Lithobius erythrocephalus mohelensis Dobroruka, 1959

Tuf, Ivan Hadrián, Wytwer, Jolanta & Tajovský, Karel, 2008, On the identity of the species described in the genus Lithobius Leach, 1814 by L. J. Dobroruka from the former Czechoslovakia (Czech and Slovak Republics) (Chilopoda: Lithobiomorpha), Zootaxa 1788, pp. 37-46 : 39-40

Lithobius erythrocephalus mohelensis Dobroruka, 1959

Lithobius erythrocephalus mohelensis Dobroruka 1959: 105 , tab., figs 3, 4

Type locality. Mohelenská hadcová step National Nature Reserve (NNR) (= Serpentine Steppe of Mohelno), Moravia, Czech Republic

Type specimens. The original description of L. e. mohelensis was based on 48 individuals (29 ɗ, 19 Ψ), coll. Dobroruka.

Material examined. 2 ɗ and 1 Ψ with the rest of a label reading “ mohelensis n. spp.” from Dobroruka’s “ type collection”. The material was dried up and mildewed, now in alcohol.

Remarks. This taxon was described in Dobroruka’s paper on Lithobius erythrocephalus C.L. Koch, 1847 ( Dobroruka 1962) and it has never been recorded since then. The differences from the nominal subspecies were stated as lying in the larger size (19–22 mm), the weak sulci on the 14th and 15th male tibiae and the very smooth female spurs.

The re-examined material was badly damaged, as almost all the legs were broken off. However, part of the 15th male leg was recognized and a very shallow sulcus was evident on the tibia. The length of these specimens is only 12–15 mm, yet the body may have become contracted as a result of drying up. In L. erythrocephalus C.L. Koch, 1847 , Eason (1972) mentioned intrapopulation variability of the male secondary sexual characters on both last pairs of legs. In addition, there are no differences between the shape of female spurs on the gonopods as depicted by Dobroruka (1959: 105) and Eason (1972: 143). Eason (1972) noted that the shape of the tibia of male legs is not a valid character for establishing any subspecies.

Taxonomic note. We consider Lithobius erythrocephalus mohelensis Dobroruka, 1959 as a junior subjective synonym of Lithobus erythrocephalus C.L. Koch, 1847 , syn. n.