Archispirostreptus beccarii Silvestri 1895

Fig. 1

Archispirostreptus Beccarii Silvestri 1895, p. 490, fig. 8. Graphidostreptus beccarii: Attems 1914

Archispirostreptus beccarii: Hoffman 1965; Krabbe1982

Type material: Syntypes: ABYSSINIA: 33, 5 Ƥ, Cheren (probably Keren) [15 0 42'N, 38 0 24'E], 1870, O. Beccari (MSNG uncatalogued)

Diagnosis: Apex of proplica conical; apical metaplical process wider at level of lateral metaplical process; lateral metaplical process wider and horizontal proximally, abruptly tapering distally (Figs 1a, 1b).

Description: Size: Body length 90–145 mm; maximum body width 9–12 mm.

Number of body rings: 54–56.

Colour: Like ash or brown.

Collum: Antero-lateral corners produced into small lobes, with 2–3 complete striae and 0–2 incomplete striae (Fig. 1d).

Pre-femoral process of 1st pair of male legs: Proximally broad and round, with laterally diverging and tapering distal medial extension (Fig. 1c).

Gonopod: (Figs 1a, 1b) Sternum triangular; paracoxite conical.

Proplicae wider proximally, conical apically and overlapping lateral metaplical process proximally.

Opposite metaplicae separated at level of paracoxite apex. Metaplicae narrow distally, widest apart at level of lateral metaplical process.

Lateral metaplical process wider proximally, horizontal and at right angle to apical metaplical process.

Apical metaplical processes wider apart distally. Medial edge of apical metaplical process convex distally.

Telopodite with an incomplete loop distally. Origin of antetorsal processes at telopodite knee.Apex of antetorsal process extending past apex of paracoxite.

Distribution: Known only from the type locality, Cheren, Abyssinia (Ethiopia).

Remarks: Although the gonopod is similar to that of bottegi, the gonopods of the two species differ in the shapes of the proplica apex, lateral metaplical processes and apical metaplical processes, and the number of telopodite spirals (Figs 1a, 2a).

The gonopod of A. beccarii is also similar to that of A. dodsoni in the shapes of the proplicae and apical metaplical processes.