Megaphyllum hercules ( Verhoeff, 1900 )

Lazányi, Eszter, Vagalinski, Boyan & Korsós, Zoltán, 2012, The millipede genus Megaphyllum Verhoeff, 1894 in the Balkan Peninsula, with description of new species (Myriapoda: Diplopoda: Julida: Julidae), Zootaxa 3228, pp. 1-47 : 13-14

Megaphyllum hercules ( Verhoeff, 1900)

Brachyiulus (Chromatoiulus) unilineatus hercules Verhoeff, 1901a: 97 –98, Figs 18–20 .

Brachyiulus unilineatus hercules: Verhoeff 1932: 493 ; 1937: 107–108.

Chromatoiulus unilineatus hercules: Attems 1927: 225 –226, Figs 291–293; 1929a: 332; Strasser 1966b: 358 –359, 381.

Chromatoiulus (Chromatoiulus) unilineatus hercules: Attems 1959: 305 .

Chromatoiulus hercules: Strasser 1967: 285 ; 1971b: 345; 1974: 269 and 290; 1976: 608; Ceuca 1992: 425.

Chromatoiulus (Chromatoiulus) hercules: Strasser 1969: 159 .

Megaphyllum hercules: Golovatch 1992: 23 ; Golovatch & Kondeva 1992: 23; Mršić 1993: 40; Mauriès et al. 1997: 277, 290; Ćurčić et al. 1999: 18 P; Deltshev et al. 2000a: appendix 5, p. 3.; Stoev 2001: 105; 2003: 136; Stoev 2004c: 215; Makarov et al. 2004: 261; Vagalinski & Stoev 2007: 49 – 50; Enghoff & Kime 2009.

Material examined. MNB: ZSM: 12980: gonopods, 1st and 2nd leg-pair, syntype, slide preparation (Nr. 1258 Coll. Verhoeff), Karpenisi, Thessalien, 23.5.1900., leg. Apfelbeck; HNHM: Bulgaria: 13, 2ƤƤ around Melnik, Nov. 1984., leg. L. Ronkay & Z. Korsós; Greece: 233, 3ƤƤ, 2007/31, Drama county, west Rodopi Mts., rocks above the Arkoudorema River, S of Prasinada, 181m, N41°18.584’ E24°30.396’, 0 1.04.2007, leg. LD, ZE, ZF, JK & DM; 13, 2007/34, Kavala county, Lekanis Mts., rock mine 4km N of Zarkadia, 230m, N41°02.109’ E24°37.941’, 0 2.04.2007, leg. LD, ZE, ZF, JK & DM; 233 DL112, 2006/102, Ioannina county, Votonosi, stream 1km E of the village, 662m, N39°45’57.9” E21°05’50.3”, 13.05.2006, leg. LD, JK & DM; 13, 2007/33, Kavala county, Lekanis Mts., rock mine above Kechrokambos, 670m, N41°09.524’ E24°36.549’, 0 2.04.2007, leg. LD, ZE, ZF, JK & DM; 13, 2007/7, Serres county, Orvilos Mts., forest brook 5km E of Angistrou, 370m, N41°23.578’ E23°28.659’, 30.03.2007, leg. LD, ZE, ZF, JK & DM; 1Ƥ, 2007/36, Kavala county, Lekanis Mts., macchia above Zarkadia, 200m, N41°01.400’ E24°38.507’, 0 2.04.2007, leg. LD, ZE, ZF, JK & DM; 13, 2007/16, Drama county, Maara (Angitis) cave, emergent river and rocky macchia, 136m, N41°13.266’ E23°53.590’, 31.03.2007, leg. LD, ZE, ZF, JK & DM; Republic of Macedonia: 13, 14 juv. DL211, 2006/34, Demir Kapija, Vardar River, gallery forest and dry grassland E of the city, 115m, N41°24’20.9” E22°15’56.3”, 17.10.2006, leg. LD, JK & DM; 13 DL213, 2006/ 36, Valandovsko Basin, Furka, macchia N of the village, 220m, N41°15’09.8” E22°37’35.8”, 18.10.2006, leg. LD, JK & DM; 433, 3ƤƤ DL201, 2006/23, Sum, spring lake, grassland and pine forest above the Ohrid Lake, 707m, N41°10’58.3” E20°37’55.7”, 16.10.2006, leg. LD, JK & DM.; NMNH: Albania: 13, 1Ƥ, Llogorase pass, under stones, 1025m, 11.05.1995, leg. S. Golovatch. P. Stoev & B. Petrov, det. J.–P. Mauriès, S. Golovatch & P. Stoev 1996; BV: Bulgaria: 2Ƥ, SW Bulgaria, Kresna Gorge, N of Kresna town, under stones, 20.05.2011, leg. and det. BV; Greece: 33, 5Ƥ Kavala Distr., Lekani Mt., Drimia Vill., 200m alt., leaf litter & under stones, 25.09.2000, leg. P. Stoev, B. Petrov & S. Beshkov., det. B. Vagalniski; 23 Eastern Rhodopes Mts., Dadia, Distr. Soufli, Nomos Evros, Pinus brutia , 200m, 28.09.2000, leg. B. Petrov, P. Stoev & S. Beshkov, det. B. Vagalniski; 93, 3Ƥ Angitis Vill., Distr. Prosotzani, under stones, 28.09.2002, leg. P. Beron, det. B. Vagalniski.

Distribution in the Balkans. Albania: 4km S of Vlorё, Llogorasё Pass, Vlorё District, above Prenjas, Librazhd District, between Hotolisht and Librazhd, 13km N of Ersekё, Leskovik District, Komnik (= Kamenice), Korçё District ( Mauriès et al. 1997); Bulgaria: Stara Planina Mts., Central Balkan National Park, Rhodopes Mts.: Asenova Fortress, Kardzhali, Asenovgrad, Slashten, Hadzhidimovo; Rila Mts.: near Pastra, Rila National Park, Rila Monastery Natural Park; Melnik, Sveti Iliya Hill near Kalimantsi, Konyavska Planina Mt., near Haskovo, Mesta Valley, Momina Klisura Gorge, Dolna Koznitsa, Sandanski, Strumyani, P. Yavorov Railway Station ( Vagalinski & Stoev 2007); Greece: Central Greece, near Anomusinitza (type locality), Chalkidiki, west shore of the Volvi Lake, Petralona, Agia Anastasia Monastery, Asprovalta, Chalkidiki, Rentina outflow by Stavros, valley of Piniós by Tsagesi, Vermio Mt. in Kavala, West Macedonia, Olympos, Epirus, Ioannina, Karias, Elati, Tristenon, Ligiades, Konitsa, Aristi, Anemorachi, Votonosson, Katara, East Macedonia and Thrace, Rentina, around Alexandroupolis–Makri, Central Greece, Epirus, Pindos, Thessalia ( Strasser 1974, 1976); Republic of Macedonia: Golem Grad, near Prespa, Dojran Lake, Karadojranski Potok, Šar Planina Mt., Ljuboten, Treska, Vodno, near, Skopje ( Makarov et al. 2004).

World distribution. Present also in Ukraine, on the Crimean Peninsula ( Golovatch 1990).

Remarks. Distributed between 180–2100m a.s.l., in diverse habitats from anthropogenic habitats to montane forests. Verhoeff described M. hercules as a subspecies of M. unilineatum on the basis of a single adult male and numerous females and juveniles ( Verhoeff 1901a). In 1967 Strasser elevated M. u. hercules to species level, and discussed the differences between M. unilineatum , M. hercules and M. rhodopinum ( Strasser 1967) . For M. hercules, Strasser gave the following characters: dorsally a longitudinal red dot-line, or rarely a reddish continuous line; length of adult males 29–39mm (sometimes 44mm), females can reach 55mm; promere wide, medially pointed; opisthomere’s posterior process wide, rounded, ending somewhat lower than the apical processes. Based on investigation of our material we would add the following modifications: colour of the dorsal (dot-) line can vary from yellow to red; about one-third of the investigated adult males were above 39mm (43–47mm); the opisthomere has a distinct feature, a basal, caudo-mesal swelling, which was also observed by Verhoeff (1901a) and Attems (1927).

Figures

FIGURE 18. Megaphyllum syrense (Verhoeff, 1903) male, questioned type slide preparation from Greece, Syra Island (NHMB, Inv. No. 3125). Both gonopod promeres, caudal view (scale bar: 0.2 mm). Abbreviation: fl: flagellum.

FIGURES 19 – 21. Megaphyllum taygetanum (Attems, 1903). Variation of lateral caudal processes of the gonopod opisthomere: (19) left opisthomere, Greece, Paradisa, meso-caudal view (sensu Attems (Strasser 1967 )); (20) left and right opisthomeres, Greece, Garea, meso-caudal view; (21) rigth and left opisthomeres, Greece, Tetrazi Mts., latero-caudal view (sensu Strasser (1967 )) (scale bar: 0.2 mm). Abbreviation: lcp: lateral caudal process.