Myriapodologica A SERIES OF OCCASIONAL PAPERS PUBLISHED AT RADFORD UNIVERSITY ISSN 0163-5395 VoL2, No. 7 July 15, 1988 Sphalmatogonus, a genus of Japanese dipiopods ( Polydesmida : Para doxosoma tidae) By Richard L. Hoffman ABSTRACT Sphalmatogonus carli, an obscure species of milliped heretofore known only from the original type series labeled "Sumatra" is reported from the island of Kyushu, Japan. T wo other species from Japan, both described in Haplogonosoma by Takakuwa in 1942, are clearly congeneric with carli, and it is suggested that the "Sumatra" record is the result of either accidental introduction or mislabeling: Sphalmatogonus must be regarded as an endemic Japanese genus of para- doxosomatids. NARRATIVE In 1902 the Swiss zoologist Jean Carl recorded, and illustrated the gonopod structure of, a milliped in the Geneva Museum which he identified as Strongyto- soma subalbum Pocock, 1 894. Despite appreciable concurrence of his specimen with Pocock’s description, such an identification could only be regarded as highly provisional, as the type and only known specimen of subalbum was a female and since Pocock’s description was not sufficiently detailed to begin with. Subsequently the species identified by Carl as subalbum was referred by Brolemann (1 91 6} to his new genus Haplogonosoma, an allocation adopted also by Graf Attems in 1 937, although neither of these authors restudied Carl's specimen. Such an examination, finally conducted by C. A. W. Jeekel in 1976, disclosed that the original interpretation of gonopod structure was incorrect. In his detailed account of this specimen, Jeekel (1 980) showed that the species could not be correctly placed in Haplogonosoma or any other known genus and moreover, since it was highly improbable that it was conspecific with S. subalbum sensu Pocock, he renamed it as Sphalmatogonus carli. Scanned with permission by the Virginia Tech Insect Systematics Group 2014 (www.jointedlegs.org) 46 Myriapodologica By an interesting coincidence, not long after the appearance of Jeekel’s paper, I was identifying some Oriental diplopods loaned for study by the California Academy of Sciences and came upon a vial of specimens obviously referable to S. carls, agreeing in every detail with Jeekel's description and drawings. This discovery raised a point of some interest, as the material had been taken on Kyushu island, Japan, whereas the types of S. carli were labeled only "Sumatra" without further data. Was Carl’s material mislabeled, or was it possible that S. carls was transported to Sumatra from Japan, or vice versa? Fortunately, it is possible that the question can be settled through circumstantial evidence. One of the anatomical features which sets Sphalmatogonus off as a disjunct taxon is the presence of a prominent digitiform lobe on the ventral side of the gonopod prfemur, a peculiarity remarked by Carl in 1902, and shown in his drawing of the gonopod. This process is unique within the entire family Para- doxosomaiidae. In a second coincidental event, soon after my discovery of the Kyushu specimens of carli, I happened to be looking through Takakuwa’s 1954 book on Japanese millipeds, in connection with quite a different subject, when my attention was suddenly captured by the illustration (Fig. 20) given for Hap/ogono- soma silvestre Takakuwa, A very close similarity was noted between this gonopod drawing and that published by Jeeke) for carli, including the prefemoral projection and the erect lamina at distal end of the postfemur. Although the tibiotarsa! region of silvestre is much longer and differently coiled, there can be little doubt that this species must be referred to Sphalmatogonus as its second member. The type locality for H. silvestre was stated to be “Yoshida (am Fusse des Berges Huzi)" which I presume is the place now called Fuji-yoshida in southeastern Yamanashi Prefecture (35,28N, 1 38.42 E) on the northern base of Mount Fuji-san. The California Academy specimens are labeled "Moji, Kyushu. Japan, iV-28- 34" and were collected by J. Linsley Gressitt. Moji no longer appears on most maps, having been incorporated into a metropolitan area now called Kitakyushu. Dr. Gressitt advised me (by letter dated 5 April 1 982) that the millipeds were probably taken at the edge of a wooded city park area. S. carli has been thoroughly described and figured by Jeekel (1980). I can add only one anatomical detail in gonopod structure, the presence of a small, acute projection on the lateral side of the postfemoral region, as shown in Fig. 2, Because of its location, and concealment in lateral aspect by the proximally curved loop of the tibiotarsus, this projection is only evident in an oblique ventro- lateral aspect and I happened to notice it only be accident. Jeekel’s Fig. 20 is made from an aspect which does not show the apex of the tibiotarsus clearly (it being curved almost directly toward the observer); my Fig. 1 is made from a slightly different orientation to show the distal part of the solenomerite running along the mesal surface of the tibiotarsus, beyond which it projects slightly. Scanned with permission by the Virginia Tech Insect Systematics Group 2014 (www.jointedlegs.org) Hoffman: Sphatmatogonus 47 In netting up Sphalmatogonus, Jeekel referred it to the tribe Orthomorphini, While I should be the last to express any doubts about the validity of this assignment, I might note the strong similarity in gonopod structure to genera of the tribe Eustrongylosomatini, a similarity that is substantiated by a parallel reduction in size of the paranota. The literature references for the three species here recognized as congeners within Sphalmatogonus are cited herewith: Fig. 1 . Sphalmatogonus car// Jeekel. Left gonopod, mesal aspect, of male from Kitakyushu, Japan. Fig. 2. The same gonopod, oblique ventrolateral aspect. Scanned with permission by the Virginia Tech Insect Systematics Group 2014 (www.jointedlegs.org) 48 Myriapodologica Sphalmatogonus carli Jeekel. — Figs. 1 , 2. Strongylosoma subalbum (nec Pocock, 1 894) Carl, 1 902, Rev. Suisse ZooL, v. 1 0, p. 566, pi. 10, fig. 12 (“Sumatra”). Orthomorpha subalba: Attems, 1914, Arch. Naturg., v. 80{A)4, p. 194. Haplogonosoma subalbum: Brolemann, 1 91 6, Ann, Soc. ent. France, v. 84, p. 592. Sphalmatogonus car// Jeekel, 1 980, Rev. Suisse Zool., v. 87. p. 338, figs. 1 9. 20. Sphalmatogonus silvestre (Takakuwa), comb. nov. Haplogonosoma silvestre Takakuwa, 1 942, Annotat. Zool. Japonenses, v. 21 , p. 44,fig.9(Yosida, am FussedesBerges Huzi). — 1954, Diplopoda of Japan and surrounding regions (in Japanese), p. 28, fig. 20. Sphalmatogonus dichotomus (Takakuwa), stat. & comb. nov. Haplogonosoma silvestre dichoiomum Takakuwa, 1942, Annotat. Zool. Japo- nenses, V. 21 , p. 45, fig. 1 0 (Japan, without precise locality}. The original description of this taxon specified structural agreement with nominate silvestre in all points except gonopod structure. As schematically illustrated, this appendage has the postfemoral elements more tightly coiled with the lamina lateralis of the tibiotarsus broader basally, but more elongated distally, than in either carli or silvestre; distal lobe of femorite broader and more truncate than in the other two species. I think there is little reason to doubt dichotomus merits full specific status. Regrettably we remain ignorant of its range in Japan; most probably it occurs in central or western Honshu. Takakuwa’s original illustration contains an inaccuracy, in that the course of the prostatic groove is shown by a dotted line to extend along the tibiotarsus. instead of the smaller and thinner solenomerite. REFERENCES Carl, J., 1902. Exotische Polydesmiden. Rev. Su/sse Zoo/., v. 10, pp. 563-679, pis. 10-12, figs. 1-109. Jeekel, C. A. W., 1980. On the classification of some little known Paradoxoso- matidae from Java and Sumatra (Diplopoda, Polydesmida), Rev. Suisse Zool., V. 87, pp. 323-340, figs. 1 -20. Pocock, R. I., 1894, Chilopoda, Symphyla. and Diplopoda from the Malay Archipelago, in; M. Weber (ed.), Zoologische Ergebnisse einer Reise in Niederlandisch Ost-lndien, v, 3, pp. 307-404, pis. 19-22. Takakuwa. Y., 1942. Zur Kenntnis der Japanischen Diplopoden. Annot Zool. Japonenses, v. 21 , pp. 39-47. , 1 954. Diplopoda of Japan and surrounding regions [in Japanese], pp. 1 - 241, figs. 1-253. Address of the author: Professor Richard L Hoffman Radford University Radford, Virginia 24142, USA Scanned with permission by the Virginia Tech Insect Systematics Group 2014 (www.jointedlegs.org)