Redescription. Male (specimen MACN-My 29). Fifty-one leg-bearing segments, body length 25 mm, maximum body width 1.32 mm. Maximum width of cephalic plate 0.73 mm, length of cephalic plate 1.12 mm, maximum width of forcipular coxosternite 1.00 mm. Ground color (of preserved specimen in alcohol) yellowish, forcipular segment darker (pale ochreous). Antennae. Relatively short, ca. 2.64 times as long as the cephalic plate, distally attenuate (Fig. 54). Ratio of width of a. a. II / width of a. a. XIV ca. 2.04: 1; all a. a. longer than wide. Ventral chaetotaxy: setae on a. a. I – VI of various lengths and relatively few in number, those of a. a. VII – XIV progressively shorter and more numerous towards the tip of the appendage (Fig. 54). Dorsal chaetotaxy: setae on a. a. I – VI similar to the ventral side, setae on remaining a. a. a little longer and slightly less numerous. A. a. XIV with ca. 13 claviform sensilla on the external margin and ca. 9 on the internal margin (Fig. 55: a); distal end of this a. a. with ca. 4 – 5 very small hyaline specialized sensilla not split apically (Fig. 55: b). Ventral and dorsal surface of a. a. II, V, IX and XIII with very small specialized sensilla. On the ventral side these sensilla are placed in the internal latero-apical area and are represented by two different types: a and b. Type a sensilla are very thin and not split apically (Fig. 58: a); type b sensilla (Fig. 58: b) are very similar to those on the apex of a. a. XIV but having two diminutive apical branches. Specialized sensilla on dorsal side restricted to a middle and external latero-apical areas and are represented by three different types: type a, similar to type a of ventral side (Fig. 59: a), type b sensilla not split apically and similar to those on the apex of a. a. XIV (Fig. 59: b), and type c sensilla similar in shape to the latter, a little larger, not divided apically and slightly darker (pale brownish-ochreous in color) (Fig. 59: c). Number and distribution of specialized sensilla on ventral and dorsal sides of a. a. II, V, IX and XIII, as in Table 3. Ventral Dorsal Figs. a b a b c II – 1 – 1 – V 1 1 1 1 – IX 1 1 1 1 1 56, 57 XIII 1 1 1 3 1 58, 59 Cephalic plate. Distinctly longer than wide (length / width ratio ca. 1.48: 1). Middle part of lateral margins convergent towards the posterior region; anterior margin convex at middle, slightly concave at level of the bases of the antennae; posterior margin nearly straight; anterior and posterior sides, curved. Shape and chaetotaxy as in Fig. 60. Clypeus. With 1 + 1 setae adjacent to the anterior margin of the clypeal area, two setae located on it (Fig. 62), posterior to the latter 2 + 2 setae distributed at both sides of the middle line (Fig. 61). Clypeal area well developed with surface minutely punctuate or granulate, not areolate (Fig. 62). Labrum. Mid-piece well developed, subtriangular in shape, slightly pigmented and provided with 13 hyaline and thin filaments (Figs. 63, 64). Side pieces with 17 + 17 hyaline filaments of different sizes (Fig. 63). Mandible. With shape as in Fig. 65, pectinate lamella with ca. 22 hyaline teeth. First maxillae. Coxosternite and telopodites with very well developed lappets (Fig. 66). Coxosternite devoid of setae; coxal projections subtriangular, round-tipped and provided with 6 + 6 setae and 2 + 2 very small sensilla (Fig. 66). Article II of telopodites with 7 + 5 large setae on ventral side (Fig. 66), and 1 + 1 small sensilla on dorsal side. Second maxillae. Coxites medially joined through a narrow, hyaline and non-areolate membranous isthmus only and provided with 8 + 8 setae near the internal and antero-internal borders and 2 + 2 setae near the external borders (Fig. 66). Metameric pores accompanied by a sclerotized rim with shape as in Fig. 66: c. Apical claw of telopodites well developed (Fig. 66). Chaetotaxy of coxosternites and telopodites as in Fig. 66. Forcipular segment. When extended the telopodites attaining the middle part of the a. a. II. Forcipular tergite trapeziform (Fig. 62: a), with anterior and posterior margins respectively covered by the cephalic plate and the tergite of the first leg-bearing segment; chaetotaxy represented by 1 + 1 large setae and ca. 17 + 17 very small setae with relative size and distribution as in Fig. 68. Coxosternite without chitin-lines, middle part of anterior border conspicuously notched and strongly concave, provided with 1 + 1 slightly pigmented denticles, the left one bearing a dorsal seta; aspect and relative size as in Figs. 67, 69. Telopodites: medial edge of trochanteroprefemur with a proximal and a distal tooth, both deeply pigmented (Figs. 67, 69). Femur and tibia without denticles. Tarsungulum basally with a well developed and deeply pigmented subtriangular tooth (Figs. 67, 70); ventral medial edge of tarsungulum not serrate (Figs. 67, 70). Relative size of poison gland as in Fig. 70, calyx of poison gland subtriangular in shape (Figs. 70 – 72). Chaetotaxy of coxosternites and telopodites as in Figs. 67, 69. Metasternites of leg-bearing segments 1 to penultimate. With a median shallow longitudinal sulcus all along the body length. Pore-fields present in an uninterrupted series from metasternite 1 to penultimate inclusive; fields undivided on metasternites 1 – 15 (Figs. 73 – 79), divided in two subsymmetrical areas on metasternites 16 – 50 (Figs. 80 – 85). Metasternites 4 (Fig. 75); 6; 7 (Fig. 76); 8; 9; 10 (Fig. 77); 11; 12 (Fig. 78); 13 (Fig. 79); 14; 15; 16 (Fig. 80); 17; 18 (Fig. 81); 19 – 24; 26; 34; 37 – 43; 45; 46 (Fig. 83); and 47 with ca. 1 – 5 additional dispersed pores near one or both lateral margins. Number of pores on selected metasternites as follows: metasternite 1 (6); 2 (53); 4 (1 + 71 + 0); 7 (2 + 99 + 0); 10 (2 + 97 + 3); 12 (2 + 106 + 5); 13 (2 + 99 + 3); 16 (4 + 41 + 44 + 4); 18 (3 + 31 + 34 + 3); 32 (11 + 11); 46 (1 + 15 + 14 + 0); 49 (10 + 16); 50 (9 + 6). Chaetotaxy of metasternites, shape and relative size of pore-fields as in Figs. 73 – 85. Legs (pair 1 to penultimate). Ratio of length of first pair / length of second pair ca. 0.80: 1 (relative size as in Figs. 86, 87). Chaetotaxy similar throughout the whole body length; distribution, number and relative size of setae as in Figs. 86 – 91. Claws with two thin and pale accessory spines ventrobasally, the anterior (Figs. 92, 93: a) bigger than the posterior (Figs. 92, 93: b). Ultimate leg-bearing segment. Intercalary pleurites absent at both sides of the ultimate pretergite (Fig. 94); ultimate presternite not divided along the sagittal plane (Fig. 95). Length / width ratio of metatergite, ca. 0.87: 1; length / width ratio of metasternite, ca. 0.79: 1. Shape and chaetotaxy of metatergite and metasternite as in Figs. 94, 95. Coxopleura strongly protruding at their distal-internal ventral ends, setae small and numerous on the internal ventral area, the remaining coxopleural surface with much less numerous setae of different lengths (Figs. 94, 95). Each coxopleuron with all coxal organs grouped in a cluster opening on the membrane between coxopleuron and metasternite, partially or totally covered by the latter (Figs. 95, 96). Right cluster with 11 organs; left cluster with 10 organs; arrangement of organs in each cluster as in Fig. 96. Telopodites of ultimate legs composed of six conspicuously inflated articles. Ratio of length of telopodites of ultimate legs / length of metasternite ca. 3.98: 1. Shape and chaetotaxy of ultimate legs as in Figs. 94, 95. Ultimate pretarsus unguiform, relatively smaller than those of the preceding legs, bearing a single very small and hyaline internal spine ventrobasally. Postpedal segments. Intermediate tergite with posterior margin strongly convex (Fig. 94), intermediate sternite with posterior margin nearly straight (Fig. 95). Posterior margin of first genital sternite concave (Fig. 95). Gonopods apparently uniarticulate (suture between the presumptive basal and distal articles not evident), bearing ca. 25 setae (Fig. 97); penis dorsally with 3 + 3 apical setae (Fig. 98). Anal organs absent. Female (specimen MACN-My 25). Forty-seven leg-bearing segments, body length 26 mm, maximum body width ca. 1.25 mm. Features similar to those in the male, except for the shape and pilosity of the ultimate legbearing segment and postpedal segments. Ultimate leg-bearing segment. Length / width ratio of metatergite 0.65: 1; length / width ratio of metasternite 0.72: 1. Shape and chaetotaxy of metatergite and metasternite as in Figs. 108, 109. Coxopleura conspicuously protruding at their distal-internal ventral area, setae small and numerous on the internal ventral area, the remaining coxopleural surface with much less numerous setae of different lengths (Figs. 108, 109). Right and left cluster of coxal organs with ca. 11 organs (Fig. 109). Articles of ultimate legs inflated. Ratio of length of telopodites of ultimate legs / length of metasternite ca. 4.23: 1. Shape and chaetotaxy as in Figs. 108, 109. Postpedal segments. Intermediate tergite with posterior margin convex (Fig. 108); intermediate sternite with posterior margin slightly concave, (Fig. 109); posterior border of first genital sternite very slightly convex (Fig. 109). Gonopods uniarticulate, not separated on the middle (Fig. 109). Anal organs absent. Variation. Females with 47, 49, (probably 51), 53 leg-bearing segments; males with 47, 49, 51. All other characters without significant variation.
Pereira, Luis Alberto (2015): A further contribution to the knowledge of two inadequately known species of geophilid centipedes from the Andes of South-Central Chile, currently assigned to the genus Plateurytion Attems, 1909 (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha). Zootaxa 4027 (4): 509-537, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4027.4.3