Julus scandinavius Latzel, 1884

Kime, Richard Desmond & Enghoff, Henrik, 2017, Atlas of European millipedes 2: Order Julida (Class Diplopoda), European Journal of Taxonomy 346, pp. 1-299 : 95

283. Julus scandinavius Latzel, 1884

Iulus scandinavius Latzel, 1884 .

Iulus ligulifer Latzel & Verhoeff, 1892 .

Micropodoiulus ligulifer auct.

Iulus terrestris auct.

Distribution

AT, BE, CH, CZ, DE, DK-DEN, FR-FRA, GB-GRB, GB-NI, HU, IE, LU, NL, NO-NOR, PL, SE, SK. Central European, extending north to Britain, Ireland and S Scandinavia. – Also introduced into the Nearctic Region.

Habitat

A very common animal, eurytopic to some degree, it is chiefly a species of woodland, although it occurs frequently on heaths, wetlands, humid open grassland and sand dunes. While it has been found in moderately dry calcareous grassland it appears to be generally absent from forests on limestone. It prefers woods characteristic of lighter acidic soils on a sandy or loamy substrate, for instance on the Lüneburger Heide in Germany where it is found in Pinus / Betula with Calluna , Molinia and ferns and in Alnus and Populus stands in wetter areas ( Lindner et al. 2010). Similarly, in Belgium it is strongly associated with Erica / Calluna heaths, ranging into Pinus / Betula / Quercus woodland and Alnus by streams. Another strongpoint is the coastal dune area. Higher up in the Ardennes it is abundant in Fagus and coniferous forest. Many authors associate it with a thick litter/humus layer; Barlow (1957) related this to its preference for high humidity and its avoidance of extreme conditions. Kime & Wauthy (1984) listed it as intermediate in specialisation on habitat, neither a generalist nor a specialist. According to Lee (2006) it shows a strong negative association with cultivated land and waste ground.

Common microsites are below stones or rock, in leaf litter and in grass tussocks.

Remarks

One of the most frequently recorded European species within its quite large range. The map therefore gives a good indication of the recording effort across Central Europe. Rather isolated to the east are the records of Ložek & Gulička (1962) who give Humenné and Michalovce in E Slovakia.

Golovatch (pers. comm.) states that the published records by Lang (1954) from the Carpathian area in the Ukraine (and East Slovakia?) are erroneous and we have omitted them. Ložek & Gulička (1962) give Humenné and Michalovce in E Slovakia which we include.

Haacker (1969) described the mating behaviour of J. scandinavius .