Peck, Stewart B.

Shear, W.A.

English

Aquatic Commons

14 NOTICIAS DE GALÁPAGOS
------._----
No. 61
NEW RECORDS OF MYRIAPODA (CENTIPEDES AND MILLIPEDES)
FROM THE GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS
Stewart B. Peck and W.A. Shear
Earlier, we presented data and keys for the identifica-
tion of Galápagos millipedes and centipedes (Shear and
Peck 1987, 1992). The first author had the opportunity
for an additional three months of field work in the
Galápagos in 1996. Two previously unreported species
of millipedes were found, as well as new island records.
No new species of centipedes were found, but addition-
al island record s were found.
This raises the Galápagos totals to 12 centipede
species (7 introduced, 5 endemic) and 10 millipede
species (9 introduced, 1 endemic). We take this opportu-
nity to present detailed data on the new species and
island records, a revised key for the identification of
Galápagos millipedes, and a summary of old and new
records of millipedes and centipedes (Table 1).
The new millipede species records are Nanostreptus
geayi (Brólemann) and Cyrtodesmus sp. The genus
Nanostreptus (Family Spirostreptidae) contains six
species, distributed through Brazil, Peru, and Venezuela
(Hoffman 1979). Nanostreptus geayi has been widely
introduced in the West Indies and Central America and
has undoubtedly reached the Galápagos through
human agency. Cyrtodesmus (Family Cyrtodesmidae)
includes 25 described species (and many additional
undescribed ones), ranging from Costa Rica to Peru
(Hoffman 1979). Because a number of the described
species are known only from females, or remain unil-
lustrated in the literature, a revision of the genus would
be required to establish the identity of the species
collected in the Galápagos. The gonopods of the males
do not match those of any of the species for which we
were able to find illustrations. The metazonites of many
of the species of Cyrtodesmus are set with long, special-
ized setae which gather a coat of soil and litter. The
specimens from the Galápagos were entirely clean,
despite the presence of such setae.
Our 1996 pitfall trapping on Santa Cruz found that
the introduced millipede Asiomorpha coarctata has
become extremely abundant in pasture lands in the agri-
cultural zone and that the species has moved up into the
Miconia zone, where it is also abundant. Farmers now
commonly find this species in decaying vegetation and
around the bases of banana plants. We think the species
feeds as a general detritivore on decaying plant materi-
al, and we are not aware that it causes any economic or
ecological harm. A comparative ecological study on the
impact of introduced millipedes seems a good research
topie.
The label data on the new species and island records
are given below. Additional data from other collections
are available from SBP. The specimens have been placed
in the collection of the American Museum of Natural
History. Additional identified voucher material is in the
collection of the Charles Darwin Research Station
(CDRS).
NEW IStAND AND SPECIES RECORD S
CHILOPODA
Henicopidae
Lamyctes coeculus (Brólemann). New island record.
San Cristóbal. 1 km W El Junco, Miconia and tree-
fern litter, 540 m, 17.III.96, S.E. Peck, 10 (specimens).
Scolopendridae
Scolopendra galapagoensis Brólemann. New island
record. Darwin. South side talus slopes, under
Croton shrubs, 20 m, 11.Y.96, S.B. Peck, 2.
Schendylidae
Pectiniunguis albemarlensis Chamberlin. New island
record. San Cristóbal. 3 km SE Wreck Bay, littoral
zone, soil washing under Croton shrubs, 16.III.96,
S.B. Peck, 2.
Pectiniungius krausi Shear and Peck. New island
record. Fernandina. Cape Hammond, littoral zone,
in cracks in sea cliff, 24.Y.96, S.B. Peck, 1.
DIPLOPODA
Lophoproctidae
Lophoturus drifti (Condé and Terver). New island
record. Santa Cruz. Cueva Iguana at CDRS, in litter
at side of cave pool, 1 m, 4.Y.96, S.B. Peck, 1.
Rhinocricidae
Nanostreptus geayi (Brólemann). New Archipelago
record. Isabela. Santo Tomas, humid forest, 300 m, 4-
15.111.89,Peck and Sinclair, 1 in pitfall trapo Santo
Tomas, humid forest, 200 m, 1.89, G. Reck, 10. Santo
Tomas, on fungus on wood in Rose Apple grove, 300
m, S.B. Peck, 3. Santa Cruz. Puerto Ayora, CDRS, arid
zone, 5 m, 13.111.91,S. Abedrabbo, 1. 4 km E Santa
Rosa, in pitfall traps in roadside in agriculture zone,
350 m, 10.IV-4.Y.96, S.B. Peck, 3.
Cyrtodesmidae
Cyrtodesmus sp. New Archipelago record. Santa
Cruz. 4 km E Santa Rosa, in pitfall traps in roadside
in agriculture zone, 350 m, lO.IV-4.Y.96, S.B. Peck, 3.
Haplodesmidae
Prosopodesmus jacobsoni Silvestri. New island record.
San Cristóbal. 3 km SE Wreck Bay, littoral zone, from
soilwash of litter under Croton, 16.III.96,S.B.Peck, 2.
Continuedon page 16
ISLAND RECORDS
E IFe IStatus D Fl G 1 M Pa Pn ISCl .SCz SFe So Sr W
Class Symphyla 11 IFamily Scutigerellidae . I
Hanseniella caldaria (Hansen) probably introduced : x x
Class Chilopoda
Order Lithobiomorpha
Family Henicopidae
Lamyctescoeculus (Brblemann) introduced
*
x
L. fulvicornis Meinert introduced x x x x
Order Scolopendromorpha
Family Scolopendrididae
Cormocepl¡alus andinus Kraepelin introduced ? ?
probably extinct
Scolopendra galapagoensis Brblemann probably endemic
*
x x x x x x x x x x x
Family Cryptopidae
Cryptops beebei Chamberlin possibly endemic x x x x x x
Newportia monticola Pocock probably introduced x x x
Order Ceophilomorpha
Family Oryidae
Orph naeus brevilabiatus (Newport) introduced x x x x x x x
Family Chilenophilidae
Paclzymerium pereirai Shear and Peck probably native x x x x
Family Schendylidae
Pectiniunguis albemarlel1sis Chamberlin possibly endemic x x x x x
*
x
'x
P. krausi Shear and Peck possibly endemic
*
x x x
NamlOpodellus purpurescens Chamberlin introduced ?
probably extinct
Nesondyla l1ealotaChamberlin possibly endemic x x x
Class Diplopoda
Order Polyzenida I
Family Lophoproctidae
LopllOturus drifti
(Conde and Terver) probably introduced x *
Order Polyzoniida
Family Siphonotidae
Rhinotus purpureus (Pocock) introduced I i X;
IOrder Spirobolida I
IFamily Rhinocricidae
Nanostreptus geayi (Brblemann) introduced *
*,
Order Polydesmida I
Family Cyrtodesmidae ¡Cyrtodesmu5 sp. introduced
*Family Furhmannodesmidae
Agenodesmus nullus Shear and Peck introduced
'
x
Hexadesmus latridens Loomis introduced x
Family Haplodesmidae
ICylindrodesmus l1irsutus Pocock introduced i x
Prosopodesmusjacobsoni Silvestri introduced x
*
x,
Family Paradoxosomatidae
IAsiomorpha coarctata (Saussure) introduced x
Family Pyrgodesmidae
Nesodesmus insulanus Chamberlin endemic
*
x
I
x x
December 2000 NOTICIAS DE GALÁPAGOS 15
TabIe 1. Status and distribution by main islands (excluding satellite islands) of Galápagos Myriapoda. Island abbreviations are: D, Darwin; E,
Española; Fe, Fernandina; Fl, Floreana; C, Cenovesa; 1, Isabela; M, Marchena; Pa, Pinta; Pn, Pinzon; SCl, San Cristóbal; SCz, Santa Cruz; So,
Santiago; Sr. Seymour; SFe, Santa Fe; W, Wolf. x indicates previous record s;
* indicates new species or island records; ? indicates species
possibly now extinct.
16 NOTICIAS DE GALÁPAGOS No. 61
El Junco, Míconía litter near road, 560 m, 15.III.96,
S.B. Peck, 20. El Junco summit, 640 m, in guava-fern
litter of humid forest, 14.III.96, S.B. Peck, 10. El Junco
summit, 640 m, in horse dung and grass litter,
14.111.96, S.B. Peck, 10. 1 km W El Junco, 540 m,
Míconía tree-fern litter, 17.III.96, S.B. Peck, 20.
Pyrgodesmidae
Nesodesmus ínsulanus Chamberlin. New island
record. Floreana. Cerro Pajas crater bottom, pitfall
traps in Scalesía forest, 325 m, 18-22.IY.96, S.B. Peck, 1.
REVISED KEY TO GALÁPAGOS
MILLIPEDES
For the convenience of future researchers, we present
the following key, by which the known species of the
Galápagos Islands may be separated.
la. Body covered with tufts of serrate seta e; 11 segments
. . . . . . . . . . . . .Lophoturus driftí (Condé and Terver)
lb. Body without dorsal setae, or if present, the setae are
not in tufts; 18-50 body segments 2
2a. Adults with 35 or more body segments; color often
purplish
"'
, 3
2b.Adults with 18-20 body segments, less than 10 times
as long as wide, not marked with purple . . . . . . . . 4
3a. Adults small, body to 7 mm long; gene rally marked
with purple, without dorsal midline stripe . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rhínotus purpureus (Pocock)
3b. Adults large, body 20-30 mm long; gene rally brown-
purple color, with dorsal midline yellowish strip e . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nanostreptusgeayí (Brolemann)
4a. Able to roll into a thick disk, with notably enlarged
side lobes (paranota) of second body segment covering
the space in the centre of the disk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cyrtodesmus sp.
4b.Not rolling into a thick disk and without notably
enlarged side lobes on second body segment . . . . . 5
5a. Adults less than 4 mm long, unpigmented, males
with 18 segments, females with 18 or 20 . 6
5b. Adults more than 4 mm long, often with pigment,
with 19 or 20 segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
6a. Adults about 2.5 mm long, setae of dorsum club-
shaped .., Agenodesmus nullus Shear and Peck
6b. Adults about 3.5 mm long; setae of dorsum sharply
pointed ,.. Hexadesmus laterídens Loomis
7a. Body roughly cylindrical, densely pilose; color
crearny white . . . . . . Cylindrodesmus hirsutus Pocock
7b. Body flattened, not densely pilase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
8a. Dorsum mostly smooth, shiny, black with yellow
paranota (side-Iobes); adult length greater than 15 mm
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Asiomorpha coarctata (Saussure)
8b. Dorsum with series of tubercles, often with adhering
soil, ozopores (openings of repugnatorial glands) on
elevated porosteles (tubercles) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
9a.Ozopores in a continuous series from segment 7
posterior; color usually cream white; 5-6 mm long
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prosopodesmus jacobsoní Silvestri
9b.Ozopores in a continuous series from segment 15
posterior; color usually gray or black; 9-11 mm long
. . . . . . . . . . . . Nesodesmus insulanus Chamberlin
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The field work of SBP in March-May 1996 was support-
ed by research grants from the National Geographic
Society and the Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research Council of Canada. Lazaro Roque-Albelo
helped with the field work and CDRS (c. Blanton,
Director) provided logistic support. The Galápagos
National Park Service (E. Cruz, Director) granted scien-
tific permits. Reduced airfares were provided by TAME.
All are warmly thanked.
LITERATURE CITED
Hoffman, R.L. 1979. Classification of the Diplopoda. Muséum
d'Histoire Naturelle, Genéve. 237 pp.
Shear, W.A. and S.B. Peck. 1987. Diplopods of the Galápagos Islands,
Canadian Journal of Zoology 65: 2640-2645.
Shear, W.A. and S.B. Peck. 1992. Centipedes (Chilopoda) and
Symphyla of the Galápagos Islands. Canadian Journal of Zoology
70: 2260-2274.
Stewart B. Peck, Department of Biology, Carleton
University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada (e-mail:
stewartpeck@pigeon.carleton.ca). W.A. Shear, Hampden
-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, Virginia 23943,
USA (e-mail: bills@hsc.edu)


New records of Myriapoda (centipedes and millipedes) from the Galápagos Islands

http://aquaticcommons.org/7474/1/NG_61_2000_Peck%26Shear_Myriapoda.pdf

New records of Myriapoda (centipedes and millipedes) from the Galápagos Islands

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Aquatic Commons