Abstract
This is a description of the affinities and biogeographic significance of three new cavernicolous species of Diplopoda from France and Morocco. One species apparently belongs to the Polydesmida (family Paradoxosomidae) and the other two to Craspedosomida (families Caratosphydae and Chordeumidae).
1) Eviulisoma abadi n.sp. is distinguished from other species of this genus by total depigmentation, by the characters of the gonopodial orifice and the male gonopods, by the low number of segments (19) and by its geographic isolation (Morocco) and ecology (Kef Aziza cave). This justifies the establishment of a new sub-genus, Jeekelosoma. The other species of this genus are found in equatorial Africa and the east. E. abadi is the first paleoarctic species of this genus and is the second paleoarctic species of the tribe Eviulisomidi after Boreviulisoma liouvillei Brol.). It is also the first known from a cave. Like the two other known species of Paradoxosomidae known from the southwest of the paleoarctic zone, Boreviulisoma liouvillei Brol. and Oranmorpha guerinii (Gerv.) the new species is indicative of originating in the Ethiopian region at a time when the Sahara was not a barren desert.
2) Ceratosphys maroccana n.sp. from Gouffre Friouato (Morocco) probably is not an epigean troglophile; it is the southernmost species of this genus which is normally found in France and Spain. This is apparently a remnant of a small group of species from the south of Spain that constitute a sub-genus Proceratosphys Mau. and Vincente.
3) Orthochordeumella leclerci n.sp. (caves of Ardèche, France) manifest the presence unique in this genus of cavernicolous characters including depigmentation and extreme length of antennae and is the only truly troglobitic species of this genus. Other characters are less distinctive but it is possible to distinguish this species by sexual characteristics from other species, notably that from the neighbouring geographic area, O. cebennica (known only from the Ardèche region) which is troglophilic. The other three species are found in epigean forest habitats, one in the Pyrenees, the other two in the Tyrol, the Swiss Jura, Baden and the northeast of France and Belgium.
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.14.1.6
Recommended Citation
Mauriès, Jean Paul.
1985.
Polydesmide et Craspedosomides cavernicoles nouveaux de France et du Maroc (Myriapoda - Diplopoda).
International Journal of Speleology,
14: 51-62.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/ijs/vol14/iss1/6
