Odontopygidae Attems 1909a

Frederiksen, Sara B. & Enghoff, Henrik, 2012, East African odontopygid millipedes 1: Five new species of Xystopyge (Attems, 1909) and a proposal for a new gonopod terminology (Diplopoda; Spirostreptida; Odontopygidae), Zootaxa 3485, pp. 69-82 : 71

Family Odontopygidae Attems 1909a

Diagnosis: A family of Spirostreptida , suborder Spirostreptidea, differing from other families of the suborder by usually having the anal valves produced dorsally into a spine and often also ventrally with a somewhat smaller spinelike projection, by having the gonopod telopodites curving mesad and crossing over (curving laterad in other families) and by having the ninth pair of male legs represented by a visible sternal remnant (‘posterior sternum’, absent in other families).

Descriptive notes: The external characters of odontopygids are quite monotonous, with the exception of the limbus ( Figs. 1-2 ) which is quite diverse. Taxonomic characters are almost exclusively in the gonopods. Coxal part of gonopods in the shape of a folded sheet divisible into a large posterior metaplica which is laterally continuous with the anterior proplica. Metaplica usually of complicated structure, especially apically, with a number of lobes and spines. Basal part of telopodite (basomere) concealed in the space (‘gonoschisma’ of Hoffman, 2008) between meta- and proplica; distal part of basomere set off from basal part by an approximately 90° bend, projecting mesad from coxal part—opposite telopodites therefore crossing. Basomere usually with a torsate zone (torsotope) and often with one or more spines. Distally to torsotope, telopodite divided into two branches: a relatively simple solenomere, carrying the ‘prostatic’ or ‘efferent’ groove (cf. Enghoff 2011), and an often extremely complicated telomere which often more or less conceals the solenomere and usually is provided with a number of spines, lamellae, denticles etc.

Distribution: Sub-Saharan Africa excluding Madagascar. Introduced on the Cape Verde Islands.

Figures

FIGURE 1 – 7. Xystopyge pelecys n. sp. 1: Limbus, external view. 2: Limbus, internal view. 3: Posterior sternum. 4: Gonopod coxa, anterior view. 5: Gonopod telepodite. 6 – 7: Telomere apex. Scales 10 μm (1 – 2), 100 μm (3 – 7). — al 1, al 2: apical lamellae of telomere.