Otostigmus (Parotostigmus) giupponii, Chagas-Júnior, Amazonas, 2012

Chagas-Júnior, Amazonas, 2012, The centipede genus Otostigmus Porat in Brazil: Description of three new species from the Atlantic Forest; a summary and an identification key to the Brazilian species of this genus (Chilopoda, Scolopendromorpha, Scolopendridae, Otostigminae), Zootaxa 3280, pp. 1-28 : 8-11

Otostigmus (Parotostigmus) giupponii sp. n.

Figures 21–34

Type-specimens. Holotype (MNRJ 15404) from Estação Biológica Santa Lúcia, Santa Teresa, state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, 11–12.v.2005, coll. by A. Giupponi, T. Souza & M. Milleri. Paratypes, all from the same locality as the holotype, 1 specimen (MNRJ 15410), 15.i.1940, coll. by A. Ruschi; 3 specimens (MNRJ 15197) 15–19.x.2003, coll. by D. Almeida, R. Baptista, A. Giupponi, A. Mendes & D. Pedroso; 1 specimen (MNRJ 15411), 2 specimens (IBSP 3634) and 2 specimens (MZSP), all 28–30.v.2004, coll. by A. Giupponi, T. Souza & M. Milleri.

Etymology. The specific epithet honors my friend the arachnologist Alessandro Ponce de Leão Giupponi who collected almost all type specimens and has helped to enhance the Myriapodological collection of the Museu Nacional over the last 14 years.

Diagnosis. Integument rugose. Cephalic plate rugose, without sutures, but with two slight longitudinal depressions on the posterior border. Tooth plate wider than long. Tergites 1 and 2 without sutures or keels; tergites 3 to 21 with paramedian keels; tergites 4 to 21 with median longitudinal keel; tergites 2 to 21 marginate. Posterior border of tergite 21almost straight. Sternites without sutures, but with three depressions on the central part of sternites 2 to 20, and two or three small low rounded depressions arranged in a transverse line at the posterior border of sternites 3 to 19. Coxopleuron with numerous pores and apical border with a slight protuberance, without spines. Legs 1 and 2 with two tarsal spurs, legs 3 to 20 with one tarsal spur, legs 21 without tarsal spur. Femur and tibia of legs 2 to 20 dorsally with keels. Ultimate pair of legs slender and very long.

Description. Holotype (unsexed)

Length: 85 mm from the anterior border of the cephalic plate to the posterior border of tergite 21; ultimate pair of legs: 29 mm.

Color: Anterior part of the cephalic plate orange white, the remaining area of the cephalic plate, first four tergites and anterior border of the fifth red-brown; tergites 5 to 21, and sternites blue greenish; forcipular coxosternite and antennae pale violet; legs 1 to 20, and prefemur and proximal half of femur of ultimate pair of legs light blue; distal half of femur, tibia and tarsi of ultimate pair of legs white. Margin of coxosternal tooth plates, tarsungula, trochanteroprefemur, spiracles, tibial and tarsal spurs, and distal parts of pretarsi red-brown.

Cephalic plate rugose (or with tubercles) ( Figure 21), without sutures or sulci, the anterior part slightly bilobed; two slight longitudinal depressions at the posterior border; posterior border covered by the anterior border of tergite 1.

Antennae: reaching the posterior border of tergite 6; with 17 articles, first two articles and basal fourth of the third article glabrous; remaining articles hirsute with yellow short hairs; each article twice as long as wide.

Article 2 of telepodite of the second maxillae without spur.

Forcipular coxosternum smooth, with slight longitudinal depression (Figure 22); tooth wider than long, with 5 teeth on each plate (Figure 24); the two medial teeth partially fused; a long bristle in the center of each plate; beneath the tooth plate there is a transverse obtuse sulcus bordering the bases of tooth plates. Process of forcipular trochanteroprefemur with two low inner teeth and terminated in an acute tip (Figure 24).

Tergites 1 and 2 without sutures or keels, tergites 1 to 3 with tubercles ( Figure 23 ) and tergites 4 to 21 rugose and with large keels. Tergites 2 to 21 with incomplete paramedian keels ( Figures 25, 27 and 28); tergites 4 to 21 with incomplete median longitudinal keel ( Figures 25 and 27); posterior border of tergites 5 to 13 with a short posterior keel lateral to each paramedian keel ( Figure 31 and 33), tergites 14 to 18 with very short keels on each side and between of the paramedian keels ( Figure 32 and 34); tergites 2 to 21 marginate. Posterior border of tergite 21 slightly truncate, almost straight ( Figure 28).

Sternites smooth, without sutures; anterior margin of sternites 1 to 5 with same width, from 6 to 20 wider than posterior margin; three depressions on the central part of sternites 2 to 20 and two or three small shallow rounded depressions arranged in a transverse line at posterior border of sternites 3 to 19 (Figure 26). Ultimate sternite smaller than the preceding and longer than wide, converging posteriorly; with a low longitudinal median depression; posterior border slightly concave ( Figure 30 ).

Coxopleuron with numerous pores covering almost its whole surface; apical border with slight protuberance and without spines (Figures 29 and 30).

Legs slender and long; ventral and lateral surfaces of prefemur, femur, tibia and tarsi of legs 1 to 20 smooth; dorsal surface of legs 1 to 21 rugose or with tubercles, especially the last pairs of legs. Legs 1 with one femoral and one tibial spur. Legs 1 and 2 with two tarsal spurs; legs 3 to 20 with one tarsal spur, legs 21 without tarsal spur; pretarsus of legs 1 to 21 with anterior and posterior accessory spurs. Dorsal surface of femur and tibia of legs 2 to 20 with keels ( Figures 35 and 36). Ultimate pair of legs granular, slender and very long.

Type locality. Estação Biológica Santa Lúcia, Santa Teresa, state of Espírito Santo.

Distribution. Atlantic Forest of state of Espírito Santo.

Remarks. O. giupponii is one of the most conspicuous species of Otostigmus from Brazil. This species is only known from the type locality, a site of research and conservation in a small fragment of Brazilian Altantic Forest encompassing about 440 ha ( Mendes & Padovan 2000). Specimens of O. giupponii are always found at night on trees at a height between 1.50 m to 2.0 m (Alessandro Giupponi personal communication and a comment on the label of one specimen collected in 1940 by Augusto Ruschi).

In this species, the paramedian sutures on tergites are replaced by paramedian keels. There are also longitudinal keels on femur and tibia of legs 2 to 20.

Figures

FIGURE 23. Otostigmus giupponii n. sp., holotype (MNRJ 15404). First three tergites. Scale bar 1 mm. FIGURE 24. Otostigmus giupponii n. sp., holotype (MNRJ 15404). Tooth plates and process of forcipular trochanteroprefemur. Ventral view. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 30. Otostigmus giupponii n. sp., holotype (MNRJ 15404). Coxopleuron and sternite 21. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 31. Otostigmus giupponii n. sp., holotype (MNRJ 15404). Tergite 8 showing the keels. PK: paramedian keels; MLK: median longitudinal keel; LK: lateral keel; SK: short keel. Dorsal view. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 35. Otostigmus giupponii n. sp., paratype (MNRJ 15197). Detail of tibia of eighth leg showing the keel. Dorsal view. Scale bar 500 um.