Trichopolydesmidae from Cameroon, 2: A species-level reclassification of Afrotropical trichopolydesmids (Diplopoda, Polydesmida), with two new species and two new records from Cameroon, and two new species from the Nimba Mountains, Guinea

Abstract

Abstract

A revised classification of Afrotropical Trichopolydesmidae is presented. The fauna presently contains as many as 52 species in six recognized genera, with numerous new transfers/combinations involved: Bactrodesmus Cook, 1896 (3 species, including B. grandis sp. nov. from the Nimba Mountains, Guinea), Eburodesmus Schubart, 1955 (2 species), Hemisphaeroparia Schubart, 1955 (26 species, including one old species, Polydesmus parvulus Porat, 1894, revised from type material and provisionally assigned to Hemisphaeroparia , as well as two new records and two new species from Cameroon: H. longibrachiata sp. nov. and H. avis sp. nov.), Mecistoparia Brolemann, 1926 (3 species), Physetoparia Brolemann, 1920 (12 species, including P. complexa sp. nov. from the Nimba Mountains, Guinea), and Sphaeroparia Attems, 1909 (6 species). The hitherto enigmatic genus Bactrodesmus is redefined, but the monotypic Trichozonus Carl, 1905 still remains dubious.