Megaphyllum (Megaphyllum) spathulatum (Lohmander, 1936)

Vagalinski, Boyan & Golovatch, Sergei I., 2021, The millipede tribe Brachyiulini in the Caucasus (Diplopoda, Julida, Julidae), ZooKeys 1058, pp. 1-127 : 1

Megaphyllum (Megaphyllum) spathulatum (Lohmander, 1936)

Chromatoiulus (Chromatoiulus) spathulatus Lohmander, 1936: 104-109, figs 80-84.

Chromatoiulus (Chromatoiulus) spathulatus : Attems 1940: 306.

Chromatoiulus spathulus (sic!): Lang 1959: 1791.

Megaphyllum spathulatum : Golovatch 1990b: 364; 1992: 381; Lazányi and Vagalinski 2013: 87, fig. 18b-d; Kokhia and Golovatch 2018: 41; 2020: 206.

Material examined

(SMNG): Russia: RU12-86, 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Republic of Adygea, Kamennomostkiy, northern end of Dakhovskaya Canyon near quarry, limestone cliffs, 44.2844°N, 40.1778°E, 430 m a.s.l., 24.VIII.2012, F. Walther leg. ; RU12-051, 3 ♂♂, 1 juv., Dakhovskaya , limestone cliffs NW of, 44.2439°N, 40.1758°E, 800 m a.s.l., 13.VIII.2012, F. Walther leg. ; 33579, 1 ♂, Republic of Adygea, Mount Shibaba , 21.V.2004, K. Voigtländer leg.

Diagnosis.

Differs from its only congener known from the Caucasus, M. (s. str.) Megaphyllum hercules , mainly by the colour pattern: body with a light yellow to ochre dorsum divided by a black axial line, vs. body uniformly dark with an orange to dark red mid-dorsal line in M. hercules ; and by the promere significantly tapering all the way to a narrowly rounded apex, vs. the same having mostly parallel side margins, ending with a flat apex in M. hercules .

Previous records from the Caucasus.

Western Caucasus (unspecified type locality) ( Lohmander 1936).

General distribution.

WCIS?

Remark.

This species seems to be a narrow local endemic of the northwestern foothills of the Caucasus Major, showing preferences for limestone terrain.