Biogeography of East African montane forest millipedes - Biogeography and Ecology of the Rain Forests of Eastern Africa - page 107

in the southen interior at Matemanga (Tunduru
District), presumably in savanna habitat. . knip-
peri (Kraus) was described from Mufindi in the
southen Uzungwas; it or a closely allied sibling
species has been found also at Sao Hill and Sum-
bawanga. This (or these) species is very closely
related to Z. distinaa (Carl} of southen Katanga
and probably does not represent a montane forest
obligate. Nor, apparently, are any of the dozen or
so other members of the genus.
Other kinds of harpagophorids should occur in
Tanzania, including most of the Easten Arc
mountains. A condensed or fragmented distribu-
ional area is implied by the isolated localiies of
the rather disjunct taxa.

the Uzungwas (at Mwanihana and Mufindi), and
the Ruaha lowlands near Sanje. Although mon-
tane condiions are not obligatory for the
eistence of these species they are all associated
with rain orest, and at least the majoriy appear to
be resricted to elevaions above 1000 m a.s.l. As
in the case of Pseuotibiozus, gonopod structure is
relaively uniorm whilst substanial differences
are manifest in non-sexual character systems.
This genus is closely related to Charactopygus
(DeSaussure & Zehnner, 1902), which is known
from several insular species in the Indian Ocean;
some specialists might combine them. Otherwise,
it is endemic to Tanzania with no close relaives
elsewhere on the coninent.
The numerous genera with mostly lowland
Tanzanian species have geographic affiniies with
the south (e.g. Doratogonus, Plagiotaphus) or west
(Tiaenostrptus); it is not yet possible to postulate
either phylogeneic or chorographic antecedents
for any of them.

Family Odontopygidae. This third component
of the spirosreptomorph millipedes is strictly
endemic to Africa, ranging from Sierra Leone to
Ethiopia and south to Cape Peninsula; the
greatest generic diversiicaion appears to occur in
central Africa (Zair � -Tanzania-Angola) although
those genera extending farthest southward have
undergone remarkably profuse local speciaion.
Many odontopygids are well adapted to semi-arid
condiions, but many others appear totally restric-
ted to rain forest biotopes. About 13 genera are
known from Tanzania, embracing just over 40
species (undescribed material on hand doubles
that total). So far two genera, Hoffmanides Kraus
1966 and Xy stopyge Attems 1909, appear to be
Tanzanian endemics, both apparently forest-
adapted. The first is monoypic with H dissutus
(Hoffman) in the Ulugurus, the second with three
species in the northeasten comer of Tanzania.
None is restricted to montane forest. In general
odontopygids do not seem to be especially
abundant at higher elevaions and known dis-
tribuions do not suggest any geographic correla-
ions wih the Easten Arc mountains apart from
occurrence of Hofmanies in the Ulugurus (of
course, this genus may very well be discovered in
the Uzungwas and/or Rubehos).

Family Harpagophoridae. Generally con-
sidered to be the sister group for the preceding
taxon, this family is dominantly represented in
Southeast Asia and the East Indies; only a few
genera occur in East and South Africa. Clear-
cut distincions between the two families have
not been established, and possibly several
'spirostrepid' genera will later be transferred to
the Harpagophoridae.
Three genera occur in Tanzania. Obelostrptus
(Attems, 1909) is represented by 0. pro-
ximospinosus Krabbe in the East Usambaras; the
ype and only other known species ( 0. acer
Attems) was found in the central highlands of
Ethiopia. The Usambaras harbour an endemic
genus, Apoaenophora Hofman & Howell (1980),
with one species, A. enghoffi Demange in the
easten segment at Amani, and a second, A.
trachpyga Hofman & Howell in the westen at
Mazumbai. Both of these genera seem taxonomi-
cally quite disjunct with no knon closely related
groups. The third genus is Zinphora (Cham-
berlin, 1927), which occupies a wide range in
South Africa and has species adapted to rain for-
est condiions, although most occur in semi-arid
habitats. One undescribed species has been found

Family Paradoxosomaidae. This, he largest
family of Diplopoda, is abundantly represented on
all coninents except North America and Antarc-
ica. Subsaharan African countries can boast no