Cylindroiulus londinensis (Leach, 1814 (Leach, 1814)

Kime, Richard Desmond & Enghoff, Henrik, 2017, Atlas of European millipedes 2: Order Julida (Class Diplopoda), European Journal of Taxonomy 346, pp. 1-299 : 64

155. Cylindroiulus londinensis (Leach, 1814 )

Iulus londinensis Leach, 1814 .

Distribution

ES-SPA, FR-FRA, GB-GRB, IE. Atlantic.

Habitat

Woodland and open habitats, until above the tree line up to 2000 m, common on calcareous soils, but also present on brown earths and on well-drained acidic sandy soils. In Britain and Ireland not yet found on heaths, moorland, wetland or in synanthropic habitats ( Lee 2006). In deciduous, mixed or coniferous ( Pinus ) forest; frequently in Fagus forests and also in Quercus woodland, sometimes with Carpinus and/ or Buxus , often with Castanea , Fraxinus , Tilia , Betula , Corylus , in scrubby land with Prunus , Cornus , Ligustrum , Juniperus , Ruscus . At least in the south of its range in Spain it is found in evergreen Quercus stands. It is associated with a wide range of ground floras, occurring principally in litter and logs, descending into the topsoil during unfavourable weather. Common in Atlantic woods in France, on many types of parent rock, e.g., limestone, sandstone, schist, granite, volcanic, at the same time notably unrecorded from the eastern departments.

Remarks

There are correct records only from the countries listed above. All the references to this species in the literature from other countries relate to C. caeruleocinctus , with which it was formerly confused. In Spain, north of 42° N we are absolutely sure that our records do relate to C. londinensis , but, because of its strongly Atlantic distribution we are not certain if the three records in the literature shown south of 42° N relate to it or not, especially because when Ceuca (1972) made them, at two of the same sites he also identified Cylindroiulus finitimus , which he equated with C. londinensis var. finitimus and C. teutonicus , although the latter is now known to be a different species ( C. caeruleocinctus ). The previous nomenclatural confusion was rectified by Mauriès (1964), who demonstrated the specific differences between C. caeruleocinctus , C. finitimus and C. londinensis , making it clear that they were not all varieties of C. londinensis as many authors then believed. Blower (1985) gave an explanation of the confusion.