A troglobitic species of the centipede Cryptops (Chilopoda, Scolopendromorpha) from northwestern Botswana

By

Edgecombe, Gregory D.
Akkari, Nesrine
Netherlands, Edward
du Perez, Gerhard

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2020

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

977

Pages

25--40

Subjects

biospeleology , Cryptopidae , molecular phylogenetics

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.977.57088

 

Abstract

A new species of Cryptops, C. (Cryptops) legagussp. nov., occurs in caves in the Koanaka and Gcwihaba Hills in northwestern Botswana. Bayesian molecular phylogenetics using 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, 16S rRNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I corroborates a morphological assignment to the subgenus Cryptops and closest affinities to southern temperate species in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The new species is not conspicuously modified as a troglomorph.