Strigamia laterisetosa Jiang & Yu, 2025

Yu, Yifei, You, Chunxue & Jiang, Chao, 2025, Taxonomy of the Strigamia centipedes from the East Asian mainland (Geophilomorpha, Geophilidae), Zoosystematics and Evolution 101 (4), pp. 2065-2101 : 2065-2101

Strigamia laterisetosa Jiang & Yu sp. nov.

Figs 1 G , 1 N – O , 10

Material examined.

Holotype. China • ♂ ( CMMI 20241107003 D ), Zhejiang Province, Longgang, Jingtou Scenic Area ( 27.5070°N, 120.4830°E), 70 m asl., 7. xi. 2024, leg. Chao Jiang .

Paratype. • 1 ♀ ( CMMI 20241107002 D ), same as holotype .

Other materials.

China • 1 ♂ ( CMMI 20201218105 ), Guangdong Province, Longchuan County, Xiaping Village ( 24.0319°N, 115.2360°E), 250 m asl., 18. xii. 2020, leg. Chao Jiang ; • 1 ♂ ( CMMI 20191014013 ), Guangzhou, Baiyun Dist., Maofengshan Forest Park ( 23.2983°N, 113.4644°E), 330 m asl., 14. x. 2019, leg. Chao Jiang . – Jiangsu Province • 1 ♀, 3 ♂♂ ( CMMI 20201105114 –115, 20201105117, 20201105120), Lianyungang, Haizhou Dist., Shipengshan Scenic Area ( 34.5988°N, 119.1703°E), 34 m asl., 5. xi. 2020, leg. Zhidong Wang .

Diagnosis.

Body length reaching at least 34 mm; number of leg-bearing segments usually 51–53; with transverse suture on the cephalic plate; cephalic pleurite evidently with sparse setae; with 30 pectinate hyaline teeth in the mandible; anterior margin of the second maxillae coxosternite deeply concave; telopodite distinctly longer than coxal projection of the first maxillae; basal denticle of the forcipular tarsungulum sub-triangular; internal and external margins of the forcipular tarsungulum gradually converging all along the tarsungulum; calyx of poison gland ca. 3.3 times as long as wide, situated in the distal half of trochanteroprefemur; metasternites with sparse setae of various sizes, without a mid-longitudinal deep sulcus; pore-fields not on the anterior part; distinct sulcus separating pretergite and intercalary pleurites of the ultimate leg-bearing segment; coxal pores at least 13 on each coxopleuron, distinctly aggregated close to the lateral margins of the metasternite with the possible exception of a single pore on each coxopleuron.

Description.

General features. Body 34 ( ♂), 36 ( ♀) mm long; with 51 ( ♂), 53 ( ♀) leg-bearing segments; narrowing forward and towards the posterior tip. Color (in 75 % ethanol) light yellow or reddish yellow; forcipules darker.

Cephalic capsule (Fig. 10 A – C ) sub-quadratic; ca. 1.0–1.1 times as wide as long; all margins convex; areolation uniform on the entire surface but less sclerotized along a distinct transverse suture; setae scattered. Cephalic pleurite with 11–15 setae on each side and setae slightly denser close to the ventral posterior edge of each cephalic pleurite. Clypeus with rather uniform areolation; sclerotized along the anterior margin and a median triangular area; fading close to the labrum and the paraclypeal sutures; 4 post-antennal setae aligned on the anterior part of the clypeus, grouped in the medial part, and 1 ( ♂), 2 ( ♀) medial prelabral setae on the posterior part of the clypeus. Labrum slightly projecting backwards medially, without distinct mid-piece; marginal denticles absent, with two unordered rows of long slender hyaline filaments along the entire labral margin and further rows of shorter filaments behind.

Antennae (Fig. 10 B ) almost uniform in width; ca. 3.4 times as long as the width of the head. Basal articles slightly elongated (article II ca. 1.1 times as long as wide); distal articles stouter (article XIII ca. 1.0 times as long as wide); article XIV ca. 2 times as long as wide. Setae gradually denser and shorter from the basal articles to the distal ones. Articles I – IX with three basal whorled long setae along with numerous short setae; remaining articles equipped solely with short setae.

Mandible (Fig. 10 D ) with a single pectinate lamella with ca. 30 hyaline teeth.

First maxillae (Fig. 10 E ). Coxosternite entire; uniformly areolate; without lappets; 1 + 1 setae on anterior middle part. Coxal projection sub-triangular; about as wide as long; ventral side with 2 ( ♂), 7 ( ♀) small setae on distal half; dorsal surface with numerous small sensilla on distal half. Telopodite longer than the coxal projection; distinctly articulated; without lappets; ventral side with 4 ( ♂), 11 ( ♀) long setae on distal half; dorsal surface with numerous small sensilla on distal half.

Second maxillae (Fig. 10 E ). Coxosternite entire; uniformly areolate; anterior margin deeply concave, with indistinct setae. Telopodite composed of three articles; gradually narrowing towards the tip; claws simple; almost straight and gradually tapering on the telopodite.

Forcipular segment (Fig. 10 F ). Tergite sub-trapezoid with lateral margins convex and subparallel, ca. 3.0 times as wide as long. Coxosternite ca. 2.2 times as wide as long on exposed part; anterior margin moderately projecting with respect to its condyles; anterior border slightly concave medially; coxopleural sutures strongly converging backward. Trochanteroprefemur ca. 1.3 times as wide as long; basal distance between trochanteroprefemora ca. 0.5 times of their basal breadth. Forcipular intermediate articles with slight projections. Tarsungulum ca. 2.3 times as long as wide. Basal denticle of forcipular tarsungulum sub-triangular, with distal margin slightly convex, basal margin quite straight and ca. 0.3 times as long as the basal breadth of the tarsungulum. Distal part of the tarsungulum uniformly tapering, its internal margin uniformly curved moderately concave and converging uniformly to the external margin. Calyx of poison gland ca. 3.3 times as long as wide, situated in the distal half of trochanteroprefemur.

Leg-bearing segments (Fig. 10 G ). Tergite 1 wider than metatergite 2; lateral margins converging backward. Metasternites sub-rectangular, with a deeply mid-longitudinal sulcus. Posterior pair of sub-ovoid pore-fields present in all metasternites from 1 to penultimate. Pore-fields present also on all procoxae and metacoxae from 1 to penultimate. Legs 1 smaller than the others; pretarsus claw-like, reaching ca. 1 / 5 of the length of the tarsus.

Ultimate leg-bearing segment (Fig. 10 H – J ). Pretergite and intercalary pleurites separated by distinct sulcus; pretergite ca. 3.5 times as wide as long on exposed part. Metatergite ca. 1.4 times as wide as long; sub-trapezoid. Metasternite sub-trapezoid; ca. 1.3 ( ♀), 2.0 ( ♂) times as wide as long; lateral margins slightly concave to nearly straight, converging backwards; posterior margin ca. 0.3 times as wide as anterior margin; with sparse setae of various sizes. Coxal pores 13 ( ♀), 17 ( ♂) on each coxopleuron; opening independently; all coxal pores distinctly aggregated close to the lateral margins of the metasternite with the possible exception of a single pore on each coxopleuron, diameter of the coxal pores similar to that of the respective ducts; male setae slightly denser close to the ventral posterior edge of the coxopleuron, female sparse. Ultimate leg ca. 1.1 times as long as penultimate leg, male distinctly swollen, ventral and lateral sides with very dense setae, female sparse. Ultimate pretarsus a claw; ca. 0.2 ( ♂), 0.3 ( ♀) times as long as tarsus.

Postpedal segments (Fig. 10 I, J ). Male: intermediate sternite distinct and exposed; first genital sternite separated from pleurites by distinct sutures; gonopods bi-articulate, with setae; penis conical; anal pores indistinct. Female: intermediate sternite indistinct, medially not exposed; first genital pleurosternite ca. 5 times as wide as long, posterior margin slightly concave, uniformly with sparse setae; gonopods lamina not distinctly bilobate, with sparse setae; anal pores indistinct.

Etymology.

The specific epithet refers to the cephalic pleurite with sparse setae. We suggest the Chinese common name as “ 侧毛地蜈蚣 ”.

Remarks.

This new species is similar to S. svenhedini ( Verhoeff, 1933) in its coxal pore distribution; the most posterior coxal pore on each coxopleuron is distinctly displaced from all other pores ( Verhoeff 1933; Bonato et al. 2012). However, S. svenhedini exhibits clustered anterior coxal pores arranged independently; in contrast, the coxal pores of S. laterisetosa are fan-arranged, with elevated coxal pores near the metasternite of the ultimate leg-bearing segment and evenly distributed along its margin. Additionally, the new species with cephalic pleurites bears 11–15 setae that are densely clustered near the midventral region, which are absent in S. svenhedini .

Distribution.

China ( Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces).

Figures

Figure 1. Forcipular segments of Strigamia spp. (A – M). A. S. svenhedini (Verhoeff, 1933) (spm. CMMI 20220903086); B. S. japonica (Verhoeff, 1935) (spm. CMMI 20231128001 D); C. S. tenuiungulata (Takakuwa, 1938) (spm. CMMI 20230414002 D); D. S. bicolor Shinohara, 1981 (spm. CMMI 20210227106); E. S. platydentata Shinohara, 1981 (spm. CMMI 20210702003 D); F. S. korsosi Bonato, Bortolin, Drago, Orlando, Dányi, 2017 (spm. CMMI 20191031044); G. S. laterisetosa sp. nov., holotype; H. S. longiglanda sp. nov., holotype; I. S. dianguiensis sp. nov., holotype; J. S. obliquidentata sp. nov., holotype; K. S. xizangensis sp. nov., paratype; L. S. ziyunensis sp. nov., holotype; M. S. asiatica sp. nov., holotype. N, O. live specimens of S. laterisetosa (Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China; photo by Chao Jiang). Scale bars: 250 μm (A – M).

Figure 10. Strigamia laterisetosa sp. nov. A. Cephalic plate, dorsal; B. Right antenna, ventral; C. Anterior part of cephalic capsule, ventral (forcipules, maxillae and mandibles removed); D. Mandible; E. Maxillary complex, ventral (setae on right part omitted); F. Forcipular segment, ventral (venom canal drawn with dashed lines); G. Sternum of leg-bearing segment, ventral (setae on left part omitted); H. Posterior end of body in adult male, dorsal (setae on left coxopleuron and ultimate leg omitted); I. Ditto, dorsal (setae on right coxopleuron and ultimate leg omitted); J. Posterior end of body in adult female, ventral (setae on right coxopleuron and ultimate leg omitted). Areolation drawn in part in A, D – E. Specimens: holotype (A – I); paratype (J), ♀ (CMMI 20241107002 D). Scale bars: 250 μm (A, C – H, J); 1 mm (B, I).