Sellanucheza grandis (Golovatch, 1984)
Fig. 4
Szechuanella grandis Golovatch 1983: 182 (nomen nudum).
Szechuanella grandis Golovatch 1984: 56 (D); Korsós and Golovatch 1989: 212 (R).
Sellanucheza grandis – Enghoff et al. 2004: 39 (L, R); Nguyen 2011: 59 (D, R); Golovatch 2013 a: 22 (M, K); 2013 b: 330 (M, K); Nguyen and Sierwald 2013: 1296 (L).
Material examined.
3 ♂, 4 ♀, Vietnam, Ninh binh, Cuc Phuong National Park, 300 m a. s. l., 20°19'4"N, 105°36'30"E, 26. 07. 2006, leg. S. Panha and C. Sutcharit.
Descriptive notes.
Length 54.3–56.2 (♂) or 51.8–57.3 mm (♀), width of midbody pro- and metazonae 4.8–5.2 and 5.7–6.1 mm (♂) or 5.6–6.1 and 6.7–7.0 mm (♀), respectively. Antennae moderately long, reaching body ring 5 (♂) or 4 (♀) when stretched dorsally. Sterna sparsely setose, shining, shallow cross-impressions, without modifications; a large, central, slightly bifid, setose lobe between ♂ coxae 4 (Fig. 4 D). Legs moderately long and slender, midbody legs ca 1.1–1.4 (♂) or 1.0–1.2 × (♀) as long as body height; ♂ prefemora without modifications; tarsal brushes present until ♂ ring 11.
Distribution.
Vietnam, Ninh Binh, Cuc Phuong National Park (Golovatch 1984; Korsós and Golovatch 1989; Enghoff et al. 2004; Nguyen 2011); Ha Tinh Province, Huong Son District, Son Kim commune, secondary forest; HaTinh Province, Huong Son District, Cau Treo, secondary forest; Phu Tho Province, Xuan Son National Park, forest, 500 m a. s. l.; Nghe An Province, Pu Mat National Park, Khe Thoi, closed forest, near stream, 18°58'17.4"N, 104°48'20.9"E (Nguyen 2011).
Remarks.
Originally described as Szechuanella grandis from a limestone hill in Cuc Phuong National Park, Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam (Golovatch 1984), this species was transferred to Sellanucheza by Enghoff et al. (2004). The name Szechuanella grandis was first introduced as a nomen nudum by Golovatch (1983), as it appeared in a species list without an accompanying description or diagnosis. The species was subsequently validated and formally described by Golovatch (1984). Somatically, S. grandis differs clearly from congeners, including S. tenebra and S. variata, by the considerably larger body size. In contrast to S. tenebra, where paraterga are absent from rings 3–19, S. grandis retains abbreviated paraterga demarcated by distinct dorsal sulci.
The gonopods are highly distinctive, the solenophore (sph) being conspicuously shorter, at most half as long as the strongly coiled femorite (fe) (Fig. 4 A, B). This character immediately separates S. grandis from both S. variata and S. tenebra, in which the solenophore and femorite are subequal in length (Figs 11 A, 3 A – C). The femorite is relatively straight, being only slightly curved (Fig. 4 A, B). The postfemoral part is supplied with a small, dentiform, sublateral spine (d) (Fig. 4 A, B), a large and pointed process pb (Fig. 4 A – C), as well as a large, acute, mesal process pa (Fig. 4 A, C). In addition, the solenophore is short, coiled, the tip being only faintly bifid and consisting of small, rounded, apical lobules (Fig. 4 A, C).
The new material reported above fully agrees with the original description (Golovatch 1984), showing only slight variations in standard measurements (see “ Descriptive notes ” above). In contrast to other congeners which appear to be highly localized, S. grandis seems to be relatively widespread, the maximum distance between the known localities amounting to ca 300 km. Although the distribution range has recently been extended from the type locality in Ninh Binh Province to also cover Ha Tinh, Phu Tho, and Nghe An Provinces, the species still remains endemic to northern Vietnam.
Publication Date: 2026-06-23