Ammodesmus Cook 1896

VandenSpiegel, Didier & Golovatch, Sergei, 2012, The millipede family Ammodesmidae (Diplopoda, Polydesmida) in western Africa, ZooKeys 221, pp. 1-17 : 4-5

Genus Ammodesmus Cook 1896

Ammodesmus Cook, 1896

Cenchrodesmus Cook, 1896 syn. n.

Type species.

Ammodesmus granum Cook, 1896

Diagnosis.

(after Cook 1896b, with modifications) Minute polydesmidans (length 1.4-2.0 mm) with 18 or 19 body segments (16 or 17+1+T), or rings, in both sexes. Head small, epicranium and interantennal region finely and densely granulose, lower half setose. Three labral teeth equal in size and length. Antennae short; antennomere 5 longest and largest, strongly enlarged, about as high as long; antennomeres 5 and 6 each with a distodorsal group of 20 to 30 bacilliform sensilla; antennomeres 4, 5 and 6 each with a single macroseta on dorsal side near apical third; terminal antennomere with usual four apical cones. Collum rather large and moderately convex, nearly not covering the head from above, surface finely and densely granulose. Tergum 2 with particularly strongly enlarged, spatuliform paraterga, latter of following segments not enlarged; lateral end subtruncate, but rounded; overlap pattern typical from paratergum 4 onward. Ozopore formula: 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15-17(18); ozopores opening flush on tergal surface about anterior third of paraterga, the opening sometimes being concealed by preceding paratergum. Limbus smooth. Telson relatively small, its posterior edge with a row of macrosetae, ventrolaterally with 2 macrosetae borne on small knobs; epiproct very short and stout, surmounted by four conspicuous macrosetae in pits (= apparently, a spinning apparatus); hypoproct subtrapeziform with a paramedian pair of macrosetae borne on small knobs. Sterna very narrow, most coxae subcontiguous medially. Legs moderately robust, rather short and setose. First ♂ tarsus with modified setae, each last ♂ tibia showing an elongated process bearing a long apical seta, tarsus reduced, claw vestigial; other legs not modified.

Distribution.

Western Africa (Liberia, Guinea and Ivory Coast).

Species included.

Ammodesmus granum and Ammodesmus nimba sp. n.

Key to Ammodesmus species