The subgenus Monotarsobius in the Iberian Peninsula with a description of a new pseudo-cryptic species from Northern Spain revealed by an integrative revision of Lithobius crassipes L. Koch, 1862 (Chilopoda, Lithobiomorpha, Lithobiidae)

Abstract

The widespread European centipede species Lithobius (Monotarsobius) crassipes L. Koch, 1862 was revised using an integrative approach incorporating sequence data and morphology. The partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcoding gene was amplified and sequenced for 21 individuals from northern Spain, France and Germany as well as for individuals of three other species of the subgenus Monotarsobius Verhoeff, 1905. The dataset was used for molecular phylogenetic analysis and genetic distance determination. In addition, Monotarsobius specimens from more than 100 localities in northern Spain, France, and Germany were morphologically investigated. Both morphological and molecular data indicate that specimens from the Navarre and Gipuzkoa provinces, northern Spain, represent a distinct pseudo-cryptic species, only differing in some minor characters from L. crassipes. The new species L. (Monotarsobius) crassipesoides sp. n. is described and compared to L. crassipes in detail using morphology and morphometric statistics for body, head, and antennae length, number of ocelli and coxal pores, as well as the starting leg for legpair spines Vmt and DaP. The Iberian and European records of L. crassipes are discussed. The subspecies L. crassipes morenoi Garcia Ruiz, 2014 from Southern Spain is elevated to species as L. morenoi stat. n. A checklist, distribution map and key to all five species of Monotarsobius of the Iberian Peninsula are presented.

Two centipedes new to the fauna of La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain) and notes on the Lithobiomorpha of the island (Chilopoda, Myriapoda)

“…Descriptive notes : The female specimen we found fits the species description of Lithobius (Monotarsobius) crassipesoides from Spain as provided by Voigtländer et al (2017). Colour: light brownish to yellowish.…”

“…The finding of L. crassipesoides is particularly interesting as this represents the first record of the species from the Canaries and as a whole after its recent description (Voigtländer et al 2017). These same authors provided a detailed molecular and morphological comparison of the species with its close congener and widespread species L. crassipes , based on specimens from Spain, France and Germany, respectively.…”

“…Plectrotaxy as in Table 1. The specimen from La Palma is missing Vmt and VaP on the 13 th legs and has only VmF on the 15 th leg in comparison to the specimens from the mainland (see Voigtländer et al 2017, p. 28)…”

“…These same authors provided a detailed molecular and morphological comparison of the species with its close congener and widespread species L. crassipes , based on specimens from Spain, France and Germany, respectively. Perhaps among the most striking morphological differences are a DaP spine starting from the leg-pair 12, a narrower middle coxosternal notch and somewhat more slender female gonopods (Voigtländer et al 2017, fig. 16).…”

Two new species of the genus Hessebius Verhoeff, 1941 from China (Lithobiomorpha, Lithobiidae)

“…ZSM = Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Germany; AM KS = vouchers in Australian Museum prefix; MCZ = Australian Museum, Sydney, Australia; SMNG = Senckenberg Museum of Natural History, Frankfurt, Germany.Morph species nameSequence referenceGenBank accession No.Voucher No.Locality Lithobiidae Lithobiinae Lithobius (Monotarsobius) crassipes (Voigtländer et al 2017)MF123710.1 SMNG VNR 17281-1France, Lithobius (L.) forficatus (Voigtländer et al 2017)MF123702 SMNG VNR 17150-2Germany Lithobius variegatus rubriceps (Murienne et al 2010)AF334311DNA100283Spain Lithobius (L.) castaneus (Murienne et al 2010)HM453305DNA103939 Lithobius (Ezembius) giganteus (Murienne et al 2010)HM453306DNA101089 Lithobius holsti (Murienne et al 2010)HM453307DNA102106 Australobius scabrior (Giribet and Edgecombe 2006)DQ201428…”