The millipede genera Amblyiulus Silvestri, 1896 and Syrioiulus Verhoeff, 1914 in the Caucasus, with notes on their distributions (Diplopoda, Julida, Julidae)

Abstract

In the Caucasus, the genera Amblyiulus Silvestri, 1896 and Syrioiulus Verhoeff, 1914 are shown to include two and four species, respectively: Amblyiulus georgicus Lohmander, 1932, from Georgia and Armenia, A. hirtussp. nov., from Azerbaijan and Dagestan, Russia, Syrioiulus adsharicus (Lohmander, 1936), from Georgia, S. continentalis (Attems, 1903), from Azerbaijan and Iran, S. taliscius (Attems, 1927), from Azerbaijan, and S. armeniacussp. nov., from Armenia. All these six species are described, illustrated, and keyed, and their distributions are mapped and discussed, based on the literature data and abundant new samples.

The millipede tribe Brachyiulini in the Caucasus (Diplopoda, Julida, Julidae)

“…The diversity of the Brachyiulini within the study region is markedly concentrated in the Colchidan biogeographical province (as understood by, e.g., Wulff 1944 ; Iablokov-Khnzorian 1961 ; Abdurakhmanov 2017 ) (Maps 1 – 3 ), including the western parts of both Greater and Lesser Caucasus. This is a pattern observed in most other diplopod groups, perhaps except for the glomerid genus Trachysphaera Heller, 1858 ( Glomerida : Glomeridae ) and the julid genera Leptoiulus Verhoeff, 1894 ( Julida : Julidae ) and Amblyiulus plus Syrioiulus whose Caucasian species are more equally spread from west to east ( Golovatch 1990a : maps 1, 2; Evsyukov et al 2020 : map 2; Evsyukov et al 2021 : fig. 16).…”

“…Interestingly, p-cresol may be a major compound in the secretions of another two julids inhabiting the Caucasus, namely, Pachyiulus krivolutskyi Golovatch, 1977 from Colchis and Syrioiulus continentalis (Attems, 1903) from Hyrcania, both species showing a similar bright yellow-greyish colouration reminiscent of the green tinges in I. fagorum ( Evsyukov et al 2021 ).…”

“…As regards the Julidae , the only other family of Julida remaining in the Caucasus, it is definitely one of the most diverse, common, and widespread across the region. The following tribes have already been reviewed and treated taxonomically in the scope of the entire Caucasian fauna: Cylindroiulini ( Read 1992 ; Evsyukov and Golovatch 2013 ; Zuev 2014 ), Pachyiulini ( Evsyukov 2016 ; Evsyukov et al 2021 ), Julini ( Evsyukov et al 2018 ), Leptoiulini ( Evsyukov et al 2020 ), and Leucogeorgiini ( Antić and Reip 2020 ).…”

A new millipede genus and species of the tribe Pachyiulini from the Caucasus (Diplopoda, Julida, Julidae)

“…The genus Bellatoiulus gen. nov. falls into the second group, which is characterized by a well-developed fovea and the absence of a flagelloid process. In addition to the genera Mesoiulus Berlese, 1886 (although in fact the type species, M. paradoxus Berlese, 1886, lacks a true fovea, as revealed by Enghoff (1992)) and Cypriopachyiulus Strasser, 1967, which was recognised by Mauriès (1982), the genera Parapachyiulus Golovatch, 1979, Dangaraiulus Golovatch, 1979, Caucasian species of Amblyiulus Silvestri, 1896, and perhaps Syrioiulus Verhoeff, 1914 (the fovea in many of its species is rather shallow, saddle-like) also belong to this group (Golovatch 1979(Golovatch , 2018Antić et al 2018;Evsyukov et al 2021). Bellatoiulus golovatchi gen. et sp.…”

“…In the Caucasus sensu lato, the tribe is represented by three genera: Pachyiulus Berlese, 1883, Amblyiulus Silvestri, 1896, andSyrioiulus Verhoeff, 1914 (Evsyukov 2016;Evsyukov et al 2021). While the largest julid millipedes belong to the former genus, the latter two genera include julids of mostly moderate size.…”