Polydesmus schaessburgensis Verhoeff, 1898

Bachvarova, Darina, Vagalinski, Boyan, Doichinov, Aleksandar & Stoev, Pavel, 2017, New records of millipedes and centipedes from Bulgaria, with an annotated checklist of the Bulgarian myriapods, Zootaxa 4263 (3), pp. 507-526 : 510

Polydesmus schaessburgensis Verhoeff, 1898

Fig. 2

Chornyi & Golovatch (1993): 39, figs 29, 30.

Material examined ( KPUS & NMNHS): 83 ♂♂, 24 ♀♀, 1 subad., Shumen, Kyoshkovete Park, N 43.155815, E 26.510443, pitfall traps, May–December 2013, leg. DB & AD, det. DB & PS.

Remarks. Polydesmus schaessburgensis Verhoeff, 1989 is a new species to the fauna of Bulgaria. A total of 108 specimens of P. schaessburgensis were collected in Kyoshkovete Park in the suburbs of the city of Shumen. This species prevails in plant formations of Aesculus hippocastanum L., Tilia tomentosa Moench , Acer campestre L., Acer pseudoplatanum L. and Juglans regia L. All specimens were collected exclusively in May and June. The species was hitherto known from Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine ( Kime & Enghoff 2011). P. schaessburgensis is considered a xeromesophilic woodland form. It has been reported mainly from deciduous forests, clearings and groves, as well as from meadows, hawthorn thickets and rocky places ( Chornyi & Golovatch 1993; Kime & Enghoff 2011).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Head and rings I – VII of Polydesmus schaessburgensis (adult male) with partly visible gonopods (Photo: Boyan Zlatkov).