Lithobius (Lithobius) raffaldii Iorio, 2009

Zapparoli, Marzio & Iorio, Etienne, 2012, The centipedes (Chilopoda) of Corsica: catalogue of species with faunistic, zoogeographical and ecological remarks, International Journal of Myriapodology 7, pp. 15-68 : 25

11. Lithobius (Lithobius) raffaldii Iorio, 2009

Lithobius (Lithobius) raffaldii Iorio 2009: 114, figs 1-5. (1)

Lithobius (Lithobius) raffaldii Iorio, 2009: Geoffroy and Iorio 2009: 679. (2)

Lithobius (Lithobius) raffaldii Iorio, 2009: Iorio 2010b: 19, 28, 43, 82, figs 7, 20, 21, 65, 66, 68, 106. (3)

Literature records.

General. Corsica (2, 3). Cave. Haute-Corse, 2B - Cagnano, cave d’i Mori (3) [I]. Caporalino, cave of Monte A Supietra (1, 3, loc. typ. of Lithobius (Lithobius) raffaldii Iorio, 2009) [I].

General distribution.

Corsica ( Geoffroy and Iorio 2009).

Chorotype.

Corsican endemic, W-European affinities.

Ecological notes.

Elevation range unknown; only found in caves (2 sites; eutroglophilic species). See Iorio (2009, 2010b).

Remarks.

Although not completely adapted to the subterranean environment with its fairly numerous ocelli, the only two records so far known of Lithobius raffaldii are from caves. This species is characterized by the presence of very long and highly segmented antennae, and very long legs, in particular legs 14 and 15 ( Iorio 2009, 2010b). These features have never been observed in epigeic Lithobiidae but are frequently found in troglophilous and troglobitic species. Lithobius raffaldii seems to be quite distant from its closest epigeic congener which suggests that it very likely inhabits the deeper soil layers and rock crevices and very rarely goes outside hypogean habitats. Its morphological relatioships with the W-European Lithobius (Lithobius) variegatus Leach, 1814 have been discussed in Iorio (2009).