anterolateral angles, a pair of longer bristles approximately symmetrical on the surface of each sternite; 1–2 comparatively long bristles scattered sparsely on posterior margin of sternites.

Legs strong, moderately long setae scattered on the surface of all legs, except tarsus, a few short setae among them; anterior and posterior accessory claws on all legs ( Fig. 11 ), anterior accessory claws lightly slen- der and sharp, forming relatively small angles with tarsal claws, posterior accessory claws moderately thicker and longer than the anterior one, forming relatively large angles with tarsal claws; basitarsal-distitarsal articulation moderately well-defined on legs 1–12, well-defined on legs 14 and 15; a prominently strong distal spinose projection on the tibia of legs 1–13, without distal spinose projection on the tibia of legs 14–15; 6–8 tarsomeres on the first legs, 9–10 tarsomeres on the second legs, 4–5 tarsomeres on the basitarsus and 5–6 tarsomeres on the distitarsus of the thirteenth legs, 5–6 tarsomeres on both basitarsus and distitarsus of the fourteenth legs, 8–11 tarsomeres on the basitarsus and 15–20 tarsomeres on the distitarsus of the fifteenth legs. Slightly slender setae arranged in a row on the posterior side of tarsus, slightly thick setae arranged in a row on the ventral side of tarsus; a few thickened setae encircling the distal margin of coxa, trochanter, prefemur, femur and tibia of all legs.

Coxal pore field set in a deep groove, the fringe of coxal pore field with obvious apophysis. Coxal pores long ovate, 6–7 coxal pores arranged in a row, usually 7666, 6677.

Female 15th sternite trapezoidal, posterior angles rounded, with approximately semicircular posterior margin, about 10 short to moderately long setae on the posterior margin.

Sternite of genital segment moderately large, not well sclerotised, the lateral and posteromedian sides sloping backwards, posterior margin concave between the condyles of gonopods, except for a small, approximately semicircular median bulge, distal part lightly sclerotised; long setae scattered fairly sparsely over the sternite of the genital segment, slightly denser in two posterior angles; gonopod divided into three articles, 12 short to moderately long setae on the first article of gonopod, arranged in three irregular rows; the first article of gonopod bearing 4+4 moderately small, coniform spurs ( Fig. 12 ), inner spur slightly smaller and more anterior than the outer, the distal one slightly curved inwards; about 10 moderately long setae on the ventral side of the second article, arranged in three irregular rows; 6 moderately long setae arranged in two rows on the ventral side of the third article, distal claws strong and simple ( Fig. 13 ).

Male 15th sternite trapezoidal, both posterior angles rounded, posterior margin semicircular, about 10 short to moderately long setae on the posterior margin of 15th sternite, usually yellow brown; sternite of genital segment moderately smaller than in the female, usually not well sclerotised, lateral and posteromedian sides sloping backwards, medially hunched, posterior margin deeply concave between the condyles of gonopods, without any bulge. Short to moderately long setae scattered evenly over the surface, a few setae near the fifteenth sternite, orderly fringe of long setae along the posterior margin.

Male gonopods moderately long, divided into four articles, the first article slightly thick, the second article slightly slender, the third more slender, the terminal thornlike; with many short to moderately long setae on the surface of the proximal three articles of male gonopods ( Fig. 14 ).

Discussion: Cermatobius longicornis resembles C. longitarsis ( Verhoeff, 1934a) from Japan and Taiwan in bearing 1 ocellus on each side, the three basal antennomeres longer than wide, and without strong distal spinose projection on the tibia of legs 14–15; but can be easily distinguished from the latter by the antennae of 45–56 antennomeres in C. longicornis , only 35–39 antennomeres in C. longitarsis ; 8+8–8+9 teeth on the dental margin of the maxillipede coxosternite instead of 5+5–6+6 teeth; female gonopods bearing 4+4–5+5 coniform spurs instead of 3+3–4+ 4 in C. longitarsis .

Distribution: China (Guizhou, Shanxi, Guangxi, Hunan and Taiwan), Japan, Korean Peninsula.

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 14. Cermatobius longicornis, 7, Neotype, male, dorsal view, scale 1 mm; 8, ocellus and Tömösváry’s organ (8 – T), left lateral view, scale 250 µm; 9, maxillipede, ventral view, scale 500 µm; 10, dental margin of maxillipede coxosternum, ventral view, scale 250 µm; 11, tarsal claws and its accessory claws, ventral view, scale 250 µm; 12, female, posterior segments and gonopods, ventral view, scale 500 µm; 13, female, claw of gonopods, internal view, scale 250 µm; 14 male, posterior segments and gonopods, ventral view, scale 500 µm.