Cyphocallipus africanus sp. nov.: first native callipodid millipede from continental Africa (Diplopoda, Callipodida)

The millipede Cyphocallipus africanus sp. nov. (Diplopoda, Callipodida) from Morocco is described, proving the occurrence of native species of the order Callipodida on the African continent. The only male specimen of the new species was discovered in the cave Maala Abladir near the village of Bab Taza in Rif Mountain Range in northern Morocco.

The species differs morphologically from C. excavatus Verhoeff, 1909, known from southern Spain, by the specific shapes of the coxosternal processes, the protective lamella of the distal part of the telopodite, and the sternal lamella. In the light of the new finding, the opportunity is taken to revise the taxonomic position of the Iberian genera of Callipodida, hitherto grouped in the subfamily Cyphocallipodinae Verhoeff, 1909.

The opinion expressed by other authors — that the Iberian genera are separate from the Balkan – Anatolian genus Dorypetalum Verhoeff, 1900 — is confirmed, and a new status is proposed for the Iberian taxa as a separate family, Cyphocallipodidae stat. nov. The genus Cyphocallipus represents another example of a millipede genus with an Ibero-African distribution, together with genera such as Origmatogona Ribaut 1913, Ceratosphys Ribaut, 1920 (Chordeumatida), and Boreviulisoma Brolemann, 1928 (Polydesmida).