Proterotaiwanella

Diagnosis. Medium­size mecistocephalid centipedes. Colour yellow, without patches, darker on cephalic capsule and forcipular segment. Cephalic plate 1.6 ­ 1.7 times longer than wide. Areolation on anterior part of clypeus uniform. Two clypeal plagulae, as long as ca. 1 / 6 of the whole clypeus and not extending along the paraclypeal margins. A few pairs of clypeal setae. Some tens of button­like sensilla (similar to the ‘ sensilla coeloconica’ of Ernst, 1995, 2000) on the areolate clypeus. Bucca devoid of spiculum and setae. Anterior ala of labrum with internal margin reduced to a point. A raw of finger­like projections on the dorsal side of labral side­pieces, along the posterior margin. Mandible with hyaline scales on the ventral side, at the basis of the lamellae. First maxillary coxosternum midlongitudinally divided, antero­external corners absent. Second maxillary coxosternum entire. Telopodite of second maxillae slender, not overreaching the telopodite of the first maxillae, with rudimentary praetarsus. Metameric pores opening on the lateral margins of coxosternum, foraminal process virtually absent. Forcipular tergum about as long as wide. Forcipular trochateropraefemur with a distal tooth, femur not toothed, tibia toothed. Sternal pores absent. Last pair of legs quite swollen, longer than the remaining legs.

Etymology. Compounding the Greek próteros (meaning ‘ first’) with Taiwanella, which is the name used by Takakuwa (1936) to designate a mecistocephalid genus partially corresponding to this new taxon (see Introduction). Despite the fact that the name Taiwanella was long in use for a centipede genus, it remained a nomen nudum until now. In the meantime, Tunyow (2000) introduced it validly to designate a new genus of Foraminifera. This explains why we were forced to introduce a new name. By naming it Proterotaiwanella, however, we wish to stress continuity with the original concept of Takakuwa (1936).

Type species: Proterotaiwanella tanabei n. sp. Included species: Proterotaiwanella tanabei n. sp., Proterotaiwanella sculptulata (Takakuwa, 1936) (from Taiwanella sculptulata Takakuwa, 1936; new combination).