Archispirostreptus syriacus ( de Saussure, 1859 )

Archispirostreptus syriacus ( de Saussure, 1859) View in CoL

Figs 1–3.

Julus syriacus de Saussure, 1859: 329 (D), type locality: Syria.

Spirostreptus (Nodopyge) christianus Karsch, 1881: 47 View in CoL (D), type locality: Jerusalem; synonymized by Krabbe (1982).

Spirostreptus syriacus ─ Porat, 1893: 77 View in CoL , fig. 6 (D, R); Silvestri, 1895: 3 (R); Verhoeff, 1923: 135 (D, R).

Spirostreptus Syriacus View in CoL (sic!) and Spirostreptus christianus ─ Attems, 1914: 174 View in CoL , 175 (L).

Graphidostreptus tumuliporus judaicus Attems, 1927: 255 View in CoL (D), type locality: Bethehem; synonymized by Krabbe (1982).

How to cite this article: Golovatch S. I. 2024. Archispirostreptus syriacus ( de Saussure, 1859) View in CoL , the largest and perhaps

Graphidostreptus tumuliporus judaicus ─ Bodenheimer, 1937: 233 View in CoL (L); Schubart, 1947: 117 (L);

Archispirostreptus tumuliporus judaicus ─ Krabbe, 1982: 264 View in CoL , fig. 194 (D, R).

Archispirostreptus tumuliporus judaicus View in CoL and A. syriacus ─ Berkovitz, Warburg, 1988: 869 View in CoL (E, R, L).

Archispirostreptus transmarinus Hoffman, 1965: 18 View in CoL , figs 1–3 (D), type locality: Sanaa, Yemen; synonymized by Mwabvu et al. (2010).

Spirostreptus christianus ─ Moritz, Fischer, 1974: 378 View in CoL (L).

Archispirostreptus transmarinus ─ Krabbe, Enghoff, 1978 View in CoL ; 248 (L). Krabbe, 1982: 272, fig. 193 (D, R).

Archispirostreptus syriacus View in CoL and A. transmarinus ─ Shelley, 2009: 2 View in CoL , fig. 1 (R).

Archispirostreptus syriacus ─ Berkovitz, Warburg, 1983: 625 View in CoL (E, R); 1985: 37, figs 1, 2 (E, R); Mwabvu et al., 2010: fig. 9 (D, K, N, R).

MATERIAL. 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀ ( ZMUM), Israel, Jerusalem, Kidron Valley , paved path between Gethsemanes Garden and Old City, 31.7786ºN, 35.2379ºE, 4.VI.2024, A. Babenko leg. GoogleMaps

MORPHOLOGICAL NOTES. Archispirostreptus syriacus is by far the largest millipede in the fauna of Israel, adults attaining 125–140 mm in length and 8–10 mm in width/diameter. Males tend to be slightly smaller in size and more slender than females. Colouration typically dark grey to blackish, pattern being only slightly cingulated due to only a little lighter prozona ( Fig. 1). Adults with 59–68 body rings, both collum and telson included.

According to Mwabvu et al. [2010], the gonopods of the Near East A. syriacus ( Figs 2, 3) differ from those of the remaining accepted nine Afrotropical congeners primarily in showing a subtriangular sternite (st), coupled with a distinct apical metaplical projection (app) lying laterally at the base of the apical metaplical process (ap) and distal to a particularly strong and slender lateral metaplical process (lp).

NOTES ON BIONOMY. This species appears remarkable not only because of its vast geographic distribution in the Near East ( Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Jordan, and Israel together with the West Bank), but also in its showing highly peculiar biological traits. Periodic ephemeral swarming and outbreaks are especially apparent in A. syriacus in Israel. Thus, already Théodore Barrois (1857–1920), a renowned French naturalist, during his trip to Palestine and Syria in March to June 1890 noted great numbers of A. syriacus in the dry oases north of the Dead Sea up to Lake Tiberias/Kinneret (= Sea of Galilee) in the north, but no A. syriacus occurring either in Syria or Lebanon [ Porat, 1893]. As summarized and mapped by Shelley [2009], A. syriacus in Israel occurs around the Sea of Galilee, Jerusalem and vicinity, the northern extremity of the Negev Desert, and the West Bank.

Two populations have been studied particularly thoroughly: one at Megiddo ruins and the other at the village of Brosh [ Berkovitz, Warburg, 1983, 1985, 1988]. In the more mesic environment at Megiddo, the A. syriacus population passes through 11 larval stages, maturity being reached in eight years and followed by three adult stadia, vs 12 larval and four adult stages, maturity being attained in six years in the more xeric conditions at Brosh. The eggs laid at Megiddo during July and August appear to be considerably smaller and less caloric in value than those laid at Brosh in May.

Acknowledgements. Special thanks go to Anatoly B. Babenko, the collector who kindly rendered me the material for study. Roman A. Rakitov ( PIN) helped me greatly in very skillfully taking the photographs.