Cryptops (Cryptops) trisulcatus Brölemann, 1902

Akkari, Nesrine, Stoev, Pavel & Lewis, John, 2008, The scolopendromorph centipedes (Chilopoda, Scolopendromorpha) of Tunisia: taxonomy, distribution and habitats, ZooKeys 3 (3), pp. 77-102 : 92-93

Cryptops (Cryptops) trisulcatus Brölemann, 1902

Figs 26-27

Cryptops anomalans: Silvestri 1896 , Naturalista Siciliano, An. I, (Nuova Serie), 8: 151. Misidentification?

Cryptops anomalans: Attems 1908 , Voyage zoologique en Khroumirie ( Tunisie), Rouen: 104. Misidentification?

Cryptops trisulcatus: Brolemann 1932 , Bulletin de la Société d’Histoire Naturelle d’Afrique du Nord, 23 (2): 50.

Material examined. 1 ex., Jendouba Distr., Beni Mtir , N36°44.44 / E08°44.52, alt. 500 m, 19.2.2007 , alt. 500 m; 1 ex., Nabeul Distr., Soliman , N36°42.54 / E10°21.15, alt. 98 m, 12.11.2006 ; 1 ex., Jendouba Distr., Ain Draham, Col des ruines, N36°47.24 / E08°41.02, alt. 799 m, 5.2.2004 ; 1 ex., same locality, 3.10.2005 ; 1 ex., Beja Distr., Jebel El Jouza Amdoun , N36°50.09 / E09°06.0, alt. 614 m, mixed oak forest, 19.11.2003 ; 3 ex., same locality, 4.11.2003 ; 1 ex., Beja Distr., Nefza , N36°45.42 / E09°11.41, alt. 176 m, 27.2.2004 ; 1 ex., same locality, 18.4.2004 ; 2 ex., Bizerta Distr., Ichkeul N.P., 8.2.2004 ; 1 ex., same locality, 7.1.2005 ; 1 ex., Ariana Distr., Nahli , N36°53.02 / E10°09.14, alt. 75 m, 6.12.2003 ; 1 ex., Kasserine Distr., inside Chambi N.P., N35°11.901 / E08°39.505, alt. 1291 m, Pinus halepensis , Quercus ilex , Stipa tenacissima , slope, under stones and leaf litter, 9.3.2008 ; 1 ex., inside Chambi N.P., N35°11.709 / E08°39.309, alt. 1286 m, Pinus halepensis , Quercus ilex , Stipa tenacissima , ruins, under stones and leaf litter, 9.3.2008 ; 2 ex., Zaghouan Distr., Jebel Zaghouan, surroundings of the marabout Sidi Bou Gabrine , N36°22.423 / E10°06.328, alt. 642 m, meadows, scattered trees, under stones and leaf litter, 17.3.2008 ; 1 ex., same locality, 29.3.2008 ; 1 ex., same mountain, collecting along the track between Gouffre Anti Prehistorique (N36°21.595 / E10°05.208) and Sidi Bou Gabrine (N36°22.423 / E10°06.328), 500-700 m, mixed forest, under stones and leaf litter, 18.3.2008 ; 1 ex., same mountain, collecting along the track Sidi Bou Gabrine (N36°22.423 / E10°06.328) – Sidi Abdel kader Cave (N36°22.419 / E10°06.371) – Saida Mannoubia (N36°22.650 / E10°06.332) – The asphalt road to Zaghouan (N36°22.924 / E10°06.789), alt. 650-780 m, mixed forest, under stones and leaf litter, 19.3.2008 ; 1 ex., Beja Distr., 7 km of Zahret Medine, N36°46.857 / E09°01.688, alt. 500 m, limestone hill, shrubs, under stones, 20.3.2008 ; 1 ex., Jendouba Distr., 4 km of Tabarka (direction of Malloula ), N36°57.476 / E08°43.781, alt. 225 m, Eucalyptus and pine forest, under stones, 22.3.2008 ; 7 ex., Zaghouan Distr., Jebel Mansour, close to Sidi Aouidet Village, N36°12.307 / E09°45.588, alt. 514 m, Pine forest , Rosmarinus , under stones and leaf litter, 28.3.2008 .

General distribution. Canary Islands, Algeria, Tunisia, Maltese Archipelago, Portugal, Spain (incl. Balearic Islands), South of France (incl. Corsica), Italy (incl. Sicily, Sardinia), Romania, Insular Greece (Ionian, Dodecanese islands and Crete), SE Turkey ( Zapparoli 2002, Zapparoli et al. 2004).

Distribution in Tunisia ( Map 5 ). Known from the Humid to Semiarid bioclimatic zones. The species range covers a vast area starting from the Mogods-Kroumirie region in the West and parts of the Tunisian Ridge chain further South (e.g. Chambi N.P.) and ending in Jebel Mansour, Jebel Zaghouan, the Gulf of Tunis and Cap Bon Peninsula (Soliman) area in the northeast. Known also from Ichkeul N.P.

Altitudinal range in Tunisia. Known from approx. 200 up to approx. 1300 m.

Habitats. Forests of Quercus faginea , mixed woods of Q. faginea and Q. suber , Q. coccifera and P. halepensis ; P. halepensis and Q. ilex ; found also in heterogenous Eucalyptus forest.

Remarks. Although this widespread Mediterranean species has already been recorded from Algeria ( Ribaut 1915) and from the neighbouring Italian island of Pantelleria situated approx. 70 km off the Tunisian coast ( Zapparoli 1995), these are thfirst definite records of C. trisulcatus in Tunisia (see also under Discussion). Brolemann (1932) summarized the distribution of C. trisulcatus as “Littoral méditerranéen d’Afrique et d’Europe”. It remains unclear whether this general statement was supported with original data from Tunisia. The species is also known from the Maltese Archipelago ( Zapparoli et al. 2004). In several places, like Jebel Zaghouan, Jebel Mansour, Jebel Chambi, C. trisulcatus is fairly common and occurs syntopically with C. punicus .

Figures

Map 5. Distribution of C. trisulcatus in Tunisia.

Figs 26-27. Cryptops trisulcatus: 26 – posterior part of head plate and tergite 1; 27 – coxosternum.