Megaphyllum carniolense (Verhoeff, 1897)

Brachyiulus carniolensis Verhoeff, 1897: 113 –114, no figures.

Brachyiulus austriacus carniolensis: Verhoeff 1896: Fig. 30.

Brachyiulus (Chromatoiulus) monticola Verhoeff, 1898: 155 –156, Fig. 24. syn. n.

Brachyiulus (Chromatoiulus) monticola: Verhoeff 1899b: 748, 763.

Chromatoiulus monticola: Attems 1927: 234 –235, Figs 313–314; 1929a: 331; 1932: 9–10; Strasser 1966a: 210; Ceuca 1992: 425.

Chromatoiulus (Chromatoiulus) monticola: Attems 1940: 306; 1959: 305.

Chromatoiulus carniolensis: Attems 1949: 150; Strasser 1965: 14 and 17; 1966a: 210; 1971a: 41; 1971b: 345; Täbäcaru 1982: 17; Ceuca 1992: 425.

Megaphyllum carniolense: Mršić 1990: 96; Mauriès et al. 1997: 290; Makarov et al. 2004: 259 –260; Enghoff & Kime 2009.

Megaphyllum monticola: Makarov et al. 2004: 261; Enghoff & Kime 2009.

Material examined. NHMW: monticola: gonopods, slide preparation, Grebeni, Albania, Penther; gonopods, slide preparation, Ostri Medvediac bei Plitvica; gonopods, slide preparation, Stolac, Attems; gonopods, slide preparation, Baba Djed bei Guiko, leg. Sturany; monticola-carniolensis: gonopods, slide preparation, Triglavsee; carniolensis: gonopods, slide preparation, St. Canzian (=Zirknitz, Slovenia), Attems; gonopods, slide preparation, Begova brdo, Ivan, Dobiasch; HNHM: Albania: 233, 1Ƥ, District of Tropojё (Rrethi i Tropjёs); Mts. Albanian Alps (Alpet Shqiptare, Bjeshkёt e Nemuna, Prokletije), W of town Bajram Curri (Kolgecaj), at the southern foot of mt. maja e Dhive (2333m); around shepherdman huts, 1846m a.s.l., 42.350300, 19.982130, 0 2.06.2009, leg. Z. Barina & D. Pifkó; Montenegro: 13, 4ƤƤ, 2008/72, Komovi Mts., Veruša SE 7km on the road to Rikavačko Jezero [beech forest], 1442m, N42°37.133' E19°33.221', 13.10.2008, leg. LD, ZF, JK & DM; 13, 1Ƥ, 2008/59, Bjelasica Mts., Biogradsko Jezero E 12km along the minor road to Berane [rocky grassland], 1927m, N42°53.360' E19°39.583', 11.10.2008, leg. LD, ZF, JK & DM; 13, 2008/57, Bjelasica Mts., Biogradsko Jezero E 1km on the forest road to Berane [beech forest], 1193m, N42°54.126' E19°36.108', 11.10.2008, leg. LD, ZF, JK & DM.

Distribution in the Balkans. Albania: Grebeni, Tropojё, Albanian Alps, west of town Bajram Curri (Kolgecaj) Sjutari, Fuša Rudnices, Koštica, Zljeb, Begovo Brdo (Attems 1929a); Bosnia and Herzegovina: Trebevic, Plasa at Jablanica, Igman, Baba Planina, Baba Mt., Ivan Mt., Plasa, Bjelašnica Mt. (Attems 1929a); Croatia: Lika, Gorski kotar: Crni Lug (Strasser 1965); Montenegro: Visitor Mt., Greben, near Plav, Koštica, Žleb Mt., near Rožaje, Durmitor Mt., Crno Jezero Lake, near Ledena Peċina Cave, Šavnik, Savin Kuk (Makarov et al. 2004); Slovenia: Postojna (type locality), Inner Carniolan (Notranjska) mountains, karst of Triest and North Istria, Lower Carniolan (Dolenjska) mountains (Strasser 1966a).

World distribution. Distributed only in the Balkan Peninsula, except the Julian Alps (Slovenia) (Strasser 1966a).

Remarks. Although the official description of M. carniolensis dates back to 1897 (Verhoeff 1897), in 1896 we can already find a note on this form (Verhoeff 1896). In 1896 Verhoeff did not discuss any details about M. carniolense, only mentioning it in the figure legends, as Brachyiulus austriacus Latz. subsp. carniolensis Verh. n. subsp., from Adelsberg (Postojna), with a figure of the promere’s tip. Later, in the proper description of Brachyiulus carniolensis, Verhoeff refers to this previous work. In the following year, in the description of M. monticola he discussed the resemblance of M. monticola to M. carniolensis, and there he already proposed the “ monticola, carniolensis ” (i.e. subspecies) status (Verhoeff 1898).

Although not widely accepted, the synonymy of M. carniolensis and M. monticola has a long history. According to Attems’ personal notes in the NHMW we can find the following determinations: M. monticola, M. carniolensis, M. monticola carniolensis; some labels were later changed from M. carniolensis to M. monticola carniolensis . Attems referred to the species once as M. carniolensis (1949), another time as M. monticola (1959), thus he accepted only one species. Strasser (1965) discussed the difference between the two forms: as it lies only in a small difference in the apex of the promere, he suggested (referring to Attems 1927) recognising only one species — in his opinion M. carniolensis . Täbäcaru (1982) also regarded the two forms as synonyms (“ Ch. carniolensis = Ch. monticola ”). According to literature data the two forms have completely overlapping distributions. After investigation of old and new material, we support the synonymy of M. monticola with M. carniolensis, and as the senior synonym, M. carniolensis is valid.