Plagiotaphrus Attems 1914

Genus Plagiotaphrus Attems 1914

Type species: Plagiotaphrus sulcifer Attems 1914, p. 160, figs 165–171

Megaskamma Attems 1934, p. 13, from Angola. Synonymy by Hoffman 1971 Plagiotaphrus: Attems 1914, 1928; Schubart 1951, 1966; Hoffman 1971, 2008; Krabbe 1982; Hamer 1998, 1999; Mwabvu et al. 2009

Diagnosis: Proplica approximately 9/10 of gonopod length; end process short and apically convex; telopodite with a tongue-like lobe distal to the origin of antetorsal process.

Description: Body length 158–172 mm; minimum and maximum body width 7–9 mm and 11–13 mm, respectively.

Body rings 56–62.

Body black; legs and antennae brown.

Collum produced into an anterior lobe, with 3–4 complete and 1–3 incomplete folds.

Sternite conical with rounded apex.

Apical proplica acute/conical; proplica setose apically/subapically (Figs 1 a, 2a); proximal proplica groove flanked by raised edges; proplica aproximately 9/10 of gonopod length.

Distal metaplica with rounded median hump adjacent to proximal lateral process (Figs 1 a, 1b, 2a, 2b).

Lateral process slanting posteriad, proximally broad and tapering distally.

End process short and apically convex.

Telopodite with a tongue-like lobe distal to the origin of antetorsal process; telopodite spirals distal to telopodite knee, apically with 2 or 3 small lobes at extremity.

Origin of antetorsal process distal to telopodite knee; antetorsal process long, with a spine at extremity.

Distribution: Chire (probably Shire, Malawi); central Angola; northern Zimbabwe.

Remarks: The new records of P. sulcifer from northern Zimbabwe and its overlapping distribution with Archispirostreptus tumuliporus (Karsch 1881) and Spirostreptus sebae Brandt 1833 suggest that the genus is widely distributed and probably occurs in localities (in the savanna) where other giant millipedes have been recorded.

The shapes and sizes of the proplicae, metaplicae, end processes, metaplical processes and antetorsal processes of the gonopods differentiate the Spirostreptini genera. The gonopods of Plagiotaphrus species resemble those of Limnostreptus and Choristostreptus more than those of other genera in the tribe. The length of the proplica is approximately 9/10 that of the metaplica; and the antetorsal process is longer with its origin distal to the telopodite knee in these genera, unlike in the gonopods of Spirostreptus and Archispirostreptus. The distal telocoxite of the gonopods is enlarged and laterally produced into a rounded lobe in Spirostreptus. In Archispirostreptus the distal telocoxite extends into a finger-like end process; in addition, the antetorsal processes of the gonopods have distal spikes.