Archispirostreptus gigas ( Peters 1855 )

Mwabvu, Tarombera, Hamer, Michelle, Slotow, Rob & Barraclough, David, 2010, A revision of the taxonomy and distribution of Archispirostreptus Silvestri 1895 (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Spirostreptidae), and description of a new spirostreptid genus with three new species, Zootaxa 2567, pp. 1-49 : 13-18

Archispirostreptus gigas ( Peters 1855)

Fig. 5

Spirostreptus gigas Peters 1855 , p. 536, figs 1–2.

Archispirostreptus gigas: Silvestri 1895 ; Schubart 1951; Hoffman 1965; Krabbe & Enghoff 1978; Krabbe 1982; Hamer 1998, 1999

Graphidostreptus gigas: Attems 1914 ; Attems 1928

Further synonymy in Krabbe (1982)

Type material (not examined): MOZAMBIQUE: 1 3, Tete.The location of the type material is unknown.

Additional material examined: KENYA: 1 3, 2 Ƥ, Tsavo, Taita Discovery Center [03° 25' S, 38° 46'E], 6.xii.2000, Van den Spiegel D. ( MRAC 20254); 1 3, 1 Ƥ, Ngaia Forest [0° 24' N, 38° 02'E], 3.xii.2002, Van den Spiegel D. ( MRAC 20764).

Diagnosis: Lateral metaplical process short and broad with a short terminal spine; lateral metaplical process at acute angle with apical metaplical process; lateral and medial edges of apical metaplical process convex proximally; lateral metaplical process darker proximally than distally; apical metaplical process darker laterally and proximally than medially or distally ( Figs 5a, 5b ).

Description: Size: Body length 178–260 mm; maximum body width 15–19 mm.

Number of body rings: 62–70.

Colour: Black.

Collum: Rounded without anterior lobe ( Fig. 5c ), with 2–3 complete striae and an incomplete stria.

Pre-femoral process of 1st pair of male legs: Proximally wide with laterally deflected apical extension ( Fig. 5c ).

Gonopod: ( Figs 5a, 5b ) Sternum broad, short and apically rounded; apex of sternum not reaching level of paracoxite apex; paracoxite rounded and fused tightly to metaplica.

Proximal proplica with raised lateral and medial edges; apically proplicae rounded, overlapping lateral metaplical process proximally and with an apical medial lobe.

Proximal medial edges of oral fold of metaplicae raised.

Proximal half of opposite telocoxites touching medially, further apart distal to lateral metaplical process ( Figs 5a, 5b ).

Lateral metaplical processes short and broad, crescent-shaped and tapering distally, and may have a small terminal spine. Lateral metaplical process at acute angle with apical metaplical process.

Lateral and medial edges of apical metaplical process convex proximally; apical metaplical process broad and opaque proximally.

Aborally, medial edge of metaplicae raised ( Fig. 5b ).

Apex of antetorsal process extends past paracoxite apex.

Distribution: Known from Mozambique, South Africa, Zanzibar, Somalia, Tanzania ( Krabbe 1982) and Kenya.

Remarks: The opposite telocoxites of the gonopods in A. gigas are separated at the level of the lateral metaplical processes as in A. phillipsii , A. lugubris , A. syriacus , A. tumuliporus , A. smithii and A. dodsoni . The convex shapes of the lateral and medial edges of the apical metaplical process of the gonopod are unique to A. gigas .

Considering where A. gigas has been collected and the distance between the localities, the currently known distribution may be a collecting artifact. The known distribution suggests that it is more widespread along the east coast of Africa than further inland.

The type is missing from the ZMH collection where it was said to be housed ( Krabbe 1982); this was confirmed by museum curators.

Figures

FIGURE 5 a, b. Archispirostreptus gigas (MRAC 20764). a, oral view of gonopods; b, aboral view of gonopods.