Plagiotaphrus sulcifer Attems 1914

Mwabvu, Tarombera, Hamer, Michelle, Slotow, Robert & Barraclough, David, 2009, A review of the taxonomy and distribution of Plagiotaphrus Attems 1914 (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Spirostreptidae), Zootaxa 2304, pp. 51-60 : 53-55

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.275343
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6219429
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F987AC-B86F-1D33-0EA3-405C52D7FD27
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Plagiotaphrus sulcifer Attems 1914
status

Treatment

Plagiotaphrus sulcifer Attems 1914 View in CoL

Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1

Plagiotaphrus sulcifer: Attems 1914 View in CoL , p. 160, figs 165–171.

Plagiotaphrus sulcifer: Attems 1914, 1928 View in CoL ; Hoffman 1971; Krabbe 1982; Hamer 1999

Type material (not examined): EAST AFRICA: Chire ( MALAWI, Shire?): [13 0S, 33 0 51'E]

Additional material examined: ZIMBABWE: 1 ♂, Makuvatsine Secondary school, Guruve [16 0 14'S, 30 0 38'E], 1.xii.1998, T. Mwabvu ( NMSA 20506). 1 ♂, Cirad Camp, Mushumbi [16 0S, 30 0E], 19.iii.1997, F. Nyathi (NMZ/D830); 1 ♂, Mahuwe, Guruve [16 0 39'S, 30 0 42'E], 1.xii.1998, T. Mwabvu ( NMSA 20486).

Diagnosis: Subapical proplica without a rounded lateral lobe; apical proplica narrow and convex medially ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 a); antetorsal process crescent-shaped distally ( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 b, 1e).

Description: Size: Body length 158–172 mm; minimum and maximum body width 7–9 mm and 11–13 mm.

Number of body rings: 57–62.

Colour: Black.

Collum: Produced into a rounded anterior lobe, with 3–4 complete folds and 2–3 incomplete folds ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 d).

Prefemoral process of 1st pair of male legs: Proximally broad with nipple-shaped and apically acute extension ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 c).

Gonopod: ( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 a, 1b) Sternite conical, with a rounded apex, apex not reaching level of paracoxite apex; paracoxite triangular, apically acute and not tightly fused to metaplica ( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 a, 1b).

Proplicae proximally grooved. Apical proplica overlapping proximal lateral process; medial edge of apical proplica convex ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 a); medial edge of subapical proplica with a short medial lobe which is concealed by oral fold of metaplica.

Medial edge of proximal half of oral fold of metaplica raised ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 b). Distal metaplica with a broad and apically rounded lobe; rounded lobe is adjacent to proximal lateral process. Rounded lobe produced into a rounded median hump.

Lateral process with surface folds.

End processes deflected laterally onto proplica apex. Distal medial edge of end process convex ( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 a, 1b).

Post-knee telopodite with two spirals; telopodite trifid at extremity. Antetorsal processes distally crescentshaped and extends laterally past paracoxite apex.

Distribution: Known only from Chire, East Africa (probably Shire in Malawi) and from northern Zimbabwe.

Remarks: The exact locality where P. sulcifer was first collected was given as Chire, East Africa; Krabbe (1982) and Hoffman (1971) suggested that this could be Shire in Malawi. This seems plausible given that P. sulcifer has been collected in northern Zimbabwe ( Fig. 3). This is the only species in the genus to have been collected from more than one locality. The location of the type material is unknown ( Krabbe 1982). Although Krabbe (1982) gave NHMW as the institution likely to be housing the material, the museum does not have the material. It is presumed lost.