Lohmander, 1936 : 12
Attems, 1940 : 104
Brachydesmus
Lang, 1959 : 1790
Kobakhidze, 1965 : 390
Lokšina and Golovatch, 1979 : 384
Zuev, 2014 : 349
The millipede family Polydesmidae in the Caucasus (Diplopoda: Polydesmida)
Golovatch, Sergei
Evsyukov, Aleksandr
Reip, Hans
Zootaxa
2016
2016-03-01
4085
1
1
51
MVW3
Lohmander, 1936
Lohmander
1936
[151,758,1686,1712]
Diplopoda
Polydesmidae
Brachydesmus
GBIF
Animalia
Polydesmida
10
11
Arthropoda
species
assimilis
Brachydesmus( Brachydesmus) assimilis— Lohmander, 1936: 12(D). Brachydesmus( Brachydesmus) assimilis— Attems, 1940: 104(D).
Brachydesmusassimilis— Lang, 1959: 1790(M); Kobakhidze, 1965: 390(M); Lokšina and Golovatch, 1979: 384(M); Zuev, 2014: 349(R, D).
Material examined.1 female, 1 juv. (ZMUM), RUSSIA, Adygea, Sakhrai near Novoprokhladnoye, S of Maikop, 700 ma.s.l., Fagusand Alnusforest, litter, 7.VII.1986; 4 males, 2 females (ZMUM), Stavropol Prov., E of Novopavlovsk, Quercus, Salix, Alnusetc. forest along stream, 28.V.1982; 8 juv. (ZMUM), Kabardino-Balkaria, Baxan Valley, Bedyk between Tyrnyauz and Zhankhoteko, 900 ma.s.l., Corylus, Fagusand Carpinusscrub, litter and under stones, 20.VII.1986; 6 males, 2 females, 1 juv. (ZMUM), Ingushetia, Barsuki near Nazran, Crataegus, Fraxinus, Rosaetc. bush along road, litter and under stones, 6.VI.1982; 1 female, 2 juv. (ZMUM), Ingushetia, Assa Valley, ca 9 kmSSW of Muzhichi, 800 ma.s.l., Fagus, Alnus, Carpinusetc. forest, litter, under bark and stones, 15.VII.1986; 1 male, 1 female, 5 juv. (ZMUM), Chechnya, Argun Valley, 5 kmN of Sovetskoye, 750 ma.s.l., Corylus, Fagus, Carpinusetc. forest, litter, under bark and stones, 18.VII.1986; 3 females (ZMUM), Chechnya, 14 kmWSW of Gudermes, Quercusforest, litter, 6.VI.1982; 4 juv. (ZMUM), Chechnya, Karachoy SE of Vedeno, 950 ma.s.l., Fagus, Carpinusetc. forest, litter, under bark and stones, 17.VI.1986; 2 juv. (ZMUM), Dagestan, Botlikh Distr., Pass Kharami, 2150 ma.s.l., subalpine meadow, 22.IV.1989; 6 juv. (ZMUM), Dagestan, N of Kurush, ca 35 kmNNW of Usukhchay, 2500 –2800 ma.s.l., alpine meadow, 7 –13.VII.1989; 1 male, 1 female, 1 fragment (ZMUM), Dagestan, Sergokala Distr., near Degva, Quercusforest on slope, litter, 9.VI.1982; 26 males, 46 females, 26 juv. (ZMUM), Dagestan, Upper Gunib, 1700 ma.s.l., Betulaand Pinusforest, litter, under bark and stones, 8 –9.VI.1982; 4 males, 4 females, 3 juv. (ZMUM), same locality, 1500 –1600 ma.s.l., Betulaand Pinusforest, 25.VI.1989; 6 males, 6 females (ZMUM), Dagestan, Chiragchay Valley, Khiv, 900 –950 ma.s.l., Carpinus, Fagus, Corylus, Rhododendronetc. forest, litter and under stones, 24.X.1987; 25 juv. (ZMUM), Dagestan, Akhty Distr., above Mirakh, ca 16 kmSSW of Usukhchay, 1800 ma.s.l., Betulaforest with Salixand Alnus, at timberline, 10.VII.1989; 9 males, 6 females (ZMUM), North Ossetia, 10 kmNW of Mozdok, Robiniastand along field, litter, 28.V.1982, all leg. S. Golovatch. 1 female( NHMG), GEORGIA, Tbilisi, 10.VI.1957, leg. H. Lohmander; 13 males, 14 females( ZMUM), Mariamdjvari Nature Reserve, ENE of Sagaredjo, 1150 –1250 ma.s.l., Fagus, Carpinus, Acer, Pinusetc. forest, litter, under bark and stones, 13 –14.V.1987; 2 females( ZMUM), Batsaro Nature Reserve, ca 20 kmN of Akhmeta, 800 –850 ma.s.l., Fagus, Castanea, Aceretc. forest, litter, 5 –6.V.1987; 1 male, 2 females( ZMUM), Pass Magalakhari between Akhmeta and Tianeti, 1200 ma.s.l., Fagusand Carpinusforest, litter and under bark, 6.V.1987; 1 male, 3 females( ZMUM), N of Kvareli, 700 –750 ma.s.l., Fagus, Carpinus, Quercusetc. forest, litter and under bark, 4.V.1987, all leg. S. Golovatch and K. Eskov; 3 males, 3 juv.( ZMUM), Kazbegi Distr., S of Gudauri near Pass Krestovyi, 1800 ma.s.l., Rhododendronbush, litter, 4.VI.1982; 12 males, 10 females, 2 juv.( ZMUM), Lagodekhi Nature Reserve, Fagus, Fraxinus, Aceretc. forest, 600–700 ma.s.l., litter, under bark and stones, 5–6.V.1983, all leg. S. Golovatch; 1 male, 2 females(HR), Samzhe-Djavachetia, Abastumani Oberservatorium on Mt Kanobili, 1580 ma.s.l., N41.7544, E42.8203, 28.X.2009, leg. F. Walther; 12 males, 10 females, “ Polydesmus maculicornisBrandt” nomen nudum( ZISP), Tiflis(= Tbilisi), date and collector unknown. 4 males, 8 females( ZMUM), ARMENIA, Gegasarca 5 kmW of Spitak, Pambak Valley, Salixforest along stream, 1650 ma.s.l., 13.XI.1985, leg. S. Golovatch; 2 juv.( ZMUM), Gandakar Sof Idjevan, 1000 ma.s.l., Quercusand Corylusscrub, 28.V.1987; 1 juv.( ZMUM), Pass Khamza between Idjevan and Berd, 1900 ma.s.l., subalpine meadow, 26.V.1987, all leg. S. Golovatchand K. Eskov. 1 male, 5 females (ZMUM), AZERBAIJAN, Perzivan SE of Zakataly, 600 ma.s.l., Quercus, Fagusetc. forest along stream, litter, 3.V.1987, leg. S. Golovatch and K. Eskov; 1 male, 3 females (ZMUM), Djar near Zakataly, 20.X.1987; 6 males, 9 females, 1 juv. (ZMUM), Perzivan SE of Zakataly, 600 ma.s.l., forest, 19.IV.1987, all leg. N. Loginova; 1 male (ZMUM), Belakany W of Zakataly, 600 ma.s.l., garden, 24.V.1981; 1 male, 2 females (ZMUM), Zakataly Nature Reserve, Katekhchay Valley, 700 ma.s.l., 23.V.1981; 1 female, 8 juv. (ZMUM), Zakataly Nature Reserve, Agkemal, 1800 –2100 ma.s.l., forest, 24 –27.V.1981; 1 male, 1 female, 1 fragment (ZMUM), same locality, Katekh-Chay Valley, 23.V.1981, all leg. S. Golovatch and J. Martens; 16 males, 6 females (ZMUM), above Ajikent, S of Kirovabad (now Ganja), 1400 ma.s.l., meadow, under stones, 3.V.1983, leg. S. Golovatch; 9 males, 17 females (ZMUM), NW above Bash-Layski ca 20 kmNNW of Sheki, 1250 ma.s.l., Fagus, Carpinus, Aceretc. forest, litter, 3.V.1987; 7 males, 8 females, 4 juv. (ZMUM), ca 5 kmN of Kutkashen, 1150 –1200 ma.s.l., Fagusand Carpinusforest, litter and rotten wood, 2.V.1987; 2 males, 1 female (ZMUM), SW of Kuba, 750 ma.s.l., Fagus, Quercus, Carpinusetc. forest, litter and under bark, 23.IV.1987; 4 females (ZMUM), Nabran ca 30 kmNW of Khachmas, sea-level, Quercus, Carpinus, Aceretc. forest, litter and under bark, 21 –22.IV.1987, all leg. S. Golovatch and K. Eskov; 8 males, 4 females (ZMUM), Laza near Kussary, 10.VIII.1985, leg. H. Aliev. Descriptive notes.Adult body with 19 segments (collum plus 16 podous plus one apodous body rings, plus telson). Length ca 10 –13 mm, width of midbody metazonae 1.0 –1.5 (male, female), metazonite to prozonite width ratio <1.8 ( Fig. 6). Live coloration usually uniformly yellowish to brown, about same in alcohol ( Fig. 6). Tegument smooth and moderately shining. Antennae long, reaching behind body segment 3 when stretched dorsally, slightly clavate. In width, collum << head ≤ segment 2 <3 <4 <5=15 or 16, thereafter body gradually to quite rapidly tapering towards telson ( Fig. 6). Collum transversely ovoid. Paraterga well-developed and lying at about upper ¼ of body height, mostly subhorizontal to only faintly declivous, never upturned ( Fig. 6). Caudolateral corner of collum broadly rounded, of midbody and following paraterga increasingly acute and pointed, but especially clearly drawn behind rear tergal margin only in segments (14)15 –17 ( Fig. 6). Fore margins of paraterga largely straight, anterolateral corner angular ( Fig. 6). Central parts of postcollum metaterga with three transverse rows of evident, roundish to polygonal, setigerous bosses or tubercles ( Fig. 6). Tergal setae very small, mostly subclavate, often considerably abraded, usually only a little longer in front row on collum and in caudal row on segment 19. Paraterga with three or four faint setigerous incisions at lateral margin of poreless and pore-bearing segments, repectively. Stricture between pro- and metazonae wide, shallow and nearly smooth, at most faintly rugulose. Limbus microcrenulate-microdentate. Pleurosternal carinae wanting. Epiproct short, conical, subtruncate at tip, pre-apical lateral papillae evident ( Fig. 6). Hypoproct subtrapeziform, paramedian setiferous papillae evident, well-separated and lying near caudal edge. FIGURE 6.Habitus of Brachydesmus assimilisLohmander, 1936. A:male from Belakany, Azerbaijan. B–H:male (B), female (C –E) and male (F –H) from Upper Gunib, Dagestan, Russia. C, F:anterior part of body. D, G:right half of segment 10. E, H:caudal part of body. Pictures A and B by K. Makarov, taken not to scale. Line drawings C –H by S. Dashdamirov, scale bar: 1.0 mm. FIGURE 7.Gonopods of Brachydesmus assimilisLohmander, 1936. A–B:male from Mariamdjvari Nature Reserve, Georgia, lateral and mesal views, respectively. C:male from near Pass Krestovyi, Georgia. D:male syntype from Tbilisi, Georgia (after Lohmander 1936). Designations: en,endomere; ex,exomere; s,spine on exomere; t,tooth near base of exomere; k,spine at base of endomere; b,tooth at base of femorite. Scale bar: 0.1 mm (A –C), not to scale (D). Legs densely setose, long, in male crassate and longer ( Fig. 6A, 6B), prefemora not bulging laterad; postfemora sometimes, tibiae and tarsi always with sphaerotrichomes ventrally. Gonopods ( Fig. 7) subfalcate, bipartite, exomere ( ex) axe-shaped, suberect, its acuminate apex clearly curved ventrad, with a strong distomesal spine ( s) and a midway ventral tooth ( t); endomere ( en) short and stout, stumpshaped, with only a very short finger-shaped rod placed distal to a well-developed hairy pad; another, ventral spine ( k) located at base of en; still one more, ventral tooth ( b) usually present at base of femorite.
Remark.This species shows some variation not only in body size and in the shape of paraterga, but also in gonopod structure ( Fig. 7).
1701200781
1985-11-13
ZMUM
Armenia
1650
Gegasar
Pambak Valley
12
13
12
8
4
1701200779
1987-05-28
ZMUM
S. Golovatch & Gandakar S
Armenia
1000
Idjevan
Corylus
12
13
2
1701200783
1987-05-26
ZMUM
S. Golovatch
Armenia
1900
Pass Khamza
12
13
1