Megaphyllum montivagum (Verhoeff, 1901)

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 : 18-20

Megaphyllum montivagum (Verhoeff, 1901)

Brachyiulus (Chromatioulus) montivagus Verhoeff, 1901c: 267 –268, Fig. 9 . Brachyiulus latesquamosus Attems, 1903: 135 –136, Figs 62–65. syn. n. Chromatoiulus montivagus: Attems 1927: 223 ; 1932: 9–10; Strasser 1974: 269, 290, Fig. 74; 1976: 617; Ceuca 1992: 425. Chromatoiulus latesquamosus: Attems 1927: 232 –233; Strasser 1974: 290; 1976: 613–614. Chromatoiulus (Chromatoiulus) montivagus: Attems 1940: 306 .

Chromatoiulus (Phauloiulus) latesquamosus: Attems 1940: 307 .

Chromatoiulus macedonicus Strasser, 1976: 616 –617, Figs 57–59. syn. n. Chromatoilus macedonicus : Ceuca 1992: 425.

Megaphyllum latesquamosum: Enghoff & Kime 2009 .

Megaphyllum macedonicum: Ćurčić & Makarov 1998: 6 P; Makarov et al. 2004: 261. Megaphyllum montivagum: Enghoff & Kime 2009 .

Material examined. NHMW: latequamosum gonopods, type slide preparation, Tripoli, Arcadia; latesquamosum 533 [gonopods of one male as slide preparation], 2ƤƤ, 1 juv. Ostrovo, near a Moschee, 1892, leg. Sturany, det. Attems.; MNB: montivagum ZMB 1300: 1633, 8ƤƤ topotypes, Griechenland, Korax-Gebirge [Korakas], Mitte [middle] August 1887, v. [leg.] Oertzen; HNHM: Greece: 433 DL119, 2006/112, Grevena county, Zakas, Venetikos River, 699m, N40°02’19.3” E21°17’19.2”, 14.05.2006, leg. LD, JK & DM; Republic of Macedonia: 1433, 13ƤƤ DL207, 2006/29, Prespa Lake and lakeshore S of Oteševo, 852m, N40°57’55.8” E20°54’21.1”, 16.10.2006, leg. LD, JK & DM; 333, 3ƤƤ, 1 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; NMNH: Republic of Macedonia: 13, 1Ƥ, Skopje, Myriapoda III–3, 17.10.2004, M. macedonicum det. P. Stoev 2005; Greece: 13, 1Ƥ, Taygetos, 900–1650m (to the hut), 19.9.1983, leg. P. Beron & V. Beshkov, M. montivagum Verhoeff 1901 det. J.– P. Mauriès 1984.

Distribution in the Balkans. Greece: „Korasgebirge”/Korax–Gebirge (type locality of montivagum , possibly Vardousia Mt., while its highest peak is called Korakas) ( Verhoeff 1901c); Tripoli, Arcadia (type locality of latesquamosum ) ( Attems 1903), Nafplio, Peloponnese ( Strasser 1974), Salonique, Ostrovo, Zakas, Venetikos River (type locality of macedonicum ) ( Strasser 1976); Serbia: Kruščica, near Arilje ( Makarov et al. 2004).

World distribution. Distributed only in the Balkan Peninsula.

Remarks. New to the fauna of the Republic of Macedonia. Mauriès previously suggested synonymising M. latesquamosum (in litt.). However, M. montivagum proper has never been found since its original description. In the same paper where Strasser described M. macedonicum (on the basis of one male and two females), he refers to misidentified M. montivagum individuals which were probably M. latesquamosum ( Strasser 1976) . This means that Strasser was aware of these latter species. However, Strasser’s uncertainity, and the fact that M. macedonicum , in its description, was compared neither to M. latesquamosum nor M. montivagum — which could have been expected according to the similarities observed — but to M. austriacum , may indicate a kind of misconcept regarding M. latesquamosum and M. montivagum by Strasser.

Altough we did not investigate Strasser’s type material, we had individuals from Ostrovo (i.e. the type locality of M. macedonicum , referring to Arnissa by the Ostrovo lake in Western Greek Macedonia), identified by Attems as M. latesquamosum , and also topotypic M. montivagum individuals identified by Verhoeff. The character that gave M. latesquamosum its name is the broad subanal scale which did not differ among the investigated individuals. Differences in the gonopod descriptions of the three species are due to varying viewpoints and focuses of the drawings. From an antero-lateral view, focusing on the solenomere, they look like M. montivagum ( Fig. 15 ), from (caudo-) mesal or (caudo-) lateral view M. macedonicum ( Fig. 16 ) and from caudo-lateral view the individuals are M. latesquamosum ( Fig. 17 ). The mesal bristle line on the opisthomere (br on Fig. 17 ) is not always visible, sometimes only with light microscopy and sometimes only as a few bristles. The apical foam-like process of the solenomere is variable (fp on Figs 15–17 ), in one case spherical or flat which could not be connected with a distribution pattern. Most M. montivagum topotype individuals have a remarkably elongated apical foamy process, but an asymmetrical individual with both a flat and an elongated one could also be found. Freshly collected individuals from Macedonia with a slightly elongated foamy process were also found (next to spherical-solenomered individuals in the same vial).

Remarkable distinctions can be made when we look at body parameters, especially from the Peloponnese. The form latesquamosum was described from the peninsula as a larger Megaphyllum species, i.e. adult male length: 28mm, height: 2.5–3mm, with 51–53 body rings. Our adult male from the peninsula was also around this range (length: 37.9mm, height: 2.8mm, body ring number: 52+1+T, stadium XII), the female even larger (48.3mm, 4.4mm, 51+1+T, st. XII, respectively). Somewhat to the north, from the Vardousia Mt., M. montivagum was described as a smaller species (male length: 26–27mm, body ring number: 49; female length: 39mm, body ring number 50). Data of male topotype individuals: length: 25.2–27.2mm, height: 1.8–1.9mm, body ring number: (45+2+T)–(48+1+T), st. X–XI. Females: length: 31.2–36.9mm, height: 2.5–3mm, body ring number: (46+2+T)– (49+1+T), st. X–XI. All the other available data and individuals from northern parts of Greece and from Macedonia represent smaller individuals. In the description of M. macedonicum the following measurements are given: male length 24mm, height 2mm, body ring number 45, females 28–32mm, 2.8–2.9mm, 45–51 body rings. Our data for adult males: 19.1–24.8mm, 1.6–1.9mm, (41+2+T)–(45+1+T), st. IX–XI; females: 24.1–31.7mm, 2.3–2.6mm, (43+1+T)–(44+2+T), st. XI–XII. According to these data it seems that a smaller form lives on the mainland, with a size increase southwards, while a remarkably larger form inhabits the Peloponnese. Even so, other characters such as the vulva, gonopods, penis, and leg morphology do not show significant differences, thus we do not suggest here a subspecific status for the Pelopponnese form.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Megaphyllum margaritatum (Fanzago, 1875) from Greece, Ossa Mts., male, right gonopod promere, caudal view (scale bar: 0.2 mm). Abbreviation: fl: flagellum.

FIGURES 15 – 17. Megaphyllum montivagum (Verhoeff, 1901) from Greece, Zakas, male. Left opisthomere from (15) anterolateral, (16) lateral and (17) caudo-lateral views (scale bar: 0.2 mm). Abbreviations: br: bristle line, fp: foam-like process.