Polydesmus (Nomarchus) mediterraneus Daday, 1889

Fig. 5, Map 1

Polydesmus mediterraneus oertzeni— Talikadze, 1984: 143 (R).

Material examined. 3 males, 9 females (ZMUM), ABKHAZIA, Sukhumi Distr., Yashtukha, tree nursery, 29.III.1986, leg. A. Markossian ; 2 subadult females (ZMUM), Sukhumi Botanical Garden, litter, 2.X.1978 ; 1 male (slide only) (ZMUM), same locality 9.X.1978; all leg. S. Golovatch.

Descriptive notes. Length ca 8 – 16 mm, width of midbody metazonae 1.5 – 2.0 mm (male, female), metazonite to prozonite width ratio <1.6 (Fig. 5A). Live coloration usually uniformly light brown to brown, about same as in alcohol (Fig. 5A).

All characters as in P. abchasius (Fig. 5), except as follows. Collum much narrower than head, transversely oval in shape (Fig. 5A). Paraterga not upturned, subhorizontal, much more strongly rounded laterally, at least until segment 9 obtuse-angled and drawn behind rear tergal margin starting with segment 14 or 15 (Fig. 5A). Male prefemora strongly bulging laterad (Fig. 5B). Gonopod (Fig. 5C) with a stout and stump-shaped endomere (en) and only a slightly curved and apically strongly bifid exomere (ex).

Remarks. The only previous record in the region (Talikadze 1984) concerned “ Abkhazia ”, without a precise locality. This eastern Mediterranean species/subspecies is quite common in the adjacent Crimea, apparently being introduced to the Caucasus. New illustrations are provided to facilitate recognition (Fig. 5).