Strigamia longiglanda 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 longiglanda Jiang & Yu sp. nov.

Figs 1 H , 11

Material examined.

Holotype. China • ♀ ( CMMI 20241206001 D ), Fujian Province, Xiamen, Siming Dist., Mt. Dongpingshan ( 24.4556°N, 118.1195°E), 1720 m asl., 6. xii. 2024, leg. Chao Jiang .

Paratype. China • 1 ♂ ( CMMI C 240426001 ), Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Lingchuan County, Haiyang Township, Guiweidong Cave ( 25.2543°N, 110.5899°E), 800 m asl., 26. iv. 2024, leg. Sunbin Huang, Mingzhi Zhao, Ran Li & Rong Chen .

Diagnosis.

Body length reaching at least 50 mm; number of leg-bearing segments usually 57; with transverse suture on the cephalic plate; cephalic pleurite evidently with sparse setae; with at least 28 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; denticle of the tarsungulum sub-triangular, internal and external margins of the forcipular tarsungulum gradually converging all along the tarsungulum; calyx of the poison gland ca. 4.3 times as long as wide, situated from femur to distal half of trochanteroprefemur; metasternites with sparse setae of various sizes; metasternites 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; metasternite of the ultimate leg-bearing segment with a shallow concave on each side; coxal pores at least 16 on each coxopleuron, distinctly aggregated close to the lateral margin of the metasternite.

Description.

General features. Body 52 ( ♀), 55 ( ♂) mm long; with 57 leg-bearing segments; narrowing forward and towards the posterior tip. Color (in 75 % ethanol) shallow orange; forcipules darker.

Cephalic capsule (Fig. 11 A, C ) sub-quadratic; ca. 1.2 times as wide as long; all margins convex; areolation uniform on the entire surface, less sclerotized along an indistinct transverse suture; setae arranged scattered. 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 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. 11 B ) almost uniform in width; ca. 3 times as long as the width of the head. Basal articles only slightly more 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. 1.4 times as long as wide. Setae gradually denser and shorter from the basal articles to the distal ones. Articles I – XIII with two basal whorled long setae along with numerous short setae; remaining articles equipped solely with short setae.

Mandible (Fig. 11 D ) with a single pectinate lamella with ca. 28 ( ♂), 38 ( ♀) hyaline teeth.

First maxillae (Fig. 11 E ). Coxosternite entire; uniformly areolate; without lappets; 2 + 2 setae on anterior middle part. Coxal projection sub-triangular; wider than long; ventral side setae indistinct; dorsal surface with numerous small sensilla on distal half. Telopodite longer than the coxal projection; distinctly articulated; without lappets; ventral side with 6 + 3 long setae and 3 + 5 short setae on distal half; dorsal surface with numerous small sensilla on distal half.

Second maxillae (Fig. 11 E ). Coxosternite entire; uniformly areolate; anterior margin deeply concave; 3 + 3 setae close to the anterior margin. Telopodite composed of three articles; gradually narrowing towards the tip; claws simple; almost straight and gradually tapering on the telopodite.

Forcipular segment (Fig. 11 F ). Tergite sub-trapezoid; with lateral margins convex and subparallel; ca. 3.3 times as wide as long, slightly broader than the tergite of the first leg-bearing segment. Coxosternite ca. 1.9 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. 1.5 times as wide as long; basal distance between trochanteroprefemora ca. 0.4 times of their basal breadth. Forcipular intermediate articles without denticles. Tarsungulum ca. 2–2.3 times as long as wide. Basal denticle of tarsungulum sub-triangular, with distal margin slightly convex, basal margin quite straight and ca. 0.2–0.3 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. 4.3 times as long as wide, situated from femur to distal half of trochanteroprefemur.

Leg-bearing segments (Fig. 11 G, L ). 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, with two accessory spines of similar sizes, reaching ca. 1 / 4 of the length of the tarsus.

Ultimate leg-bearing segment (Fig. 11 H – K ). Pretergite and intercalary pleurites separated by distinct sulcus; pretergite ca. 3.1 times as wide as long on exposed part. Metatergite ca. 1.2 times as wide as long; shield-shaped. Metasternite sub-trapezoid; a shallow concave at the posterior on each side; ca. 1.6 times as wide as long; lateral margins slightly concave to nearly straight, converging backwards; posterior margin ca. 0.3 ( ♀), 0.4 ( ♂) times as wide as anterior margin; with sparse setae of various sizes. Coxal pores 16–19 ( ♂), 37–47 ( ♀) on each coxopleuron; opening independently; some of them covered by metasternite; all coxal pores distinctly aggregated close to the lateral margin of the metasternite in male, coxopleuron swollen and all sparse on the ventral surface of the coxopleuron but distinctly denser close to the lateral margin of the metasternite in female; diameter of the coxal pores similar to that of the respective ducts; dense setae on ventral surface in males, sparse in females. Ultimate leg ca. 0.8 ( ♀), 0.9 ( ♂) times as long as penultimate leg, male distinctly swollen, with very dense setae on ventral and lateral sides, female with sparse setae. Ultimate pretarsus a claw; ca. 0.2 times as long as tarsus.

Postpedal segments (Fig. 11 H, J ). Male: intermediate sternite indistinct and not 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. 3.0 times as wide as long, posterior margin slightly concave, uniformly with sparse setae; gonopods lamina bilobate, with sparse setae; anal pores present.

Etymology.

Latin: longiglanda = long gland. The specific epithet refers to the longer calyx of poison gland. We suggest the Chinese common name as “ 长腺地蜈蚣 ”.

Remarks.

This new species differs from all other known species of Strigamia in that it has an extremely elongated calyx in the poison gland that extends from the femur to the distal half of the trochanteroprefemur. Additionally, S. longiglanda sp. nov. exhibits a shallow concave at the posterior on each side of the ultimate metasternite, similar to Strigamia fusata Attems, 1903 , and cephalic lateral plate setae similar to S. laterisetosa sp. nov.; however, it can be distinguished from the former by the shallow concave at the posterior on each side of the ultimate metasternite and the latter by the distribution of the coxal pores on each coxopleuron.

Distribution.

China ( Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Fujian Province).

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 11. Strigamia longiglanda 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; 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 female, ventral (setae on right coxopleuron and ultimate leg omitted); I. Ditto, dorsal; J. Posterior end of body in adult male, ventral (setae on right coxopleuron and ultimate leg omitted); K. Ditto, dorsal (setae on left coxopleuron and ultimate leg omitted); L. Claw of legs. Areolation drawn in part in A, C – E. Specimens: holotype (A – I); Paratype ♂ (CMMI C 240426001) (I – J). Scale bars: 250 μm (A, F – I, L); 1 mm (B, K); 100 μm (C – E); 500 μm (J).