Scolopendra subspinipes piceoflava Attems, 1934

Siriwut, Warut, Edgecombe, Gregory D., Sutcharit, Chirasak, Tongkerd, Piyoros & Panha, Somsak, 2016, A taxonomic review of the centipede genus Scolopendra Linnaeus, 1758 (Scolopendromorpha, Scolopendridae) in mainland Southeast Asia, with description of a new species from Laos, ZooKeys 590, pp. 1-124 : 20-21

Taxon classification Animalia Scolopendromorpha Scolopendridae

Scolopendra subspinipes piceoflava Attems, 1934 Figs 14, 15

Material.

Syntypes NMB 391Va spec.1-3, one adult male and two adult females, Central Celebes, don. Z.U.F. Sarasin, 1895 (Figs 14, 15).

Type locality.

Tomohon, Sulawesi, Indonesia [Tomohon, North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia].

Description.

Body length 16.7 cm in male and 17.1 and 16.5 cm in female syntypes. Preserved male still exhibiting traces of its colouration pattern: cephalic plate and segments dark greenish or brown. Antenna yellowish. Tergites with yellowish or pale colour on posterior margin. All legs blue-greenish, distal part yellow. Cephalic plate without small punctae on anterior part, median sulcus present. Posterior part of cephalic plate without paramedian sulci.

Antenna usually with 17-19 articles, basal 6 subcylindrical and glabrous both on dorsal and ventral sides. Antennae reach segment 4 (Fig. 14B). Forcipular trochanteroprefemoral process bearing denticles in two groups, 2-3 apical and one inner. Tooth-plates wider than long or nearly equivalent, 6-7 teeth (Fig. 14A). Tooth-plate with straight, transverse basal suture. Coxosternite smooth without median suture, with shallow depression in male specimen (Fig. 14C). Article 2 of second maxillary telopodite with spur.

Anterior margin of T1 underlying cephalic plate (Fig. 14B). Complete paramedian sutures from T4; margination typically starting on TT5-7. Tergite surface (Fig. 14D) smooth, without median sulci. Tergite of ultimate leg-bearing segment (Fig. 15B) curved posteriorly, without median furrow or depression; ratio of width: length of tergite of ultimate leg-bearing segment 0.82:1. Sternites (Fig. 14E) with incomplete paramedian sutures, extending 80% length of sternite on anterior segments. Surface of sternites smooth, without depression. Sternite of ultimate leg-bearing segment (Fig. 15D) with sides converging posteriorly; surface typically without depression (with median depression in one female specimen; NMB391Va sp.1). Pore-field on coxopleuron well developed, with gently curved dorsal margin, reaching nearly to margin of tergite of ultimate leg-bearing segment, anterior part of pore area widest (Fig. 15A).

Coxopleural process long (Fig. 15 C–D) with 1-2 apical spine(s) and absence of lateral and dorsal spines; pore-free area extending 30-50% length from distal part of coxopleural process to margin of sternite of ultimate leg-bearing segment.

All legs without setae and tibial spur. One tarsal spur on legs 1-20. Ultimate legs: slender and long (Fig. 15 E–F), with ratios of lengths of prefemur and femur 1.2:1, femur and tibia 1.1:1, tibia and tarsus 2 1.3:1, tarsus 1 and tarsus 2 2.3:1. Prefemoral spines: 0-2 VL, 1-2 M, 1-2 DM and prefemoral process with 2-5 spines. Posterior margin of prefemur with acute median groove.

Sternite of genital segment 1 round and convex posteriorly, with median suture. In male, sternite of genital segment 2 attached to penis. Tergite of genital segment without small setae. Gonopods present in male.

Discussion.

Based on examination of the syntypes, we corroborate the assignment of this nominal subspecies to the Scolopendra subspinipes group. Some morphological characters that appear, however, not to be identical with Scolopendra subspinipes are the sharpness and length of the coxopleural process, which bears one or two strong apical spines, the ratio of ultimate leg podomeres, and the colouration pattern on the tergites that is clearly distinct from other geographical populations of Scolopendra subspinipes (the posterior part of the tergites exhibiting a yellowish colouration). On the other hand, the syntypes of Scolopendra subspinipes piceoflava also display morphological variation between each other with respect to the number of prefemoral spines on the ultimate legs: a male specimen has 4-6 spines on the prefemoral process whereas VL, M and DM spines are absent in one female specimen. The latter is similar to Scolopendra dehaani but it is possible that this absence may be due to regeneration in this individual. However, without additional material and lacking molecular data with which to test relationships among morphological similar species, we tentatively accept Scolopendra subspinipes piceoflava as a junior synonym of Scolopendra subspinipes as proposed by Kronmüller (2012).

Distribution.

Previous studies regarded Scolopendra subspinipes s.l. as a cosmopolitan species in tropical regions ( Schileyko 2007; Chao 2008; Lewis 2010b). In this study, most of the sampled specimens were collected on islands. Several old collections in the NHMUK identified as Scolopendra subspinipes sensu lato from mainland East and Southeast Asia instead refer to former subspecies of Scolopendra subspinipes that are now identified as distinct species, including Scolopendra dawydoffi , Scolopendra dehaani , Scolopendra multidens and Scolopendra japonica . For this reason, we removed occurrence records of Scolopendra subspinipes s.l. from Thailand and Laos due to our extensive surveys throughout these two countries, finding that no specimen of Scolopendra subspinipes s.str. was found in this area. The updated distribution of this species in Asia (Fig. 18) is as follows: Southeast Asia: Myanmar, Malaysia (Penang and Sarawak), Singapore, Vietnam (fide Schileyko 2007: Lao Cai, Vinh Phuc, HatTay, Hai Phong, Quang Binh, Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa and Dong Nai Provinces), Indonesia (Surabaya, Java, east coast of Sumatra, Lombok, Sumbawa and Mimika River, New Guinea) and Philippines (Manilla). East Asia: China (Zhouzhan Island, Ningbo and Changsha), Taiwan (Kang-hwa), Japan (Izu and Goto Islands, Yokohama and Kobe) and South Korea.