Polydesmus racovitzai Brölemann, 1910

Gilgado, José D. & Ortuño, Vicente M., 2023, Polydesmid millipedes in the MSS of the northern Iberian Peninsula (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Polydesmidae), Zoosystema 45 (15), pp. 451-461 : 458

Polydesmus racovitzai Brölemann, 1910

( Figs 3E ; 5 D-F)

Polydesmus racovitzai Brölemann, 1910: 352 .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Spain • 2 ♂, 1 ♀; Burgos , Pineda de la Sierra, Sierra de Mencilla in Sierra de la Demanda, beech forest; 42°11’55”N, 03°18’41”W; 1460 m a.s.l.; 18. VI.2018; V. M. Ortuño, J. D. Gilgado & E. Ledesma leg.; MSS; UAH • 39 ♂, 1 ♀; same data; 22. VI.2019 • 3 ♂; same data; 3.VIII.2020; UAH • 2♂, 1 ♀; same data; MNHN .

REMARKS

This species is known from the French Pyrenees and northern Spain (provinces of Biscay, Navarre and Gipuzkoa) ( Kime & Enghoff 2011; Djursvoll 2019). The present record extends the known distribution of the species to the south and east. It also occurs at a higher altitude than previous records, according to Kime & Enghoff (2011) up to 1300 m a.s.l. As Djursvoll (2019) points out, the gonopod morphology of P. racovitzai may resemble that of Polydesmus inconstans Latzel, 1884 , as drawn by Demange (1981). The drawing in the original description of P. racovitzai ( Brölemann 1910: plate V, figs 32, 33) shows a shorter and softly curved tip of exomerite, while it is longer and almost describing a straight angle after the lateral tooth in the drawing of Demange (1981: 125, figs 170-171). Our specimens agree with the gonopod morphology of P.racovitzai in Demange (1981), and we are including three images of it ( Fig. 5 D-F).

Figures

FIG. 3. — Dorsal view of male adult specimens of all six polydesmid species collected: A, Archipolydesmus osellai Ceuca,1968 from the Sierra de Mencilla (MEF); B, Polydesmus angustus Latzel, 1884 from the Sierra Mediana (PES); C, Polydesmus asturiensis Djursvoll, 2019 from Llobango (LLO); D, Polydesmus coriaceus Porat, 1870 from the Sierra de Santo Domingo (SDF); E, Polydesmus racovitzai BrÖlemann, 1910 from the Sierra del Mencilla (MEF); F, Propolydesmus dismilus (Berlese, 1891) from the Sierra de Luesia (SL1). Scale bars: 2 mm.

FIG. 5. — Gonopods of two of the six species collected: A-C, right (A, C) and left (B) gonopods of Polydesmus asturiensis Djursvoll, 2019 from Llobango (LLO) in mesal (A), lateral (B) and ventro-anteromesal (C) view; D-F, left (D) and right (E-F) gonopods of Polydesmus racovitzai BrÖlemann, 1910 from Sierra del Mencilla (MEF) in lateral (D) and mesal (E-F) view. Scale bars: A-C, 0.1 mm; D, 0.2 mm; E, 0.1 mm; F, 0.2 mm.