Megaphyllum hercules Verhoeff 1901
Creators: name: Lazányi, Eszter
name: Vagalinski, Boyan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Diplopoda
Julida
Julidae
Megaphyllum
Megaphyllum hercules

description: Megaphyllum hercules (Verhoeff, 1901)
Figs 15a–g
Brachyiulus (Chromatoiulus) unilineatus hercules Verhoeff, 1901: Verhoeff 1901a: 97–98, Figs 18–20. Brachyiulus unilineatus hercules: Lignau 1903: 127, 55; Verhoeff 1932: 493; 1937: 107–108, 117, Fig. 16. Chromatoiulus unilineatus hercules: Attems 1927: 225 –226, Figs 291–293. Chromatoiulus (Chromatoiulus) unilineatus hercules: Attems 1959: 305.
Chromatoiulus hercules: Strasser 1967: 285.
Chromatoiulus (Chromatoiulus) hercules: Strasser 1969: 159.
Megaphyllum hercules: Enghoff & Kime 2009; Lazányi et al. 2012: 13–14, 28, 41. Megaphyllum tauricum: Enghoff & Kime 2009.
Material examined. Bulgaria: 1♂, 1♀, Nr. 49, Sakar Mts, steppe-like and rocky grassland 0.5km SW of Balgarska Polyana, 500m, N42°01.351’ E26°11.450’, leg. Á. Ecsedi, T. Kovács, G. Puskás (HNHM); 1♂, nr. Harmanli, 30.03.1986, leg. P. Beron (NMNHS); Republic of Macedonia: 1♂, Kavadarci, 17.09.2009, (4), leg. Barina, Somay, Puskás, between villages Rožden and Maden, 750m, N41.17897 E21.95191, dry grassland with junipers (HNHM); 1♀ Kavadarci, 17.09.2009, (5), leg. Barina, Somay, Puskás, E of village Maden (Majden, Majdan, Alsar) N 41.15707 E21.94648, dry stony grassland on hillside, 850m (HNHM); 1♀, Kočani, 21.09.2009, (21), leg. Barina, Somay, Puskás, Osogovska Planina, above town Kočani, c. 5.5 km NW of the town, towards village Ponikva, N41.96677 E22.37568, disturbed grassland and stony slope, 1000m (HNHM).
Distribution. Albania (Mauriès et al. 1997); Bulgaria (Vagalinski & Stoev 2007); Georgia: Picunda (Issajew 1911; Kobakhidze 1965); Greece (Strasser 1974, 1976); Republic of Macedonia (Makarov et al. 2004); Russia: Novorossiysk (Lignau 1903).
Diagnosis. Differs from all consubgeners by the presence of a large basal hump (h) mesally on opisthomere (Figs 15a–b, 15d) and from other members of the species group by the very broad, rounded posterior opisthomere process (pp) (Figs 15a–b, 15d).
Opisthomere’s (Figs 15a–b, 15d) posterior process (pp) broad, rounded and shorter than the solenomere. Anterior process (ap) and anterior hump (ah) hardly detectable. Medially the opisthomeres reaching each other with a large basal hump (h). Vulva robust, bursa skull-shaped (Fig. 15g).
Both males and females dark grey with a bright or reddish dorsal longitudinal band. Body length and height: males: 35.7–47.2mm, 2.4–3.5mm; females: 36.5–54.6mm; 3–4.7mm.
Remarks. Apart from the Balkan Peninsula this species was reported from the western coasts of the Black Sea: Georgia (Issajew 1911) and Russia (Lignau 1903). Though Lignau referred to a single female, Issajew (1911) found numerous individuals. Thus, Lohmander (1936) was sure about the existence of the species in the westernmost border of the Caucasus and stated that as M. hercules differed considerably from M. spathulatum (Lohmander, 1936), mistaking them would have been unlikely. Without revision of Lignau’s, Issajew’s and Kobakhidze’s material we can neither confirm nor deny the species’ presence outside the Balkan Peninsula.
M. hercules was originally described as subspecies of M. unilineatum (Verhoeff 1901a), but was later elevated to species level by Strasser (1967). This was supported with new data by Lazányi et al. (2012).
description: Published as part of Lazányi, Eszter & Vagalinski, Boyan, 2013, Redefinition of the millipede subgenus Megaphyllum sensu stricto Verhoeff, 1894 and neotype designation for Megaphyllum austriacum (Latzel, 1884) (Myriapoda: Diplopoda: Julida: Julidae), pp. 55-100 in Zootaxa 3741 (1) on pages 82-84, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3741.1.2, http://zenodo.org/record/223773