Diversity and distribution of the millipedes (Diplopoda) of Georgia, Caucasus

Abstract

The diplopod fauna of Georgia, Transcaucasia, is very rich given the country’s relatively small territory; it presently comprises 103 species from 44 genera, 12 families, and 7 orders. Most of the Diplopoda known from Georgia (86 species, or 83%) demonstrate Caucasian distribution patterns, 36 and 46 species, as well as 8 and 9 genera being endemic or subendemic to the country, respectively. A single Holarctic family, Anthroleucosomatidae (order Chordeumatida), contains 44 Caucasian species and 20 genera, of which 27 species and 14 genera are endemic or subendemic to Georgia. Likewise, all species from the orders Polyzoniida, Siphonocryptida, Glomerida and Chordeumatida, as well as most species of Julida and Polydesmida are native, also endemic or subendemic to the Caucasus, but the genera and families they represent are widely distributed at least across the Euro-Mediterranean Realm. Most of the presumed troglobionts in the Caucasus appear to be confined to western Georgia’s karst caves (14 species, 5 genera). Within Georgia, the fauna of the western part (= Colchis) is particularly rich and diverse, while that of the central and eastern parts of the country grows increasingly depauperate inland following the gradual climatic aridisation from west (Black Sea coast) to east (Armenia and Azerbaijan). The vertical distribution of the Diplopoda in Georgia, as well as the Caucasus generally, shows the bulk of the fauna restricted to forested lowland to mountain biomes or their remnants. Only very few Chordeumatida and Julus species seem to occur solely in the subalpine to alpine environments and thus may provisionally be considered as high-montane elements. Ongoing and future research on the millipedes of the Caucasus, especially in cave and montane environments, will undoubtedly allow for many more novelties and details of the diversity and distribution of Georgia’s Diplopoda to be revealed or refined.

The millipede tribe Brachyiulini in the Caucasus (Diplopoda, Julida, Julidae)

“… Grusiniulus redikorzevi : Kobakhidze, 1964: 191; 1965: 394; Vagalinski and Lazányi 2018 : 78; Kokhia and Golovatch 2018 : 40; 2020 : 205. …”

“… Megaphyllum hercules : Lazányi and Vagalinski 2013 : 82–84, fig. 15a-g; Kokhia and Golovatch 2018 : 40; 2020 : 206. …”

“… Megaphyllum spathulatum : Golovatch 1990b : 364; 1992: 381; Lazányi and Vagalinski 2013 : 87, fig. 18b–d; Kokhia and Golovatch 2018 : 41; 2020 : 206. …”

Influence of herbicides, insecticides and fungicides on food consumption and body weight of Rossiulus kessleri (Diplopoda, Julidae)

“…Millipedes of the Julidae family are phytosaprophages which consume mostly foliage of grasses, shrubs and trees (Byzov, 2006). The Julidae fauna of Ukraine and the European part of the former USSR is studied unevenly (Striganova & Prishutova, 1990;Prisnyi, 2002;Golovatch, 2008;Golovatch & Kime, 2009;Evsyukov & Golovatch, 2013;Kokhia & Golovatch, 2020).…”

Two interesting records of millipedes (Diplopoda) from near Borjomi, Georgia

“…The millipede fauna of Georgia, Caucasus is known to be remarkably rich and diverse in the entire Caucasian region, presently amounting to 103 species from 44 genera, 12 families, and seven orders [Kokhia, Golovatch, 2020]. Most of the Diplopoda known from Georgia (86 species, or 83%) demonstrate Caucasian distribution patterns, 36 and 46 species, as well as eight and nine genera being endemic or subendemic to the country, respectively.…”