Eupolybothrus cloudsley-thompsoni, F. A. Turk, 1955

F. A. Turk, 1955, The Myriapoda of Dr. Cloudsley-Thompson's expedition to the Yunisian desert, Annals and Magazine of Natural History 8, pp. 277-284 : 281-283

Eupolybothrus cloudsley-thompsoni , sp. nov.

Prof. Chamberlin (1952) has re-established the name proposed by him in 1925 for this genus, and his notes on the nomenclatural problems involved as set out in the latest paper have definitely made clear the name by which this genus must in future be known. The present species is related to E. segregans Chamb. and E. praecursor Verh. and is represented in the present collection by eight males, two females and one immature form, which together constitute the type-material and are considered as syntypes. All were taken by the Roman aqueduct, south of Tunis, 4.iv.1954.

Length to 30 mm., greatest breadth 3.2 mm. Ocelli seven, arranged 1+3+2+1, the posterior one of the top row being larger than the other seriate ones. The tergites (following Attems system of numbering which, since it considers the segment of the toxicognaths the first body-segment, gives to each tergite one higher number than either the systems of Brolemann or Verhoeff) have the following conformation. Tergite 7 (6 of Verhoeff, Brolemann and Chamberlin) not produced at the posterior angles. Tergites 9, 10 and 11 (8, 9 and 10) very slightly produced posteriorly (as in fig. 7). Tergites 12 and 14 (11 and 13) strongly produced into sharp angular prolongations posteriorly and tergite 13 (12) moderately produced. Tergites 4, 5, 8 and 13 with a very strong raised border around the whole of their circumference. This border is less developed in varying degree on the other tergites. Tergites 5 and 7 (4 and 6) with well-marked deep depressions near the posterior lateral angles. Spinulation of the legs arranged

0.0.3.1.1/0.0.2.3.3

0.0.2*.1.0†/0.1.3.3.2

1.0.3‡.0.0/1.1.3.1.0.

The antennae have the remarkably contant number of 41 antennal segments. The coxo-sternal teeth of the toxicognaths are 6+6 (fig. 8). The coxa of the last pair of legs (fig. 9) has about 20 pores of very different sizes arranged in a semi-serial fashion. The last leg, 12 mm. long, about a third the length of the body, the femur being 2.4 mm. long. Length of head 2.7 mm. long. Colour of body a light yellow-brown. The male genitalia are as shown in fig. 10, the gonopods long, somewhat pointed and with a few long sparse hairs; genital sternite reniform and the penis large and well developed. Gonopods of the female (fig. 11) 3-segmented with very large terminal claws (fig. 12). The basal segment is lobed and angled and carries two strong spines; the second segment is very much broader apically than the base of the third segment, which is hollowed apically under the claw. Genital sternite deeply cleft and lobed - more so than in the male.