Cryptops decoratus Lawrence, 1960

Lewis, JGE, 2002, their adjacent islets (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha), Journal of Natural History 36, pp. 79-106 : 95-96

Cryptops decoratus Lawrence

(®gures 36±43)

Cryptops decoratus Lawrence, 1960: 84 , ®gures 25c, d, 26.

Diagnosis

Head and tergite 1 without sulci or sutures. Tergite paramedian sulci complete from 4, 5 or 6. With dark subcuticular pigments, this very much reduced in the Serpent Island population. Anterior margin of coxosternum: each side convex with 1 2 to 31 3 large submarginal setae. Sternite 21 a little wider than long (1.2:1). Coxopleural pores 7±16. Pore ®eld not reaching hind margin. End legs with spinelike setae, femur without saw teeth. Two tarsal claw spines (only recorded in Mauritius specimens).

Material studied

Round Island. Spm 1, 13 mm, narrow crevice in tuOE rock, 2 November 1995,. J. Lewis. Spms 2 and 3, 11 mm, the same. Spm 4, 10 mm, crevices in tuOE rocks, SE-facing slope, 1 November 1995, P. Daszak. Spms 5±8, 9± 12 mm, under boulders and crevices tuOE rock, 2 November 1995, J. G. E. Lewis. Spm 9, 9 mm, under stone Camp Gully, 1 November 1995, S. J. Lewis. Serpent Island. Four spms, 12.5 ± 15 mm

soil under slabs of tuOE rock, 4 November 1995, P. Daszak.

Description of Round Island specimens

Colour brownish orange, light orange or greyish yellow. Dark grey pigment stripes laterally beneath tergites and with double median strip (®gure 36). Less intense in mid-body region. Tergite 21 with two small lateral posterior patches. A few anterior segments with pigmentation ventrally or not (spm 3).

Head without sutures except very short posterior paramedian sutures at posterior margin of head capsule seen below overlapping tergite 1 in spm 1. Basal four antennomeres shown in ®gure 37. Ventrally with short setae distally on 3, on complete ventral surface on 4. First tergite overlies posterior border of head capsule. Coxosternum with 21 2, 21 3 or 31 3 large submarginal setae and one or two small setae on each side (®gure 38). Forcipules and poison gland as in ®gure 39.

Tergites with median ridge from 3, 4 or 5, paramedian sulci from 4, 5 or 6 to

. In spm 3 (cleared), very short, anterior paramedian sutures on tergite 4, occupying anterior 70% on 5 and anterior 90% on 19. Lateral curved sulci on 3±19. Tergite with posterior longitudinal median depression.

Sternite 1 with poorly developed endosternite, suprasternites distinct. Sternites with gutter-like cruciform sulci on 2±19 or 20. Sternite 21 with hind border straight slightly curved. Transverse skeletal thickening very weak or absent.

Legs 1±19 with undivided tarsi. Setae ®ne to moderate but not spine-like. With two claw spines. The posterior reaching to about 40% the length of the claw, the anterior a little shorter (®gure 40) but sometimes only 12% of the claw length and easily overlooked.

Coxopleural pores 7±16, pore ®eld occupying 60±66% of coxopleuron (®gure 41). Six setae along the posterior edge of the coxopleuron, one or two in front of these and six small setae in the pore ®eld (®gure 42). End leg prefemur with spine-like setae on anterior, ventral and posterior faces, posterior face with broad elongated glabrous strip (®gure 41). Spine-like setae on ventral and posterior faces of femur. Saw teeth 01 61 4 in spm 2, 01 71 3 in spm 3, 01 51 3 in others. Gland ducts contorted (®gure 43).

Spiracles oval.

Maturity. Spms 1 and 2 (males) cleared in lactic acid contain spermatophores. Spm 3 (female) spermathecae contain sperm but developing ova not detected.

Description of Serpent Island specimens

Colour greyish yellow to pale olive brown with subcuticular pigmentation restricted to pale brown median subcuticular strip below tergites 3 and 4 in spm 1, ± 10 in spm 2. In cleared specimens paramedian sutures occupy anterior 57% on tergite 5, 65% on tergite 10, 94±100% on tergite 16. Coxopleuron with 9±16 pores occupying anterior 65%. Five large setae on posterior edge, two to four in front and six to eight small setae in pore ®eld.

Remarks

This species was previously recorded from a number of localities in Madagascar Lawrence, 1960).