Myriapodologica A SERIES OF OCCASIONAL PAPERS PUBLISHED AT RADFORD UNIVERSITY ISSN 0163-5395 Vol, 2. No. 3 December 1 5, 1 987 Studies on spirostreptoid midipeds. XVIII. Revalidation of the generic name Doratogonus Attems, 1 91 4, and the status of the name Spirostreptus cristulatus Porat, 1872 (Diplopoda: Spirostreptida) By Richard L. Hoffman ABSTRACT Milifpeds previously referred to the two South African nominal genera A //oporos (Porat, 1872) and Dora/oponus (Attems, 1914) differ only in the place of origin of the ozopore series, and recent specialists have combined the twotaxa under the older name A//oport/s. However, examination of the type species of that name. A. dissimilis Porat, 1872, strongly suggests that dissimilis is not congeneric with other species now placed in Alloporus, and for them the younger name Dora- togonus is revived. A generic diagnosis is provided, and the characters of the name Spirostreptus cristulatus, heretofore not placed in any currently recognized genus, are described and illustrated from the type specimen. S. cristulatus is a senior subjective synonym of Doratogonus setosus uncinatus Attems, 1914; Spirostreptus setosus Voges, 1 878, is considered to be a full species of Dora- togonus and not a subspecies of cristulatus with which it is extensively sympatric in Natal, South Africa. INTRODUCTION A considerable number of South and Central African spirostreptids have been described, or subsequently placed, in the genera A//oporus and Doratogonus. The members of these two nominal taxa have long been known to share not only the same basic gonopod structure but the majority of peripheral features as well, the sole point of distinction between the two groups having been the origin of the ozopore series on the 5th body segment in Alloporus, 6th in Doratogonus. In addition, a number of South American species have been also referred to Allopo- rus because of the pore character, but these — having major differences in genitalic form — are all now placed in other genera. Scanned with permission by Virginia Tech Insect Systematics Group 2014 (www.jointedlegs.org) 14 Myriapodologica In recent years, most specialists on diplopod taxonomy have tended to de- emphasize the importance of the pore character in those cases, like that under consideration now, in which such a feature arbitrarily separates species very similar in, all other character systems. The latest comprehensive treatment of spirostreptids {Krabbe, 1982) has formally combined the two generic concepts, resulting in a genus Alloporus with 28 species and subspecies. While I strongly endorse this long overdue action, I now find it necessary to revive Doratogonus from synonymy because, in my view, Alloporus cannot be used in its traditional sense despite a long history of precedence. It will be recalled that Alloporus (von Porat, 1 872) was originally distinguished from Spirostreptus solely by the place of origin of the pore series on the 5th segment and the occurrence of only eight pectinate mandibular la.mellae. The type material of the type species A. dissimilis apparently did not include males, and carried no closer indication than “Caffraria.” The structure of male genitalia was not at that time accorded much systematic importance, whereas minor differences in peripheral structure were exalted out of all proportion, and Allopo- rus therefore became firmly ensconced in diplopod literature to denominate any spirostreptoids having ozopores on segment 5. As lately as two decades ago (1 966) it was still recognized by such specialists as Schubart and Lawrence as the correct name for some of the commonest big South African species, even though in fact nobody had any idea what A. dissimilis itself might be like. Actually the original description, although based on females, provides some critical information on that point. The number of pectinate lamellae (8) is too low, and the size of A. dissimilis (40 mm long) much too small, for this species to be congeneric with any of the other regional taxa placed in Alloporus. In 1 983 I had the opportunity to study milliped types of von Porat preserved in the Natur- historiska Riksmuseet, Stockholm, and looked forward with great interest to attempting a personal identification of dissimilis. Regrettably, the bottle now contains only disarticulated and decalcified shards, even the segments them- selves separated into prozona and metazona, presumably the result of initial preservation in overly strong or acidic spirits. The only intact parts of what seemed to have been two specimens are now a single head and one separate mandible. The only tangible information I could obtain from these papery ruins, beyond that mentioned in the original description, is thatthe larger specimen was mature (no legless penultimate segment), that the metazona have no sigilla, and that the gnathochilarium — of typical spirostreptid form — completely lacks mental and stipital setae. All of the species presently included \n Alloporus (sensu auctorum) are at least twice as long as dissimilis, have 10-12 pectinate lamellae instead of 8, are provided with one to many rows of sigilla, and have numerous small setae on the distal half of the stipes. I do not believe that any case whatever can be made for considering them congeneric with d/ss/myfe, and herewith propose to restrict the name Alloporus to this so-far enigmatic species. Eventually some South African milliped will be discovered that conforms to the known peripheral features of Hoffman: Doratogonus 15 dissimilis; until then Altoporus may be placed on the list of genera incertae sedis and Doratogonus revived to accommodate the large species heretofore wrongly placed in Altoporus. \ have been able to study material of many of these species, and believe that the genus as presently understood is patently heterogeneous. Denomination of the genera into which it must be rendered is, however, deferred until completion of revisionary work now in progress, and the following generic definition is therefore only provisional and far too inclusive. Doratogonus Doratogonus Attems, 1914, Zooiogica (Stuttgart), vol. 25 (65/66), p. 105. Type species: Spirostreptus setosus Voges, 1 878, by subsequent designation of Jeekel, 1971. Altoporus (nec Porat 1 872) Krabbe, 1 982, Abhandl. Naturw. Ver. Hamburg, N.F., vol, 24, p. 1 1 3. — Hoffman & Howell, 1 983, Rev. Zool. afr., v. 97, p. 626. Diagnosis: Moderate to large-sized spirostreptids, length from 90 to 1 50 mm; anterior corner of collum strongly produced (digitiform) in males; sigilla in one or several rows; ozopores beginning on 5th or 6th segment. 1 st legs of males without notable modification: expanded coxal region with dispersed setufes, basal pro- cess of prefemur small and subtriangular, scarcely extended beyond edge of the podomeres. Mandible with 10 to 12 pectinate lamellae; dentate lamella with several rounded lobes ("teeth”). Coxal folds of gonopods variable, but apex of posterior fold usually rounded and with a small acute lobe on lateral edge; anterior fold apicafly setose and generally extended distad as a slender projection, often with a strongly sclerot- ized, dark angular process or series of small teeth on the anteromedian surface near midlength. Telopodite (Fig. 1 ) very characteristic in shape, the shaft long and very slender, broadly curved upon emergence from gonocoel, extending prox- imad nearly to level of paracoxites where the long, curved, femoral process originates, also at the same level the main branch describes first a prominent 360 “ torsion and then a nearly complete loop or circle before continuing on to the greatly attenuated postfemoral division; latter with a long, slender, subterminal element directed parallel to the solenomehte. Basal region of postfemur often broadly expanded and laminate, sometimes with small marginal dentation or lobe. Remarks: A detailed revision of this genus is much to be desired; in my opinion it will result in the recognition of several structurally and geographically homo- geneous smaller genera recognized largely on the basis of the gonocoxal fold modification. Certainly a good case can be made for separating off A. hamiferand A. fallax of Attems, as well as muttiannulatus Carl, regularis Attems, and kindanus Attems. 1 concur with Schubart (1966) in recognizing Otostrepius as a separate genus, and exceed his initiative by displacing it from any close affinity with Doratogonus. Quite a few species have been wrongly described in Spirostreptus and other unlikely genera, and these will have to be relocated in the inevitable 16 Myriapodotogica future tribe Doratogonini, A start in this direction has been made already by Hoffman & Howell (1 983) in proposing Dendrostreptus as a monobasic genus for ”S.” macracanthus Attems. For the present, aside from revalidating Doratogonus as the correct name of the dominant genus of the group. I wish only to establish the status of an old name published by von Porat in 1 872 — Sp/rosfrepfus cristulatus — which applies to a Natalian doratogonid very closely related to D. setosus and which, if the two are found to be conspecific, would have nomenclatorial priority over it, Spifostreptus cristulatus von Porat, 1 872, Ofv. K. Vetensk.-Akad. Forhandl. no. 5, p, 28. Male holotype (Naturh, Riksm. Stockholm) labeled only "Caffraria/ Wahlberg." Doratogonus setosus uncinatus Attems, 1928, Ann, South Afr. Mus., vo!. 26, p. 338, figs. 290-292. Syntypes (S. Afr. Mus.) from Krantzkop, Howick, and Rietviei, Natal. New Synonymy! Alloporus setosus uncinatus: Krabbe, 1 982, AbhandL Naturw. Ver, Hamburg, N.F., vol. 24, p. 124 (= junior secondary homonym of Alloporus uncinatus Attems, 1 91 4). Fig. 1 . Doratogonus cristulatus (Porat), Distal half of left gonopod of holotype, anterior aspect, setation omitted. Doratogonus cristulatus (von Porat), comb. nov. Hoffman: Doratogonus 17 The status of this taxon remains in considerable doubt. Described by Attems as a subspecies of setosus, and so regarded by all subsequent authorities, its knov^/n collection sites do not comprise a range distinct from that of nominate setosus. The map given by Schubart (1 966, p. 97) is incorrect in giving such an impression; see instead that in this paper (Fig. 2) which is based on more precise plotting of the known localities. Both forms appear to occur at Durban. Since subspecific status normally implies at least partial allopatry, it would appear that the two taxa involved must be regarded either as innominate variants or as closely related sibling species. The latter possibility seems to me the more plausible, The following differences between them have already been noted in the literature: setosus has the sigilla typically in a single row and its legs are uniformly yellowish, the posterior gonocoxal fold extends as a rounded lobe beyond the end of the anterior fold and the femoral process is slender; the sigilla of cristulatus are i I 2 Fig. 2. Distribution o1 Doratogonus cristulalus (triangles) andD. setosas (open squares) in Natal, South Africa, and adjacent political units. Localities identified by number: 1 , Natal National Park; 2, northeast of Weenen; 3, Kranskop; 4. Howick; 5. Pietermaritzburg; 6, Durban; 7, Rietviei, Cape Province: 8, Port Shepstone; ?, Kruger National Park, Transvaal (see discussion in text). 18 Myriapodologica in two rows and the legs are annulate with brown, the end of the posterior gonocoxal fold only slightly exceeds the end of the anterior, and the femoral process is broadly laminate. Possibly the direct comparision of specimens would reveal subtle differences in other peripheral character systems as well as those noted. Doratogonus setosus (Voges) Spirosireptus setosus Voges, 1 878, Zeitschr. Wiss. ZooL, vot. 31 , p. 1 65, fig. 26. Male syntypes (Zool. Mus. Hamburg) labeled ‘‘Port Natal” (the old name for Durban). Doratogonus setosus: Attems, 1 91 4, Zoologica (Stuttgart), vol. 25 (65/66), p, 1 07, figs. 90, 92. Doratogonus setosus sefosus (by implication), Attems, 1928. Ann. South Afr. Mus„ vol. 26, p. 338. Alloporus setosus: Krabbe. 1 982, Abhandl. Naturwiss, Ver. Hamburg, N.F., vol. 24, p. 123. This is apparently a common milliped in southern Natal. Lawrence (1966) has also recorded it, without comment, from the Kruger National Park, Transvaal. Such a significant extension of the known range is interesting and invites further inquiry; such a degree of geographic separation from the main range would seem to be paralleled by modification of gonopod structure. Attems (1 928) mentioned material of setosus from Umtali (now Mutare), Zim- babwe, which would also seem to be quite out of the expected range of the species. In fact Lawrence (in Schubart, 1 966) suspected that Attems’ Umtali was an error for Umhiali, near Durban, Natal. Although such a transposition seems plausible, it may be noted that the catalog number (SAM 1 3742) of the “Umtali” material falls in the series (1 3736-742) assigned to species which are known to be endemic in Zimbabwe. If the Kruger Park record can be confirmed, credence of the Umtali label would be greatly enhanced, even though this large species seems not to have been taken elsewhere in Transvaal or Zimbabwe in recent years. REFERENCES Attems, C„ 1914. Afrikanische Spirostreptiden, nebst Ueberblick ueber die Spirostreptiden orbis terrarum. Zoologica (Stuttgart) 25{65/66): 1 -233. Attems, C-, 1928. The Myriopoda of South Africa. Annals of the South African Museum 26: 1 -431 . Hoffman, R. L, and K. M. Howell, 1983. Dendrostreptus, a new genus for an arboreal Tanzanian milliped, with notes on related forms. Revue Zoologie africaine 97: 626-632. Hoffman: Doratogonus 19 Krabbe, E., 1982. Systematik der Spirostreptidae {Diplopoda, Spiro- streptomorpha). Abhand!ungen des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins in Hamburg (NF) 24: 1 -475. Lawrence, R. F., 1966. The Myriapoda of the Kruger National Park. Zoofogica Africana 2: 225-262. von Porat, C. O.. 1872. Myriapoda Africae australis, in Museo Regio Flolmiensi asservata, recensuit. Pars. II. Diplopoda. Ofversigt af Koniglichen Vetenskaps-Adademiens Forhandlingar 1872(5): 3-45. Schubart O., 1966. Diplopoda III, Pselaphognatha, Opisthospermophora, Colo- bognatha, in: South African Animal Life (Results of the Lund University Expedition in 1950-1951) ^2: 9-227. Address of the author: Dr. Richard L Hoffman Radford University Radford, Virginia 241 42, USA