Brachydesmus (s. str.) assimilis Lohmander, 1936

Brachydesmus (s. str.) assimilis Lohmander, 1936 View in CoL

Figs 6 View FIGURE 6 , 7 View FIGURE 7 , Map 3

Brachydesmus ( Brachydesmus) View in CoL assimilis— Lohmander, 1936: 12 (D).

Brachydesmus ( Brachydesmus) View in CoL assimilis— Attems, 1940: 104 (D).

Brachydesmus View in CoL assimilis— Lang, 1959: 1790 (M); Kobakhidze, 1965: 390 (M); Lokšina and Golovatch, 1979: 384 (M); Zuev, 2014: 349 (R, D).

Material examined. 1 female, 1 juv. (ZMUM), RUSSIA, Adygea, Sakhrai near Novoprokhladnoye, S of Maikop, 700 m a.s.l., Fagus and Alnus forest, litter, 7.VII.1986; 4 males, 2 females (ZMUM), Stavropol Prov., E of Novopavlovsk, Quercus , Salix , Alnus etc. forest along stream, 28.V.1982; 8 juv. (ZMUM), Kabardino-Balkaria, Baxan Valley, Bedyk between Tyrnyauz and Zhankhoteko, 900 m a.s.l., Corylus, Fagus and Carpinus scrub, litter and under stones, 20.VII.1986; 6 males, 2 females, 1 juv. (ZMUM), Ingushetia, Barsuki near Nazran, Crataegus , Fraxinus, Rosa etc. bush along road, litter and under stones, 6.VI.1982; 1 female, 2 juv. (ZMUM), Ingushetia, Assa Valley, ca 9 km SSW of Muzhichi, 800 m a.s.l., Fagus , Alnus , Carpinus etc. forest, litter, under bark and stones, 15.VII.1986; 1 male, 1 female, 5 juv. (ZMUM), Chechnya, Argun Valley, 5 km N of Sovetskoye, 750 m a.s.l., Corylus, Fagus , Carpinus etc. forest, litter, under bark and stones, 18.VII.1986; 3 females (ZMUM), Chechnya, 14 km WSW of Gudermes, Quercus forest, litter, 6.VI.1982; 4 juv. (ZMUM), Chechnya, Karachoy SE of Vedeno, 950 m a.s.l., Fagus , Carpinus etc. forest, litter, under bark and stones, 17.VI.1986; 2 juv. (ZMUM), Dagestan, Botlikh Distr., Pass Kharami, 2150 m a.s.l., subalpine meadow, 22.IV.1989; 6 juv. (ZMUM), Dagestan, N of Kurush, ca 35 km NNW of Usukhchay, 2500 – 2800 m a.s.l., alpine meadow, 7 – 13.VII.1989; 1 male, 1 female, 1 fragment (ZMUM), Dagestan, Sergokala Distr., near Degva, Quercus forest on slope, litter, 9.VI.1982; 26 males, 46 females, 26 juv. (ZMUM), Dagestan, Upper Gunib, 1700 m a.s.l., Betula and Pinus forest, litter, under bark and stones, 8 – 9.VI.1982; 4 males, 4 females, 3 juv. (ZMUM), same locality, 1500 – 1600 m a.s.l., Betula and Pinus forest, 25.VI.1989; 6 males, 6 females (ZMUM), Dagestan, Chiragchay Valley, Khiv, 900 – 950 m a.s.l., Carpinus , Fagus, Corylus , Rhododendron etc. forest, litter and under stones, 24.X.1987; 25 juv. (ZMUM), Dagestan, Akhty Distr., above Mirakh, ca 16 km SSW of Usukhchay, 1800 m a.s.l., Betula forest with Salix and Alnus , at timberline, 10.VII.1989; 9 males, 6 females (ZMUM), North Ossetia, 10 km NW of Mozdok, Robinia stand along field, litter, 28.V.1982, all leg. S. Golovatch.

1 female ( NHMG), GEORGIA, Tbilisi, 10.VI.1957, leg. H. Lohmander; 13 males, 14 females ( ZMUM), Mariamdjvari Nature Reserve, ENE of Sagaredjo, 1150 – 1250 m a.s.l., Fagus , Carpinus , Acer , Pinus etc. forest, litter, under bark and stones, 13 – 14.V.1987; 2 females ( ZMUM), Batsaro Nature Reserve, ca 20 km N of Akhmeta, 800 – 850 m a.s.l., Fagus , Castanea , Acer etc. forest, litter, 5 – 6.V.1987; 1 male, 2 females ( ZMUM), Pass Magalakhari between Akhmeta and Tianeti, 1200 m a.s.l., Fagus and Carpinus forest, litter and under bark, 6.V.1987; 1 male, 3 females ( ZMUM), N of Kvareli, 700 – 750 m a.s.l., Fagus , Carpinus , Quercus etc. forest, litter and under bark, 4.V.1987, all leg. S. Golovatch and K. Eskov; 3 males, 3 juv. ( ZMUM), Kazbegi Distr., S of Gudauri near Pass Krestovyi, 1800 m a.s.l., Rhododendron bush, litter, 4.VI.1982; 12 males, 10 females, 2 juv. ( ZMUM), Lagodekhi Nature Reserve, Fagus , Fraxinus , Acer etc. forest, 600–700 m a.s.l., litter, under bark and stones, 5–6.V.1983, all leg. S. Golovatch; 1 male, 2 females (HR), Samzhe-Djavachetia, Abastumani Oberservatorium on Mt Kanobili, 1580 m a.s.l., N41.7544, E42.8203, 28.X.2009, leg. F. Walther; 12 males, 10 females, “ Polydesmus maculicornis Brandt” nomen nudum ( ZISP), Tiflis (= Tbilisi), date and collector unknown.

4 males, 8 females ( ZMUM), ARMENIA, Gegasar ca 5 km W of Spitak, Pambak Valley, Salix forest along stream, 1650 m a.s.l., 13.XI.1985, leg . S. Golovatch; 2 juv. ( ZMUM), Gandakar S of Idjevan , 1000 m a.s.l., Quercus and Corylus scrub, 28.V.1987 ; 1 juv. ( ZMUM), Pass Khamza between Idjevan and Berd, 1900 m a.s.l., subalpine meadow, 26.V.1987, all leg. S. Golovatch and K. Eskov.

1 male, 5 females (ZMUM), AZERBAIJAN, Perzivan SE of Zakataly, 600 m a.s.l., Quercus , Fagus etc. forest along stream, litter, 3.V.1987, leg. S. Golovatch and K. Eskov; 1 male, 3 females (ZMUM), Djar near Zakataly, 20.X.1987; 6 males, 9 females, 1 juv. (ZMUM), Perzivan SE of Zakataly, 600 m a.s.l., forest, 19.IV.1987, all leg. N. Loginova; 1 male (ZMUM), Belakany W of Zakataly, 600 m a.s.l., garden, 24.V.1981; 1 male, 2 females (ZMUM), Zakataly Nature Reserve, Katekhchay Valley, 700 m a.s.l., 23.V.1981; 1 female, 8 juv. (ZMUM), Zakataly Nature Reserve, Agkemal, 1800 – 2100 m a.s.l., forest, 24 – 27.V.1981; 1 male, 1 female, 1 fragment (ZMUM), same locality, Katekh-Chay Valley, 23.V.1981, all leg. S. Golovatch and J. Martens; 16 males, 6 females (ZMUM), above Ajikent, S of Kirovabad (now Ganja), 1400 m a.s.l., meadow, under stones, 3.V.1983, leg. S. Golovatch; 9 males, 17 females (ZMUM), NW above Bash-Layski ca 20 km NNW of Sheki, 1250 m a.s.l., Fagus , Carpinus , Acer etc. forest, litter, 3.V.1987; 7 males, 8 females, 4 juv. (ZMUM), ca 5 km N of Kutkashen, 1150 – 1200 m a.s.l., Fagus and Carpinus forest, litter and rotten wood, 2.V.1987; 2 males, 1 female (ZMUM), SW of Kuba, 750 m a.s.l., Fagus , Quercus , Carpinus etc. forest, litter and under bark, 23.IV.1987; 4 females (ZMUM), Nabran ca 30 km NW of Khachmas, sea-level, Quercus , Carpinus , Acer etc. forest, litter and under bark, 21 – 22.IV.1987, all leg. S. Golovatch and K. Eskov; 8 males, 4 females (ZMUM), Laza near Kussary, 10.VIII.1985, leg. H. Aliev.

Descriptive notes. Adult body with 19 segments (collum plus 16 podous plus one apodous body rings, plus telson). Length ca 10 – 13 mm, width of midbody metazonae 1.0 – 1.5 (male, female), metazonite to prozonite width ratio <1.8 ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ). Live coloration usually uniformly yellowish to brown, about same in alcohol ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ).

Tegument smooth and moderately shining. Antennae long, reaching behind body segment 3 when stretched dorsally, slightly clavate. In width, collum << head ≤ segment 2 <3 <4 <5=15 or 16, thereafter body gradually to quite rapidly tapering towards telson ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ). Collum transversely ovoid. Paraterga well-developed and lying at about upper ¼ of body height, mostly subhorizontal to only faintly declivous, never upturned ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ). Caudolateral corner of collum broadly rounded, of midbody and following paraterga increasingly acute and pointed, but especially clearly drawn behind rear tergal margin only in segments (14)15 – 17 ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ). Fore margins of paraterga largely straight, anterolateral corner angular ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ). Central parts of postcollum metaterga with three transverse rows of evident, roundish to polygonal, setigerous bosses or tubercles ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ). Tergal setae very small, mostly subclavate, often considerably abraded, usually only a little longer in front row on collum and in caudal row on segment 19. Paraterga with three or four faint setigerous incisions at lateral margin of poreless and pore-bearing segments, repectively. Stricture between pro- and metazonae wide, shallow and nearly smooth, at most faintly rugulose. Limbus microcrenulate-microdentate. Pleurosternal carinae wanting. Epiproct short, conical, subtruncate at tip, pre-apical lateral papillae evident ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ). Hypoproct subtrapeziform, paramedian setiferous papillae evident, well-separated and lying near caudal edge.

Legs densely setose, long, in male crassate and longer ( Fig. 6A, 6B View FIGURE 6 ), prefemora not bulging laterad; postfemora sometimes, tibiae and tarsi always with sphaerotrichomes ventrally.

Gonopods ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ) subfalcate, bipartite, exomere ( ex) axe-shaped, suberect, its acuminate apex clearly curved ventrad, with a strong distomesal spine ( s) and a midway ventral tooth ( t); endomere ( en) short and stout, stumpshaped, with only a very short finger-shaped rod placed distal to a well-developed hairy pad; another, ventral spine ( k) located at base of en; still one more, ventral tooth ( b) usually present at base of femorite.

Remark. This species shows some variation not only in body size and in the shape of paraterga, but also in gonopod structure ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ).