Sphaerotherium giganteum Porat, 1872

Spiegel, Didier Van den, Golovatch, Sergei I. & Hamer, and Michelle L., 2002, Revision of some of the oldest species in the millipede genus Sphaerotherium Brandt, 1833 (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Sphaerotheriidae), with new synonymies, African Invertebrates 43, pp. 143-181 : 158-160

Sphaerotherium giganteum Porat, 1872

( Figs 28a–g , 37 )

Material examined:

Type material ::^ lectotype (designated herewith), ^ paralectotype, South Africa, Caffraria, 1845, J. A. Wahlberg ; SMNH.

Other material: numerous Ò and ^ from MRAC, SAMC and TMSA, various dates and collectors.

Description:

Total length ranging from 10–55, width from 7–20, average length 30.

Colour: Head, antennae and collum orange brown.Thoracic shield, tergites and pygidium yellow brown, bordered with dark brown along posterior margin. Underside and legs dark orange brown.

Head with a few piliferous punctures growing denser towards clypeus and apical part of head; gnathochilarium densely pilose. Both sides of labrum broadly rounded laterad, middle scarcely emarginate, with a single median tooth. Ocelli obvious, almost black. Antennae short, antennomere 8 with 7–17 apical sensory cones.

Collum smooth, pilosity growing longer along anterior margin.

Thoracic shield with brim relatively narrow, accompanied by a row of longer setae along its margin, surface covered with fine piliferous punctation. Underside covered with long setae.

Tergites without median keel, surface like that of thoracic shield. Endotergum with one row of marginal hairs surpassing margin, marginal ridge with one row of well-developed callosities, no cuticular pattern, intersegmental membrane covered with long setae and different dark cones ( Figs 28c , 37 ).

Legs with a well developed lateral lobe on coxa ( Fig. 28f ).

Male sexual characters:

Second pair of legs with coxal lobe.

Pygidium of largest specimens with a small spot of very short setae in posterior, premarginal part.

Anterior telopods with an undivided tarsus, distal outer surface beset with series of sclerotised ridges, apical anterior side bearing several small tactile spines ( Fig. 28g ). Posterior telopod with large femur. Lateral side of median tibial process with one fingerlike protuberance.Tarsus 1-segmented, a row of striated knobs on anterior side, concavity with a broad triangular lobe with several spines and a small apical protuberance with several spines ( Fig. 28d ).

Female sexual characters:

Second pair of legs with a coxal lobe. Cyphopod large, with a more or less triangular operculum. Vulvae setose ( Fig. 28e ).

Comments : This species is widespread in South Africa, and is also the largest member of the genus. The best preserved syntype has been selected as lectotype, the remaining female as paralectotype.

Figures

Figs 28a–g. Sphaerotherium giganteum (a–c, e, f, ^ lectotype). a: apical part of antenna; b: lateral aspect of ^; c: endotergum, median keel of tergite 3; d: anterior aspect of posterior telopods; e: cyphopod; f: leg 9; g: posterior view of anterior telopod.

Figs 34–42. Endotergum (SEM) in Sphaerotherium species. 34. S. compressum (^paralectotype). 35. S. dorsale (^ holotype). 36. S. elongatum (^ paralectotype). 37. S. giganteum (^ lectotype). 38. S. intermedium (^ holotype). 39. S. lichtensteinii (^ paralectotype). 40. S. obtusum (^ holotype). 41. S. punctatum (^ lectotype). 42. S. punctulatum (Ò lectotype).