Review of the millipede family Haplodesmidae Cook, 1895, with descriptions of some new or poorly-known species (Diplopoda, Polydesmida)

Abstract

Th e polydesmoid family Haplodesmidae Cook, 1895 is reviewed and shown to be a senior subjective synonym of the family Doratodesmidae Cook, 1896, syn. n. Th e Haplodesmidae therefore encompasses six genera and 30 recognizable species, all keyed here, including the following six new species: Eutrichodesmus basalis sp. n. and E. armatocaudatus sp. n. from Vietnam; E. communicans sp. n. from Vanuatu, Melanesia; and E. latus sp. n., E. similis sp. n. and E. incisus sp. n. from China. Th e following new synonymies are proposed:

The millipede genus Tylopus Jeekel, 1968 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae), with a key and descriptions of eight new species from Indochina

“…nov., coupled with the gonopod structure being similar to that of T. reductus Golovatch, 2013, but it differs in the solenophore being more strongly twisted and thicker.…”

Revision of Agathodesmus Silvestri, 1910 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Haplodesmidae)

“…Hoff man (1999) agreed, but nevertheless felt that "the gonopods present a singular and highly disjunct pattern that invites taxonomic recognition at a level no less than subfamily (or family)" (p. 483). Golovatch et al (2009) were unwilling to distinguish Atopogonus in this way, and listed it as one of six genera in Haplodesmidae after a careful revision of the family.…”

“…Here I follow Golovatch et al (2009) in leaving Atopogonus, now synonymised with Agathodesmus, in Haplodesmidae. A haplodesmid character state demonstrated here for A. johnsi and A. steeli is bisegmentation of setae on the tergites (Golovatch et al 2009); whether the other two described species in the genus have bisegmented setae is yet to be determined.…”

“…Alternatively, it could be assumed that Cook's types are lost and that Loomis' identifi cation is correct. A neotype of I. jamaicensis Cook, 1896 could then be selected from among the specimens examined by Loomis (1969), as suggested by Golovatch et al (2009), and Agathodesmus would become a junior subjective synonym of Inodesmus.…”

“…Jeekel later qualifi ed his assignment, saying that Agathodesmus was a "potential" haplodesmid, but in the absence of males "as yet no certainty can be obtained" (Jeekel 1986, p. 46). Simonsen (1990) also placed Agathodesmus in Haplodesmidae, while Golovatch et al (2009), in a revision of Haplodesmidae, excluded Agathodesmus from the family, arguing that its type species was a nomen inquirendum, i.e. more information was needed.…”