Escaryus polygonatus

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Escaryus polygonatus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Myriapoda
Class: Chilopoda
Order: Geophilomorpha
Family: Schendylidae
Genus: Escaryus
Species:
E. polygonatus
Binomial name
Escaryus polygonatus
Titova, 1973

Escaryus polygonatus is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. [1] This centipede is found in the Maritime territory (Primorsky Krai) of the Russian Far East. [1] [2] This species was first described in 1973 by the Russian myriapodologist Lidia P. Titova. [3]

Contents

Discovery

Titova based the original description of this species on a male holotype and seventeen paratypes, including nine males and eight females. These specimens were found in the Ussuriysky Nature Reserve and the Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve, which are both in the Maritime territory (Primorsky Krai) of Russia. These type specimens are deposited in the Zoological Museum of the Moscow State University. [2]

Description

This species features 39 pair of legs in both sexes and can reach 28 mm in length. The body is a bright yellow, but the head is darker. The species name refers to the distinctly polygonal shape of the depressions that appear in the center of each sternite in the anterior part of the body. [3]

The posterior margin of the labrum features a relatively deep concave arch in the middle and denticles that are short and obtuse. One pair of lappets project from the lateral margins of the first maxillae. The first three articles of the forcipules feature small bulges, but the ultimate article features no denticle. Relatively sparse setae appear on the sternites. The sternite of the ultimate leg-bearing segment has the shape of a trapezoid that is longer than wide (with a length/width ratio of 1.5). The basal element of the ultimate legs features pores on both the ventral and lateral surfaces. Anal pores are present on the telson. [2] [4] This species shares many traits with other species in the genus Escaryus . For example, like other species in this genus, this species has an elongated head, denticles in the middle of the labrum, lappets on the first maxillae, and ultimate legs ending in claws. [3] [2]

This species shares an especially extensive set of distinctive traits with the species E. chichibuensis , which is also found in the Russian Far East. This species, like E. polygonatus, features short and obtuse denticles on the labrum, one pair of lappets on the first maxillae, anal pores, and small bulges on the first three article of the forcipules but no denticle on the ultimate article. Furthermore, the sternite of the ultimate leg-bearing segment in both species has a trapezoidal shape. [2] These two species also feature similar numbers of legs, but E. chichibuensis exhibits intraspecific variation in segment number, with 35, 37, or 39 leg pairs, whereas E. polygonatus features 39 leg pairs in all specimens. [3] [2]

Several other features distinguish E. polygonatus from E. chichibuensis. For example, the sternite of the ultimate leg-bearing segment in E. polygonatus is markedly longer than wide, whereas this sternite is about as long as wide in E. chichibuensis. Furthermore, where E. polygonatus features a relatively deep arch on the labrum, E. chichibuensis features a relatively shallow arch instead. [2] Moreover, E. polygonatus usually ranges from 22 mm to 27 mm in length, which is somewhat larger than E. chichibuensis, which measures about 20 mm in length. [3]

Related Research Articles

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Dinogeophilus is a genus of soil centipedes in the family Schendylidae. This genus contains only two species, Dinogeophilus pauropus and D. oligopodus, which range from 4.5 to 5.5 mm in length. These species are notable as the smallest not only in the order Geophilomorpha but also in any epimorphic order of centipedes. The species D. oligopodus is also notable as one of only six species of soil centipedes to feature only 29 pairs of legs and one of only two species to include females with only 29 pairs, the minimum number recorded for females in the order Geophilomorpha.

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Escaryus molodovae is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This centipede is found on Sakhalin island in the Russian Far East. This species is notable for its small size, reaching only 14 mm in length.

Escaryus vitimicus is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This centipede is found in the Republic of Buryatia in the Russian Far East. This species features 37 pairs of legs in each sex and can reach 27 mm in length.

Alloschizotaenia bipora is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae. This centipede is found in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This species was first described in 1952 by the Austrian myriapodologist Carl Attems.

Arctogeophilus inopinatus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophildae. This centipede is found in western and central France and may also be present in Luxembourg. This species is small, measuring only 18 mm in length, and can have either 39 or 41 pairs of legs.

Schendyla dentata is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This centipede is widespread in western Europe. This species is notable not only for its small size, reaching only 12 mm in length, but also for the absence of males in all samples collected. This absence of males suggests that this species reproduces through parthenogenesis.

Escaryus hirsutus is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This centipede is found on Sakhalin island in the Russian Far East. This species was first described in 1973 by the Russian myriapodologist Lidia P. Titova.

Escaryus dentatus is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This centipede is found in the Maritime territory of the Russian Far East. This species was first described in 1973 by the Russian myriapodologist Lidia P. Titova.

Escaryus kirgizicus is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. As the species name suggests, this centipede is found in Kyrgyzstan. This species is known only from high mountains and is notable for being found at one of the highest altitudes recorded for any centipede in the order Geophilomorpha in Central Asia.

Mesoschendyla cribrifera is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This centipede is found in South Africa. This species features 55 pairs of legs in each sex and measures 34 mm in length.

References

  1. 1 2 Bonato, L.; Chagas Junior, A.; Edgecombe, G.D.; Lewis, J.G.E.; Minelli, A.; Pereira, L.A.; Shelley, R.M.; Stoev, P.; Zapparoli, M. (2016). "Escaryus polygonatus Titova, 1973". ChiloBase 2.0 - A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda). Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dyachkov, Yurii V.; Bonato, Lucio (2024-04-23). "An updated synthesis of the Geophilomorpha (Chilopoda) of Asian Russia". ZooKeys (1198): 17–54 [18, 36–38, 42-43]. Bibcode:2024ZooK.1198...17D. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1198.119781 . ISSN   1313-2970. PMC   11061560 . PMID   38693975.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Titova, L.P. (1973). "New species of the genus Escaryus Cook & Collins (Schendylidae, Chilopoda)". In Ghilarov, M.S. (ed.). Ekologiya Pochvennykh Bespozvonochnykh (in Russian). Moscow: Nauka Publisher. pp. 94-119 [98, 117].
  4. Bonato, Lucio; Edgecombe, Gregory; Lewis, John; Minelli, Alessandro; Pereira, Luis; Shelley, Rowland; Zapparoli, Marzio (2010-11-18). "A common terminology for the external anatomy of centipedes (Chilopoda)". ZooKeys (69): 17–51. Bibcode:2010ZooK...69...17B. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.69.737 . ISSN   1313-2970. PMC   3088443 . PMID   21594038.