Alpinella, Antić, Dragan Ž. & Makarov, Slobodan E., 2016

Antić, Dragan Ž. & Makarov, Slobodan E., 2016, The Caucasus as a major hotspot of biodiversity: Evidence from the millipede family Anthroleucosomatidae (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida), Zootaxa 4211 (1), pp. 1-205 : 18

The Caucaseuma complex

This complex includes eight genera, of which four, Adshardicus Golovatch, 1981 , Alpinella gen. nov., Brachychaetosoma gen. nov. and Georgiosoma gen. nov., are monotypic. Each of the remaining four genera contains two or more species: Caucaseuma Strasser, 1970 (seven species), Caucasominorus gen. nov. (two species), Heterocaucaseuma gen. nov. (three species), and Paranotosoma gen. nov. (three species). The genera are with 28, 30 or 31 body segments in adults (including telson), characterized by the presence of shield-like coxal processes of the anterior gonopods, combined with the presence of one or two coxal processes and a small telopodite of the posterior gonopods. Exceptions are the genera Alpinella gen. nov. and Heterocaucaseuma gen. nov., in which the anterior gonopods consist of a medial syncoxal part and lateral parts, as well as the genus Caucasominorus gen. nov. whose coxal processes of shield-like coxal processes of the anterior gonopods, combined with the presence of one or two coxal processes and a small telopodite of the posterior gonopods. Exceptions are the genera Alpinella gen. nov. and Heterocaucaseuma gen. nov., in which the anterior gonopods consist of a medial syncoxal part and lateral parts, as well as the genus Caucasominorus gen. nov. whose coxal processes of the posterior gonopods can be divided into one, two or several knife-like lobes. Ćurčić et al. (2008) include the genera Adshardicus Golovatch, 1981 and Ratcheuma Golovatch, 1985 , together with Caucaseuma , in the Caucaseuma complex. However, the incorporation of the genus Ratcheuma into this complex is no longer supported (see below). Mauriès et al. (1997) quoted both Adshardicus and Ratcheuma as probably representing synonyms of Caucaseuma , but after the examination of the abundant Caucasian material and the description of several new Caucaseuma species it becomes obvious that this is not so (see below).