Cryptops campestris Attems, 1952

Lewis, John G. E., 2011, A review of the species in the genus Cryptops Leach, 1815 from the Old World related to Cryptops (Cryptops) hortensis (Donovan, 1810) (Chilopoda, Scolopendromorpha, International Journal of Myriapodology 4, pp. 11-50 : 16

Cryptops campestris Attems, 1952 Figs 8-16

Cryptops hortensis campestris Attems, 1952 Annls Mus. R. Congo Belge Sér. 8vo, Sci. Zool. 18: 129, fig. 213.

Cryptops campestris : Dobroruka, 1968 Rev. Zool. Bot. Afr. 78: 212.

Material examined.

NMW. Parts of four syntypes on two slides Inv. Nr. 2950 Cryptops hortensis campestris . Rwanda, Rugege Wald [ Forét de Rugege, 2,000 m]. Slide 1. Cephalic plate, forcipules and anterior segments of three specimens. Slide 2. Cephalic plate, maxillae, forcipules and ultimate legs. There appear to be no complete specimens of this “subspecies” although Attems recorded it from five localities.

Description.

( Attems’ (1952) data in parentheses). (Length 12 mm. Colour ochre yellow). Antennal articles short, the basal 3 with some long setae, 3 with some shorter setae, 4 and subsequent with shorter setae and median whorl of long setae. (Head plate and tergite 1 without sutures, the head overlapped by tergite 1). Clypeus with 2+1+2+2 long and 2+2 minute setae (Fig. 8) or 2+1+2 long and 5 minute to small setae and 6 prelabral setae. Anterior wall of coxosternite almost straight, with 1 or 2 long fine setae and 2 or 3 small setae on each side (Figs 9, 10) (with 2+2 large and 2+2 or 2+3 small setae somewhat behind the wall). Poison gland calyx subspherical, situated in anterior region of forcipular trochanteroprefemur (Fig. 11).

(Paramedian sulci from tergite 6, lateral crescentic sulci from 4-19. Tergite 21 without a depression. Sternites with cross sulci).

(Coxopleural pore field reaches hind wall [of?], with some setae). Ultimate legs (Fig. 12) with fine setae on tibia and tarsi and dorsally on prefemur and femur, thicker ventrolaterally, ventrally and ventromedially on prefemur (Fig. 13) and less so ventrolaterally and ventromedially on femur (Fig. 13). Prefemur without median glabrous strip. Tibia with 5, tarsus 1 with 3 saw teeth (Figs 14, 15) (6+3). Legs with long fine setae, pretarsal accessory spurs small (Fig. 16).

Distribution.

Rwanda; Democratic Republic of Congo.

Remarks.

The species has been inadequately described there being no data on the shape of sternite 21 or the arrangement of coxopleural pores, but, as Dobroruka (1968) realised, it is clearly not a subspecies of Cryptops hortensis which, in any case, would not make sense geographically. It may well be conspecific with Cryptops decoratus or Cryptops melanotypus but I currently regard it as a nomen dubium.