Scleropauropus Silvestri, 1902

Scheller, Ulf, 2007, Revision of the genus Scleropauropus Silvestri, 1902 (Myriapoda: Pauropoda: Pauropodidae), Zootaxa 1585, pp. 59-68 : 60

Scleropauropus Silvestri, 1902

Scleropauropus Silvestri, 1902 . —Ordo Pauropoda. In: Berlese, A (Ed.), Acari, Myriopoda et Scorpiones hucusque in Italia reperta, 10: 65–66, and fasc. 96, no. 8, pl. 13.

Silvestri´s diagnosis (Fasc. 96, no. 8) — translated here from Latin was as follows: “Antennae with the anterior margin of the lower branch somewhat shorter than the posterior margin and with the stalk of the globulus somewhat shorter than the diameter of the globulus. Tergites chitinized, grainy and adorned with lanceolate setae. Bothriotricha protrude from the lateral margins of the tergites. Pygidial tergum with four lanceolate setae and two long lateral setae; pygidial sternum with long posterior setae only. Legs rather long with pointed main claw having on each side a small secondary claw consisting of a plate ending in a point.”

Remy (1950) modified Silvestri´s diagnosis proposing the following wording: “Au rameau antennaire sternal, le bord antérieur est plus court que le bord postérieur, le pédoncule du globule est plus court que le diamètre de l´organe. Les tergites, en général épais et granuleux, sont pourvus ordinairement de poils lancéolés, parfois de poils semblables à ceux des Pauropidae . Au tergum pygidial, les sois submedianes a 1 et intermédiares a 2 sont généralement lancéolées, parfois longues et grêles, les sois latérales a 3 étant en général relativement longues et grêles, rarement courtes et lancéolées; le sternum pygidial porte des soies postérieures b 1 et soit des soies antérieures b 3, soit des soies latérales b 2. Plaque anale plus ou moins lyriforme, sa région postérieure présentant 3 encoches limitées par 4 cornes: 2 submédianes, 2 latérales, celles-ci parfois à peine marquées.”

In both Silvestri´s and Remy´s diagnoses there are characters of low value for delimiting genera, e.g. the stalk of antennal globulus somewhat shorter than the diameter of the globulus; tergites chitinized, grainy; pygidial tergum with four lanceolate setae and two long lateral setae; legs rather long. None of these characters is specific for Scleropauropus . In combination with Remy´s new character, the pygidial tergum having two pairs of setae, b 1+ b 2 or b 1+ b 3, no less specific for Scleropauropus , these vague characters have resulted in the inclusion of many species so that the genus is today indistinctly delimitated.