Salpidobolus alokistus ( Attems, 1914 )

Golovatch, S. I., Mauriès, J. P. & Akkari, N., 2021, On the collections of Indo-Australian Spirobolida (Diplopoda) kept in the Zoological Museum of the Moscow State University, Russia. 3. Some Rhinocricidae, Arthropoda Selecta 30 (1), pp. 3-27 : 25-26

Salpidobolus alokistus ( Attems, 1914)

Figs 93–101 .

Polyconoceras alokistus Attems, 1914: 312 , original description from a ♂ and a ♀ syntype from near Cape Arkona , Huon Gulf, Papua New Guinea.

Salpidobolus alokistus — Jeekel, 2001: 33.

MATERIAL. 1 ♂ ( ZMUM), Papua New Guinea, S6°44′0″, E147°0′0″, Port Lae , botanical garden, wet forest, 18.II.1977, G.F. Kurcheva leg.

BRIEF REDESCRIPTION. Length ca. 160 mm, width 14.5 mm, with 55+ T segments. Colouration blackish grey-brown with olive tinge, pattern clearly cingulated due to particularly dark metazonae and lighter, mostly brown pro- and mesozonae; tip of epiproct and legs dark brown ( Figs 93–96 ).

All characters as in Propodobolus sp. , except as follows.

Tegument smooth and shining, mostly very delicately vermiculate. Antennae with numerous, small, apical cones; antennomeres 5–7 densely setose, 4 th with several setae only near apical end; in length, 2> 3> 4=5=6> 1> 7. Interantennal isthmus ca. 3x diameter of antennal socket. Collum broadly and regularly rounded laterally, only anterolateral margin rather briefly, narrowly and faintly bordered, but caudolateral corner clearly swollen, drop-shaped and rounded. Midbody segments/rings faintly striate to striolate, more densely and clearly so ventrad, striations often being irregular, on dorsum above ozopore level strongly obliterate, represented by faint, low, longitudinal ribs only on metazonae ( Fig. 95 ). Scobinae absent. Ozopores small, inconspicuous disks, starting with ring 6, each pore lying upon line/suture both just before metazona and longitudinal line. Numerous light and irregular spots/sigilla on internal surface of meso- and metazonae. Epiproct flattened dorsoventrally, in lateral view faintly concave at base of a short, but clear apical process. Paraprocts very clearly concave at ca. 1/3 before caudal margin ( Fig. 96 ).

Legs ca. 1/2 as long as body height (♂); sole pads absent. ♂ coxae 3–5 swollen ventrally ( Fig. 94 ), a spine each above and below claw.

Gonopods ( Figs 97–101 ). Anterior gonopods with a strong, very long/high, unusually slender, central, apically narrowly rounded, sternal process (s), the latter being much longer/higher than both coxa (cx) and telopodite (t) with its small, apical, rounded, caudolateral process (tp); cx stout, on each side with a moderate, elongate, mesal, rounded projection (mp), t much more slender than cx. Telopodite of posterior gonopods consisting of an unusually short and peg-shaped solenomere (sl), and a much longer, regularly curved, apicolateral branch (lb) ( Fig. 101 ).

REMARKS. The above sample fits very well the original description [ Attems, 1914], including such particular characters as the presence of a short, but distinct, apical epiproct process, the shape of the anterior gonopods, and the unusually short and peg-shaped solenomere of the posterior gonopod.

Two syntypes of S. alokistus are housed in the Berlin Museum, both stated to be ♀♀ [Moritz, Fischer, 1975], although Attems [1914] based his original description on a ♂ and a ♀ syntype. The Vienna Museum keeps only a micro preparation ( NHMW 4029 ) containing several ♂ legs, but no gonopods. Because the slide is labeled “ Rhinocricus alokistus / Bukaua / ö. n. guinea”, the specimen may well be presumed to represent a syntype. Since the above type locality lies just within the settlement of Lae, the new sample may be regarded as a near-typotype.

Figures

Figs 93–100. Salpidobolus alokistus (Attems, 1914), # near-topotype from Lae. 93, 94 — anterior part of body, lateral and ventral views, respectively; 95 — midbody segments, dorsal view; 96 — posterior part of body, lateral view; 97, 98 — anterior gonopods, anterior and posterior views, respectively; 99, 100 — left posterior gonopod (tip of lb branch broken off), posterior and posterolateral views, respectively. Pictures by K.V. Makarov, taken not to scale. Рис. 93–100. Salpidobolus alokistus (Attems, 1914), # почти топотип иЗ порта Lae. 93, 94 — переднЯЯ часть тела, соответствен- но сбоку и сниЗу; 95 — среднетуловиЩные сегменты, сверху; 96 — ЗаднЯЯ часть тела, сбоку; 97, 98 — передние гоноподы, соответственно спереди и сЗади; 99, 100 — левый Задний гонопод (кончик ветви lb обломан), соответственно сЗади и одновремен- но сЗади и сбоку. Фотографии К.В. Макарова, снЯты беЗ масШтаба.

Fig. 101. Right posterior gonopod of Salpidobolus alokistus (Attems, 1914), # near-topotype from Port Lae, anterior view. Designations explained in text. Drawn not to scale. Рис. 101. Правый Задний гонопод Salpidobolus alokistus (Attems, 1914), # почти топотип иЗ порта Lae, спереди. ОбЪЯс- нениЯ обоЗначений в тексте. Нарисовано беЗ масШтаба.