Otostigmus orientalis Porat, 1876

Lewis, John G. E., 2014, A review of the orientalis group of the Otostigmus subgenus Otostigmus Porat, 1876 (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae), Zootaxa 3889 (3), pp. 388-413 : 404

Otostigmus orientalis Porat, 1876

( Figs 50–53 )

O. orientalis Porat, 1876 , 19. India.

O. splendens Pocock, 1890 , 245. India.

O. morsitans Pocock, 1890 , 246. India.

O. orientalis: Pocock, 1894 , 312. Flores: Maumerie (list only).

O. orientalis: Pocock, 1895 , 347. Manilla (list only).

Nec O. orientalis Brölemann, 1895 , 527. Seychelles.

O. orientale: Attems, 1897 , 478. Borneo, Halmahera (list only).

O. seychellarum Attems 1900 , 136. (Not a synonym of O. insularis Haase, 1887 , itself a synonym of O. scaber Porat, 1896 , as proposed by Kraepelin, 1903).

O. orientalis: Kraepelin, 1903 , 120, Fig. 56 .

O. orientalis: Chamberlin: 1920 , 14.

O. (O.) orientalis: Attems, 1930 , 139.

O. orientalis: Yadav, 1993 , 171. India.

O. (O.) splendens: Lewis, 1996 , 823, Figs 1 –8.

O. (O.) morsitans: Lewis, 1996 , 825, Figs 9–13.

O. splendens: Sureshan et al. 2006, 2286 . India (doubtful).

Nec O. (O). orientalis : Lewis, 2007, 12, Fig. 5–10.

Nec O. (O). orientalis : Lewis, 2010b, 389, Figs 7 & 8.

Diagnosis. (Based on syntypes and Pocock’s O. morsitans and O. splendens ). Length 36–65 mm. Antennal articles 17, the basal 2.25–2.33 (atypically 3) glabrous. Forcipular coxosternal teeth (3)4+4(5). Tergites with complete paramedian sutures from 5 or 6, with or without weak lateral corrugations and very rarely with spinules on posterior tergites, marginate from 7 or 8. Sternites with very short anterior paramedian sutures or none. Sternite of ultimate leg-bearing segment trapezoidal, ratio of length to width varying from 0.91:1 to 1.3:1 the posterior margin slightly concave or straight. Coxopleural process with two apical and one lateral spine. Two tarsal spurs on first 4 or 5 pairs of legs, the remainder to 20 with one, 21 without. Ultimate leg prefemoral spines typically VL 3, VM 2, M 0, DM 0 or 1, CS 0.

Material examined. SMNH. Otostigmus orientalis v Por, Bombay 1845 Colleg ..... Determ C. O. v Porat. Three specimens 63, 62 and 60 mm, presumably syntypes.

Description of syntypes. (Data from Kraepelin’s (1903) redescription in parentheses). Length 60–63 (70) mm. Antennae (long) of 17 articles, the basal 2.25–2.33 glabrous dorsally. Forcipular coxosternal teeth 4+4 ( Fig. 50 ) or 4+3. Specimen 2 has, atypically, 6+4 ( Fig. 51 ) (4+4 large teeth).

Tergites with complete paramedian sutures from 5 or 6 (5), marginate from 7 or 8 (7) with or without weak lateral corrugations and without spinules. Ultimate tergite a little longer than wide.

Sternites without paramedian sutures but with three weak obscure depressions, or only one, or none (two weak lateral depressions in middle of sternite and one small median at hind margin). Sternite of ultimate leg-bearing segment ratio of length to width: 1.17:1 to 1.3:1 (1½ times as long as wide) with sides converging and posterior margin slightly concave ( Fig. 52 ) or straight ( Fig. 53 ) (posterior corners almost rectangular). Coxopleural process moderately long with two apical and one lateral spine. No dorsal spine.

Two tarsal spurs on first four or five pairs of legs (only one or two with two tarsal spurs), the remainder to 20 with one, 21 without. Ultimate leg prefemoral spines VL 3, VM 2, DM 0 or 1, CS 0 (VL 3, VM 2-3, M 0–1, DM 0 or with minute spine, CS 0). Typically five spines in two rows in normal legs. Regenerated legs show higher numbers.

Remarks. The specimens from the Seychelles which Lewis (2007, 2010b) identified as O. orientalis are here assigned to O. seychellarum which is cautiously reinstated (see below).The Indian records of O. splendens (a junior synonym of O. orientalis as noted above) given by Sureshan et al. (2006) require confirmation as neither of the diagnostic characters given by the authors namely “coxopleural process with dorsal spine, anal legs with prefemoral process" are characters of O. orientalis . Pocock’s 1894 and 1895 records from Flores and Manila respectively and Attems’ 1897 record from Borneo and Halmahera seem unlikely and require confirmation. Otostigmus orientalis is currently only known for certain from India.

Figures

FIGURES 50 – 53. Otostigmus orientalis. 50. Forcipular coxosternal tooth-plates and right trochanteroprefemoral process syntype spm. 1. 51. Forcipular coxosternal tooth-plates and right trochanteroprefemoral process syntype spm. 2. 52. Sternite of ultimate leg-bearing segment and left coxopleural process syntype spm. 1. 53. Ultimate segments ventral “ O. morsitans ” Madras. FIGURE 54. Otostigmus seychellarum. Ultimate leg-bearing segment ventral (after Lewis, 2007). Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 55 – 62. Otostigmus striolatus. Syntypes. 55. Forcipular coxosternal tooth-plates ZMB spm. 56. Tergite 13 ZMB spm. (detail shown on left side only). 57. Sternite 16 ZMB spm. (partly freehand). 58. Ultimate leg-bearing segment ZMB spm. (detail of pores shown in posterior part of right coxopleuron). 59. Right coxopleural process ZSM spm. 60. Left coxopleural process ZSM spm. 61. Detached ultimate leg ZSM spm. 62. Second detached ultimate leg ZSM spm. FIGURES 63 – 67. Otostigmus sucki Syntypes. 63. Antennal article 3 dorsal spm. 2. 64. Right forcipular trochanteroprefemoral process and coxosternal tooth-plates spm. 3. 65. Ultimate tergite spm. 3. 66. Sternite of ultimate leg-bearing segment and left coxopleural process spm. 3. 67. Right prefemur ultimate leg spm 3 ventral. Scale bars = 1.0 mm except Figs 55, 58, 63 & 64 = 0.5 mm and Figs 59 & 60 = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Otostigmus ateles Holotype. 1. Antennal articles 1 – 3 dorsal. 2. Forcipular coxosternal tooth-plates. 3. Sternite 17. 4. Ultimate segments ventral. FIGURES 5 – 11. Otostigmus australianus 5. Sternite 12 Lectotype. 6. Sternite of ultimate leg-bearing segment spm. 2 Belenden Ker (after Lewis, 2003). 7. Sternite of ultimate leg-bearing segment spm. 3 Belenden Ker (after Lewis, 2003). 8. Right forcipular trochanteroprefemoral process and tooth-plates spm. 7 Malanda. 9. Sternite 6 spm. 7 Malanda. 10. Sternite 12 spm. 7 Malanda after (Lewis, 2003). 11. Ultimate segments ventral spm. 7 Malanda. Scale bars = 1.0 mm except Figs 1 & 2 = 0.5 mm.