Mitopus morio (Fabricius, 1779)

Modebadze, Naia, Martens, Jochen, Snegovaya, Nataly & Barjadze, Shalva, 2023, An annotated list of the Georgian harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones), Caucasiana 2, pp. 211-230 : 211

28. Mitopus morio (Fabricius, 1779)

Phalangium morio Fabricius, 1779: 349 (original description)

Mitopus morio - Mkheidze, 1959: 112 (mention)

Mitopus morio - Mkheidze, 1964: 119 (mention)

Mitopus morio - Staręga, 1978: 212 (mention)

Mitopus morio - Snegovaya, 2013: 185 (mention)

Mitopus morio - Snegovaya, Pkhakadze, Intskirveli, 2014: 200 (locality data from historical collection of the Georgian National Museum)

Type locality.

Norway without exact locality.

Occurrence data in Georgia.

Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti • Nakra River Valley, Mestia Municipality; Leg. A.N. Kaznakov, 5 August 1910 (Snegovaya et al. 2014). • Lentekhi, Mestia Municipality; leg. T. Mkheidze, 3 July 1959 (Snegovaya et al. 2014). Guria • Bakhmaro, Chokhatauri Municipality; leg. T. Mkheidze, 10 August 1939 ( Mkheidze 1959). Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svnaeti • Ambrolauri; leg. T. Mkheidze, 17 July 1938 ( Mkheidze 1959). Kvemo Kartli • Manglisi, Dusheti Municipality; leg. T. Mkheidze, 18 June 1964 (Snegovaya et al. 2014). Mtskheta-Mtianeti • Kazbegi (=Stepantsminda); leg. T. Mkheidze, 20 July 1938 ( Mkheidze 1959). • Armazi, Mtskheta Municipality; leg. T. Mkheidze, 5 June 1971 (Snegovaya et al. 2014). Tbilisi • Kojori, Tbilisi Municipality; leg. T. Mkheidze, 6 June 1962 ( Mkheidze 1964).

Global distribution.

Widespread in the Palearctic but absent from the Mediterranean area proper, also recorded in Georgia and the Caucasian area in general ( Mkheidze 1959, 1964; Staręga 1978; Snegovaya 2013).

Remarks.

Mkheidze mentioned in her publications (1959, 1964) many Mitopus morio localities, such as even around Tbilisi, and, quite unexpectedly, afterwards nobody found the species again. The many Georgian localities and collecting data for M. morio published by Snegovaya et al. (2014) are based on the material of the Tbilisi Museum. Snegovaya et al. (2014) investigated at least four males in the National Museum of Georgia collected in Georgia, but despite the large opilionid collection available and several mentions in the literature of this species, no recent finds were recorded for this country. Staręga (1978) referred to the Mkheidze data; he did not check any of her material. All data needs verification through further research.