Cermatobius longitarsis (Verhoeff, 1934)

Song, Hui-Qin Ma Da-Xiang & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2007, Review of Cermatobius Haase, 1885 (Chilopoda: Henicopidae) of China and Neotype Designation for Cermatobius longicornis (Takakuwa, 1939), Zootaxa 1608, pp. 21-30 : 22-25

Cermatobius longitarsis (Verhoeff, 1934)

Diagnosis: Maximum body length (from the anterior margin of the head-shield to the posterior end of telson) up to 17.1 mm, antennae composed of 35–39 antennomeres; one oval ocellus on each side; Tömösváry’s organ moderately large, round, smaller than the ocellus; 5+5–6+6 prosternal teeth, small and blunt; posterior angles of T 2 having moderately round projections, T 4 having moderately blunt projections, TT 6 and 7 with moderately sharp projections, TT 9, 11, 13 bearing very sharp projections; a prominently strong distal spinose projection on the tibia of legs 1–13, no distal spinose projection on the tibia of legs 14–15; basitarsal-distitarsal articulation not well-defined on legs 1–12, well-defined on legs 13, 14 and 15; 11 tarsomeres on the basitarsus and 20 tarsomeres on the distitarsus of fifteenth legs. Female gonopods with 3+3 moderately small, coniform spurs, and simple claw; coxal pores 5–7, arranged in a row in the last four pair of legs; male gonopods divided into four articles, the last one long and thornlike.

Description: Body length 9.5–17.1 mm; length of the head-shield 1.17–1.60 mm, width of the headshield 1.20–1.65 mm.

Color (based on specimens in 75% ethanol): Antennae orange; tergites pale brown to chestnut-brown; the head-shield and the last two tergites slightly darker; pleural region pale grey with reddish hue, the ventral light orange to chestnut-brown; distal part of forcipules black red, maxillipede coxosternum and TT 14 and 15 of dust color to red-brown; anterior 10 sternites with pale orange, posterior sternites gradually turning into chestnut-brown; color of T 15 and sternite of genital segment darkest, all legs pale orange.

Antennae of 35–39 antennomeres ( Fig. 1 ); basal antennomere longer than wide, the second markedly longer than wide, the third slightly longer than wide, succeeding antennomeres typically wider than long; gradually lengthening beginning with the 18th antennomere, some antennomeres show the alternation of two short antennomeres and one long antennomere; terminal antennomere up to about 3.4–3.5 times as long as wide. Abundant setae inserted on antennal surface, fewer setae on both the ventral and dorsal side and the inner side on basal antennomeres, gradually increasing in density to about the fifth antennomere, then more or less constant.

Head-shield smooth, convex, pigment concentrated as close netlike veins; tiny setae inserted in pores scattered very sparsely over the surface; frontal marginal ridge with deep anterior median furrow, extending to clypeal furrow of head-shield; 4 short to moderately long setae scattered along the frontal marginal ridge of the head-shield; posterior margin of the head-shield slightly concave, posteromedially slightly wider than posterolaterally, marginal ridge of the head-shield continuous; slightly wider than the length of the head-shield; 4 short to moderately long setae, scattered sparsely along its lateral border between ocellus and posterior margin.

One ocellus on each side ( Fig. 2 ), oval, comparatively large, overhanging the lateral margin of the head. Ocellus gently bulging, moderately domed, translucent, usually darkly pigmented in eyeground.

Tömösváry’s organ moderately large ( Fig. 2 –T), nearly rounded, smaller than the ocellus, situated inward of anterolateral margin of cephalic pleurite, posterior ventral to the ocellus.

Maxillipede coxosternite ( Fig. 3 ) trapezoidal, dental margin moderately broad and short; outboard as long as inboard, median notch shallow, V-shaped; dental margin bearing an obvious shoulder, with 5+5 or 6+6 teeth, commonly 6+6, comparatively small and moderately blunt ( Fig. 4 ); a pair of longer bristles approximately symmetrical on the surface of each coxosternite, a pair of longer bristles approximately symmetrical on the ventral surface of each prefemur of the maxillipede; moderately long setae very sparsely scattered over the surface of the maxillipede coxosternite, comparatively long and thick setae near the dental margin.

All tergites moderately smooth, without wrinkles, backside slightly hunched; T 1 generally trapeziform, posterolateral narrower than anterolateral, slightly wider than T3 and the head-shield, the head-shield slightly wider than T3; tiny setae inserted in pores scattered very sparsely over the surface; lateral marginal ridge of all tergites continuous, setae scattered sparsely along the lateral borders, thicker on the anterior border, moreover, 2–4 moderately long bristles among them; posterior margin of TT 1, 3 and 5 slightly concave, posterior margin of TT 8 and 10 concave, posterior margin of TT 12, 14 and 15 deeply concave; posterior angles of T 2 moderately rounded, posterior angles of T 4 moderately blunt projections, TT 6 and 7 moderately sharp projections, TT 9, 11, 13 markedly sharply projections ( Fig. 1 ).

All sternites generally trapeziform, moderately smooth, setae scattered very sparsely on the surface, two pair of longer bristles approximately symmetrical on the surface of the anterior part of each sternite; and 2–4 relatively longer bristles on both anterior lateral borders, 1–2 comparatively long bristles scattered sparsely on posterior margin of sternites.

Legs strong, comparatively long setae scattered on the surface of all legs, except tarsus, a few short setae among them; only 1 or 2 pair of long setae on the tarsal surface of legs 1–10, beginning to increase from legs 11, evidently increasing in density on the legs 12–15; anterior and posterior accessory claws on legs 1–14, anterior accessory claws lightly slender and sharp, form relatively small angles with tarsal claws, posterior accessory claws moderately thicker and longer than the anterior one, form relatively large angles with tarsal claws, only with posterior accessory claws in legs 15, without anterior accessory claws; basitarsal-distitarsal articulation moderately well-defined on legs 1–12, well-defined on legs 13–15, tarsus obviously curved ventrally; a prominently strong distal spinose projection on the tibia of legs 1–13, without distal spinose projection on the tibia of legs 14–15; 4–5 tarsomeres on the first legs, 5–6 tarsomeres on the second legs, both 5–6 tarsomeres on the basitarsus and distitarsus of the thirteenth legs, 4–5 tarsomeres on the basitarsus and 5–6 tarsomeres on the distitarsus of the fourteenth legs, 9–11 tarsomeres on the basitarsus and 18–20 tarsomeres on the distitarsus of the fifteenth legs. Slightly slender setae arranged in a row on the posterior side of tarsus, slightly thick setae arranged in a row on the ventral side of tarsus; a few thickened setae encircling the distal margin of coxa, trochanter, prefemur, femur and tibia of all legs.

Coxal pore field set in a very deep groove, the fringe of coxal pore field with obvious apophysis and extending to posterior, coxal pores commonly sheltered from it. Coxal pores long ovate, 5–7 pores arranged in a row, usually 5667, 5555.

Female 15th sternite trapezoidal, posterior margin slightly concave, about 6 short to moderately long setae on the posterior margin of 15th sternite; commonly yellow brown.

Sternite of genital segment moderately large, usually not well sclerotised, lateral and posteromedian sides sloping backwards, posterior margin concave between the condyles of gonopods, except for a small, median approximately semicircular bulge, sloping backwards, distally lightly sclerotised; comparatively long setae scattered fairly sparsely over the sternite of the genital segment, slightly thickened at the posterior angles; gonopod of three articles, the first article bearing 20 short to moderately long setae, arranged in irregular four rows; 3+3 moderately small, coniform spurs ( Fig. 5 ), inner spur slightly smaller and more anterior than the outer; about 10 moderately long setae on the ventral side of the second article, arranged in three irregular rows, 4 moderately long setae arranged in two rows on the ventral side of the third article, distal claws strong and simple.

Male 15th sternite trapezoidal, posterior margin slightly concave, about 6 short to moderately long setae on the posterior margin.

Sternite of genital segment moderately smaller than in the female, usually not well sclerotised, lateral and posteromedian sides sloping backwards, medial hunched, posterior margin deep concave between condyles of gonopods, without bulge. Short to moderately long setae scattered evenly over the surface, a few setae near the fifteenth sternite, orderly fringe of longer setae along the posterior margin.

Male gonopods comparatively long, divided into four articles, the first article slightly thick, the second article slightly slender, the third more slender, the fourth setiform; many short to moderately long setae on the surface of the proximal three articles of male gonopods ( Fig. 6 ).

Material examined: 5Ψ, 6ɗ, campus of Hebei University, Baoding City, Hebei Province, 38°48'N 115°24'E, 8 August 2005, leg. Hui-qin Ma; 1 Ψ, same locality, 25 April 2006, leg. Hui-qin Ma.

Distribution: China (Hebei and Taiwan), Japan.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Cermatobius longitarsis, 1, male, dorsal view, scale 1 mm; 2, ocellus and Tömösváry’s organ (2 – T), left lateral view, scale 250 µm; 3, maxillipede coxosternum, ventral view, scale 500 µm; 4, dental margin of maxillipede coxosternum, ventral view, scale 250 µm; 5, female, posterior segments and gonopods, ventral view, scale 500 µm; 6, male, posterior segments and gonopods, ventral view, scale 500 µm.