KEY WORDS:
Chilopoda, Scolopendromorpha, Scutigeromorpha, Scolopendra valida, Tachythereua maroccana,
distribution, Morocco
ABSTRACT.
Two species of Chilopoda are recorded from Moroccan Anti-Atlas Mts.
Scolopendra valida Lucas, 1840 is new to Morocco. Tachythereua maroccana Verhoeff, 1905 is recorded
to Morocco for the 4th time.
MATERIAL:
Scolopendra valida Lucas, 1840 (Fig.1.)
Morocco, Tata, 4.V.1997, 1 spec., length 160 mm.
Specimen has been collected at night in the middle of the town close to Oued (=Wadi) Tata.
Tachythereua maroccana Verhoeff, 1905 (Fig.2.)
Morocco, Todra gorge (Tinerhir), 1.-2.VII.1998, 1 female, length 22 mm.
Specimen has been taken at night close to one of the many natural springs rising from the wall near to the entry to the gorge.
NOTES ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF THE SPECIES:
After LEWIS (1986, 1996) the species S. valida has been recorded
from Canary Islands, Cameroon, Sudan, Eritrea, Syria, Arabian Peninsula, India, Malaysia.
From this point of view the occurrence in Morocco is not surprise.
T. maroccana has been known in Morocco from Tanger and
Cassablanca (W�RMLI 1973) and from Ain Sfa, Beni-Snassen (RIBAUT 1912).
RIBAUT (1912) described for T. maroccana variety spinosa from locality Ain Sfa in calcareous
mountains Beni-Snassen. W�RMLI (1973) did not mention this variety neither locality.
Presence of T. maroccana in Todra and Ain Sfa may have in common relationship to karst place.
W�RMLI (1975) supposes that shape of female gonopods for closely related genera Thereuonema
are more variable with low taxonomic value but gonopoda of female Tachythereua maroccana from
Todra agree well with picture of gonopoda of this species in W�RMLI (1973).
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