Lithobius magurensis Dobroruka, 1971

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 : 41-42

Lithobius magurensis Dobroruka, 1971

Lithobius magurensis Dobroruka 1971: 261 –262, fig. 1

Type locality. Spišská Magura Mts, Slovak Republic

Type specimens. The original description of L. magurensis was based on the holotype (ɗ), in the NMP collection, and 1 paratype (Ψ), mentioned as deposited in the collection of Dobroruka.

Material examined. The holotype was restudied. Neither the paratype nor the other specimens of this species referred to in the original descriptions were found in Dobroruka’s collection.

Remarks. Apart from the type material, only 3 Ψ of L. magurensis were recorded by Dobroruka in the Podyjí NP, Czech Republic. The diagnosis of this species was based on a combination of the following characters: tergites without projections, a single claw on the last legs, and several specific sexual features of the 14th and 15th male legs. These were a dorsal sulcus on the 14th femur and a swelling with a tuft of setae on the 14th tibia. The tibia of the 15th leg was stated as being flattened, with a sulcus on the femur as well. However, the re-examined holotype differed fundamentally from Dobroruka’s description. The spinulation of the 14th legs is D: 1,0,3,1,1 instead of 1,0,1-2,0-1,0 while the spinulation of the 15th legs is D: 1,0,3,0,0 instead of 1,0,2,1,0. The 14th tibia shows a thin sulcus, as well as a swelling. In addition, the head is broad, resembling that of L. muticus C.L. Koch, 1847 . The spinulation pattern found falls well within the variation range of L. muticus as described by Latzel (1880), Eason (1964) and Koren (1992). Although thin sulci are not commonly met with in the available descriptions of this species, specimens of L. muticus from Central Europe, at least those from the Czech Republic, do show these characters (cf Folkmanová 1959).

Two Ψ in the material from the SMMZ collection identified and labelled by Dobroruka as L. magurensis are in fact 1 Ψ of L. muticus and 1 immature ɗ of Eupolybothrus tridentinus ( Fanzago, 1874) .

Taxonomic note. We consider Lithobius magurensis Dobroruka, 1971 as a junior subjective synonym of Lithobius muticus C.L. Koch, 1847 , syn. n.