A giant African millipede re-discovered, re-located and re-classified after 120 years (Diplopoda, Spirobolida, Pachybolidae).

A. R. Nzoko Fiemapong; Henrik Enghoff

doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4527.3.9

A giant African millipede re-discovered, re-located and re-classified after 120 years (Diplopoda, Spirobolida, Pachybolidae).

A. R. Nzoko Fiemapong, Henrik Enghoff

Abstract

The giant millipede Pachybolus tectus Cook, 1897, described from Zanzibar, East Africa, and never re-collected till now, is re-described based on newly collected specimens from Cameroon, West Africa. The species is transferred to the genus Pelmatojulus Saussure, 1860, and compared with the most similar congener, P. togoensis (Cook, 1897). The type specimen of P. tectus, which no longer exists, probably was mis-labelled. An overview of the distribution of Pelmatojulus species
and records of the genus from Cameroon are given, including P. brachysternus (Cook, 1897) as new to the fauna of Cameroon. Pelmatojulus insignis (Saussure, 1859) and P. togoensis are recorded as new to the fauna of Ghana.

Original language	English
Journal	Zootaxa
Volume	4527
Issue number	3
Pages (from-to)	403-413
Number of pages	11
ISSN	1175-5326
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4527.3.9
Publication status	Published - 6 Dec 2018

Keywords

Cameroon
Ghana
Pachybolus
Pelmatojulus
Zanzibar
taxonomy

Access to Document

10.11646/zootaxa.4527.3.9Licence: Unspecified

Cite this

@article{3bbead9fe48f4bcc9510e202382ce7a0,

title = "A giant African millipede re-discovered, re-located and re-classified after 120 years (Diplopoda, Spirobolida, Pachybolidae).",

abstract = "The giant millipede Pachybolus tectus Cook, 1897, described from Zanzibar, East Africa, and never re-collected till now, is re-described based on newly collected specimens from Cameroon, West Africa. The species is transferred to the genus Pelmatojulus Saussure, 1860, and compared with the most similar congener, P. togoensis (Cook, 1897). The type specimen of P. tectus, which no longer exists, probably was mis-labelled. An overview of the distribution of Pelmatojulus speciesand records of the genus from Cameroon are given, including P. brachysternus (Cook, 1897) as new to the fauna of Cameroon. Pelmatojulus insignis (Saussure, 1859) and P. togoensis are recorded as new to the fauna of Ghana.",

keywords = "Cameroon, Ghana, Pachybolus, Pelmatojulus, Zanzibar, taxonomy",

author = "{Nzoko Fiemapong}, {A. R.} and Henrik Enghoff",

year = "2018",

month = dec,

day = "6",

doi = "10.11646/zootaxa.4527.3.9",

language = "English",

volume = "4527",

pages = "403--413",

journal = "Zootaxa",

issn = "1175-5326",

publisher = "Magnolia Press",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - A giant African millipede re-discovered, re-located and re-classified after 120 years (Diplopoda, Spirobolida, Pachybolidae).

AU - Nzoko Fiemapong, A. R.

AU - Enghoff, Henrik

PY - 2018/12/6

Y1 - 2018/12/6

N2 - The giant millipede Pachybolus tectus Cook, 1897, described from Zanzibar, East Africa, and never re-collected till now, is re-described based on newly collected specimens from Cameroon, West Africa. The species is transferred to the genus Pelmatojulus Saussure, 1860, and compared with the most similar congener, P. togoensis (Cook, 1897). The type specimen of P. tectus, which no longer exists, probably was mis-labelled. An overview of the distribution of Pelmatojulus speciesand records of the genus from Cameroon are given, including P. brachysternus (Cook, 1897) as new to the fauna of Cameroon. Pelmatojulus insignis (Saussure, 1859) and P. togoensis are recorded as new to the fauna of Ghana.

AB - The giant millipede Pachybolus tectus Cook, 1897, described from Zanzibar, East Africa, and never re-collected till now, is re-described based on newly collected specimens from Cameroon, West Africa. The species is transferred to the genus Pelmatojulus Saussure, 1860, and compared with the most similar congener, P. togoensis (Cook, 1897). The type specimen of P. tectus, which no longer exists, probably was mis-labelled. An overview of the distribution of Pelmatojulus speciesand records of the genus from Cameroon are given, including P. brachysternus (Cook, 1897) as new to the fauna of Cameroon. Pelmatojulus insignis (Saussure, 1859) and P. togoensis are recorded as new to the fauna of Ghana.

KW - Cameroon

KW - Ghana

KW - Pachybolus

KW - Pelmatojulus

KW - Zanzibar

KW - taxonomy

U2 - 10.11646/zootaxa.4527.3.9

DO - 10.11646/zootaxa.4527.3.9

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 30651436

SN - 1175-5326

VL - 4527

SP - 403

EP - 413

JO - Zootaxa

JF - Zootaxa

IS - 3

ER -