Picea abchasius, Attems, 1898

Golovatch, Sergei, Evsyukov, Aleksandr & Reip, Hans, 2016, The millipede family Polydesmidae in the Caucasus (Diplopoda: Polydesmida), Zootaxa 4085 (1), pp. 1-51 : 3-5

Polydesmus (s. str.) abchasius Attems, 1898

Figs 1 , 3B, 3C , 4A , Map 1

Polydesmus abchasius Attems, 1898: 437 (D).

Polydesmus abchasius— Lignau, 1903: 106, 132 (R); 1915: 372 (R, D); Muralewicz, 1907: 340, 349 (R); 1911: 4, 9 (M); 1913: 220 (R); Issaev, 1911: 297 (R); Lohmander, 1936: 11 (M); Lang, 1959: 1790 (M); Kobakhidze, 1965: 391 (R); Lokšina and Golovatch, 1979: 384 (M); Talikadze, 1984: 143 (R); Chumachenko, 2012: 452 (R).

Polydesmus complanatus— Muralewicz, 1907: 340, 349 (R); 1911: 9 (M).

Polydesmus (Polydesmus) abchasius— Attems, 1940: 21 (D).

NON Polydesmus (Polydesmus) abchasius— Bababekova, 1996: 90 (R).

Material examined. 4 males, 3 females, 2 juv. (ZMUM), RUSSIA, Krasnodar Prov., Goryachiy Klyuch, ca 12 km SW of Fanagoriyskoye, near Cave Fanagoriyskaya, Fagus , Acer , Picea etc. forest, litter and under logs, 19.V.1983, leg. S. Golovatch; 1 female (ZMUM), Krasnodar Prov., Sochi, 5.5 km NE of Krasnaya Polyana, lower course of Achipse River, ca 600 m a.s.l., N43°43’10”, E40°15’25”, 19 – 23.VIII.2014, leg. K. Makarov and A. Matalin; 3 females (AE), Adygea, near Mt Oshten, lake Psenodakh, 10.VII.1997, leg. G. Bakhtadze; 2 males, 1 female (AE), Adygea, Maikop, 14.III.2008, leg. M. Nartbiev; 4 females (AE), Adygea, near Guzeripl, Abies forest, 19.VI.2011, leg. D. Khisametdinova and E. Bortnikov; 1 male (AE), Adygea, Partizanskaya Polyana, Armyanka River valley, 1.VII.2011, leg. D. Khisametdinova and V. Shmatko; 7 females (AE), same locality, 4.VII.2011, leg. Khisametdinova; 1 male, 1 juv. (AE), Adygea, near Nikel, Belaya River valley, under stones, 23.VI.2007, leg. E. Terskov; 2 males (AE), same locality, on tree trunks, 29.VI.2010, leg. I. Gorbenko; 1 female (ZMUM), Adygea, Caucasian Nature Reserve, Pasture Abago S of Guzeripl, 1350 – 1400 m a.s.l., Abies and Fagus forest, litter, under bark and stones, 24 – 26.V.1985, leg. S. Golovatch; 1 female (ZMUM), Karachaevo-Cherkessia, near Arkhyz, 1450 – 1600 m a.s.l., Abies and Fagus forest, under stones and bark, litter, 3.VIII.2015, leg. A. Evsyukov; 1 male (AE), Krasnodar Prov., Zazulin, forest, 20.VI.2007; 3 males, 2 females (AE), Krasnodar Prov., Khadyzhensk, forest, 15.VI.2007, 1 juv. (AE), Krasnodar Prov., Arkhipo-Osipovka, mountain slope, forest, under stones and bark, 29.VIII.2008; 2 males, 1 female (AE), same locality, 30.VIII.2008; 1 female, 5 juv. (AE), same locality, 31.VIII.2008, all leg. A. Evsyukov and D. Khisametdinova; 1 female (SMNG 33 576), Adygea, Sakhrai, Kuna Valley, 20.V.2004; 1 female (SMNG 34133), same locality, 20.VIII.2005; 1 male (SMNG 34158), same locality, 30.VIII.2005; 1 male, 3 females (SMNG 33 581/2), Adygea, Polyana Shostakova, 23.V.2004; 1 female, 1 juv. (SMNG 34141), same locality, 24.VIII.2005; 1 female, 2 juv. (SMNG 34 136), Adygea, Koryto, 22.VIII.2005; 1 female (SMNG 34147), Adygea, Muly, Trash, 25.VIII.2005, all leg. K. Voigtländer; 1 male, 1 juv. (HR), Krasnodar Prov., Solokhaul, 2.5 road-km to Dagomys, 260 m a.s.l., N43.7997º, E39.6481º, 11.VIII.2012; 3 males, 1 female (HR), Krasnodar Prov., Lagonaki Plateau, source area of Kurdships River, N44.0792º, E40º, 16.VIII.2012; 1 female (HR), Krasnodar Prov., Yatyrgvarta Ridge, hut N of Gora Armovka, 1830 m a.s.l., N43.8908º, E40.6631º, 19.VIII.2012, all leg. F. Walther.

1 male, 3 females ( ZMUM), ABKHAZIA, Gagra Distr., Arabika Massif, Gelgeluk , under stones, 29.VIII.2014, leg. I. Turbanov ; 8 females ( SMNG 14 685), Transcaucasus, Riza-See (= Lake Ritsa ), 20.VI.1984, leg. W. Dunger.

2 males, 6 females, 1 juv. (ZMUM), GEORGIA, Ajaria, Kintrish Nature Reserve, Zeraboseli, 450 – 600 m a.s.l., deciduous forest, 1 – 3.VI.1981, leg. S. Golovatch and J. Martens; 1 male (ZMN), Ajaria, near Batumi, Koromistavi, Fagus and Castanea forest, 1000 – 1200 m a.s.l., X.1987, leg. D. Logunov; 1 female (HR), Ajaria, Khala, Chakvistskhali River valley, 1 road-km upstream, entrance to Mtirala National Park, 90 m a.s.l., N41.6961º, E41.8228º, 28.IX.2011; 1 female (HR), Ajaria, Khorolistavi to Mt Mta Mtirala, 730 m a.s.l., N41.6494º, E41.7731º, 1.X.2012; 1 male (HR), Samegrelo and Zeno Svaneti, Taleri, Tekhuri River valley 6.7 road-km to Lebarde, 380 m a.s.l., N42.5989º, E42.3497º, 10.X.2011; 1 juv. (HR), Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti, Mukhuri, N42.6372º, E42.1778º, 22.VIII.2014; 1 juv. (HR), Guria, Chkhakoura to Bakhmaro, N41.89º, E42.3678º, 21.VIII.2014, all leg. F. Walther; 1 female, 6 juv. (HR), Ambrolauri to Djava, E of Oni, NE of Pipileti, N42.5679, E43.4995, 1.VI.2014; 3 males, 1 female, 2 juv. (HR), Ambrolauri to Djava, Oni E, Pipileti NE, N42.5681, E43.4953, 1.VI.2014; 1 male, 1 female (HR), Ambrolauri to Djava, E of Oni, N of Pipileti, N42.5823, E43.4986, 1.VII.2014; 1 female (HR), Baghdati S to Akhaltsikhe, N of Abastumani, N41.8564, E42.7901, 1.VI.2014, all leg. L. Mumladze; 1 juv. (ZMUM), Tkibuli Distr., between Tkibuli and Nikortsminda, Abies and Fagus forest, litter, 22.X.1981; 5 females (ZMUM), Ambrolauri Distr., Cave Nikortsminda near Nikortsminda, 1100 m a.s.l., 40 – 50 m deep, on walls and rotten wood, 22.X.1981, all leg. S. Golovatch; 1 male (ZMUM), Sataplia Nature Reserve, 400 m a.s.l., Fagus and Buxus forest, litter, 5.VI.1981, leg. S. Golovatch and J. Martens; 1 male, 1 female, 2 juv. (ZMUM), Racha, Oni Distr., N of Utsera, deciduous forest, near spring, rock, litter, 20.X.1981, leg. S. Golovatch.

Descriptive notes. Adult body with 20 segments (collum plus 17 podous plus one apodous body rings, plus telson). Length ca 13 – 19 mm (male, female), width of midbody metazonae 1.9 – 3.3 (male) or 2.4 – 3.5 mm (female), metazonite to prozonite width ratio> 2.0 ( Fig. 1 ). Live coloration usually uniformly intense red to bright pink, in alcohol often brown to faded light yellow-brown; legs light ( Fig. 1 ).

Tegument smooth and moderately shining. Antennae long, reaching behind body segment 2 when stretched dorsally, slightly clavate, usually infuscate towards a pallid tip. In width, head <collum <segment 2 <3 <4 <5=15 or 16, thereafter body gradually to rapidly tapering towards telson ( Fig. 1 ). Collum transversely sublanceolate. Paraterga very strongly developed and lying at about upper ¼ of body height, mostly subhorizontal, only in collum and 2 – 3 following segments more (male) or less (female) clearly upturned ( Figs 1A , 3B ). Caudolateral corner of collum almost pointed, but obtuse-angled, of midbody paraterga subrectangular ( Figs 1 , 3C ), of following paraterga increasingly acute, but clearly drawn behind rear tergal margin only in segments 17 – 19 ( Fig. 1 ). Lateral margins of paraterga straight or nearly so, at most only slightly rounded ( Fig. 1 ). Collum and central parts of following metaterga with three transverse rows of faint, polygonal, flat, nearly obliterate, setigerous bosses ( Figs 1 , 3C ). Tergal setae very small, only a little longer in front row on collum and in caudal row on segment 19. Paraterga with three or four faint 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 microcrenulatemicrodentate. Pleurosternal carinae wanting. Epiproct short, conical, subtruncate at tip, pre-apical lateral papillae evident ( Fig. 1 ). Hypoproct subtrapeziform, paramedian setiferous papillae evident, well-separated and lying near caudal edge.

Legs densely setose, long, in male crassate and longer ( Fig. 1A ), prefemora only faintly bulging laterad; all postfemora, tibiae and tarsi typically with sphaerotrichomes ventrally.

Gonopod ( Fig. 4A ) exomere (ex) strongly subgeniculate at about distal ¼ and densely spinulate apically, with a strong tooth (d) proximal to geniculation; endomere (en) with a large hairy pulvillus (pu) at base of a slender, simple, apically curved rod (r) which is about half as long as ex.

Remarks. Muralewicz’s (1907, 1927) records of the eastern European P. complanatus (Linnaeus, 1758) , in Abkhazia, W Caucasus and at Vladikavkaz, N Caucasus, respectively, are clearly erroneous, the former actually being referred to P. abchasius , the latter probably to P. muralewiczi or P. lignaui (cf. Lohmander 1936). Bababekova’s (1996) record of P. abchasius in the Caucasus Major within Azerbaijan is certainly wrong as well, since this species is confined to the NW and W Caucasus.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Polydesmus abchasius Attems, 1898. A: male from Gelgeluk, Abkhazia, lateral view. B: female from near Krasnaya Polyana, Krasnodar Prov., dorsal view. C: female ca 18 mm long from an unspecified locality in Abkhazia, dorsal view. Pictures A and B by K. Makarov, taken not to scale; watercolour C after Lignau (1915).

FIGURE 3. Habitus of Polydesmus muralewiczi Lohmander, 1936 (A, H – J), P. lignaui Lohmander, 1936 (D – G) and P. abchasius Attems, 1898 (B, C). A, H – J: male from near Kursavka, Stavropol Prov., Russia, entire body, anterior body part, left half of metatergite 10 and caudal body part, respectively, dorsal views. B, C: male from Pasture Abago, Caucasian Nature Reserve, Adygea, Russia, anterior part of body, lateral view, and left half of metatergite 10, dorsal view, respectively. D – F: male from Dombai, Karachaevo-Cherkessia, Russia, anterior body part, left half of metatergite 10 and caudal part of body, respectively, dorsal views. G: female from Dombai, anterior part of body, lateral view. Picture A by K. Makarov, taken not to scale. Scale bar: 1.0 mm (B – J).

FIGURE 4. Left gonopods of Polydesmus abchasius Attems, 1898, P. lignaui Lohmander, 1936 and P. muralewiczi Lohmander, 1936 (A – C), and right gonopod of P. muralewiczi Lohmander, 1936 (D). A: male from near Lake Ritsa, Abkhazia, mesal view. B: male from Sukhumi Botanical Garden, Abkhazia, mesal view. C: male from near Kursavka, Stavropol Prov., Russia, mesal view. D: male lectotype from near Psebai, Krasnodar Prov., Russia (after Lohmander 1936). Designations: en, endomere; ex, exomere; d, exomere tooth; pu, hairy pulvillus; r, endomere rod. Scale bar: 0.2 mm (A – C), not to scale (D).