Redescription of the enigmatic myriapod Hanseniella chilensis (Hansen, 1903) (Symphyla, Scutigerellidae) based on scanning electron microscope images of Chilean specimens

By

Parra-Gómez, Antonio
Pérez-Schultheiss, Jorge
Fernández, Leonardo D.

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2024

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1198

Pages

1--15

Subjects

Biodiversity hotspot , Biogeography , Chile , garden centipede , Myriapoda , pseudocentipede , SEM images , soil-dwelling arthropod , symphylans , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1198.119723

 

Abstract

Hanseniella chilensis is the only myriapod of the class Symphyla known from Chile. This garden centipede, or pseudocentipede, was described more than 120 years ago based on morphologically incomplete specimens collected in central Chile, a well-known biodiversity hotspot. In this study, we redescribe this species based on morphologically complete specimens collected near the type locality using scanning electron microscope images. Our study provides the description of diagnostic characters hitherto unknown in this species such as macrochaetae of the tergites and spinnerets of the cerci. We also include a new record from central Chile and discuss the presumed presence of this species in Argentina and Madagascar.