Megaphyllum sjaelandicum Meinert 1868

Megaphyllum sjaelandicum (Meinert, 1868)

Figs 17a–g

Julus sjaelandicus Meinert, 1868: 13.

Brachyiulus wolterstorffi Verhoeff, 1904: 219 –221, Fig. 5.

Brachyiulus seelandicus: Verhoeff 1907: 301 –302.

Brachyiulus wolterstorffi: Verhoeff 1907: 302.

Brachyiulus sjaelandicus: Lohmander 1925: 14, 61–62, 75, 81, 91, 93, 96, 98, Fig. 41. Chromatoiulus sjaelandicus: Schubart 1934a: 280 –282, Figs 438–442; Lohmander 1936: 108–109. Chromatoiulus (Chromatoiulus) sjaelandicus: Attems 1940: 306. Megaphyllum sjaelandicum: Enghoff & Kime 2009.

Material examined. Estonia: ZMB 8734, 3♂, 2♀, 2juv., Dorpat, leg. Herold, “576–582” (MNB); Poland: 1♂, 1♀, Lötzen [Giżycko], “Sch 1183” [det. Schubart] (MNB); Russia: Inv. No. 8023, 3♂, 4♀, 2juv., Walniki [Russia, Belgorod Region, Valuyki, N50°12’38” E385°6’6”], don. Welitschkovsky, Chromatoiulus tauricus det. Attems (NHMW).

Distribution. Belarus: Prypyatsky Reserve, Byelovezskaya puzcha [Byelovezhskaya Pushcha], Berezinsky Reserve (Tarasevich 1992); Denmark: Frederikslund at Sorø (type locality) (Meinert 1868); Zealand: Lyngby Sø, N of Copenhagen (Schubart 1926); Estonia: without locality (Schubart 1930, Atlavinyté & Lokšina 1971); Finland: Uusimaa (Nyland), Etelä-Karjala, Karjalankannas, Etelä-Häme, Etelä-Savon, Llaatokan Karjala, (Palmén 1949); Germany: Oberlausitz: Bautzener Land; Spreegebiet and Teichlausitz, North Bautzen; Eisenberg near Guttau (Dunger 1966); Latvia: without locality (Schubart 1930, Atlavinyté & Lokšina 1971); Russia: Waluiki (today: Valuiki, Belgorod District), Woronež (Attems 1927); Aunuksen Karjala [today Olonets, Karelya Republic] (Palmén 1949); Bashkiriya, Kursk Region, Tula Region, Tatarstan (Lokšina, 1969) Ural, without exact locality (Golovatch 1992); Middle-Russian Upland: Krasivo (Prisnyi 2001); Altai Mts: Kumalyr; Ural: Kamen’ Mezhevoy, Kachka falu (Mikhaljova et al. 2007); Salair Mts (Babenko et al. 2009); Lithuania: without locality (Atlavinyté & Lokšina 1971); Poland: Kazimierza Dolnego (Dziadosz 1964); Giżycko, Kruklin, Leszewa, Wigry, Borek, Janowice, Zambrów, Burzec, Tokary, Białowieża, Krzyżanowice (Dziadosz 1966); Zemborzyce, Nowiny Zemborzyckie, Wzory-Nasutów (Stojałowska 1950); Lublin: Małe Mazowsze, Wyżyna Lubelska (Stojałowska & Bielak–Oleksy 1970); Lake Mamry (Wytwer & Zalewski 2005); Sweden: Ramlösa, Belteberga, Borgeby near Lund, South of Helsingborg (Lohmander 1925); Ukraine: Ulyanovskaya District, Voronezhskaya District, Podole: Chortkiv (Jawłowski 1936); Volyn District, Ternopil District, Vinnytsia District, Kiev District, Cherkasy District, Chernihiv District, Poltava District, Kirovohrad District, Sumy District, Kharkiv District (Chornyi & Golovatch 1993).

Diagnosis. The species is best differentiated from other members of the species group by the lobe (l) of the promere (Figs 17a–c) and the characteristically enlarged finger-like posterior solenomere process (psp), the enlargement seen mostly from mesal view (Fig. 17b).

Promere (P) (Figs 17a–c) posteriorly with a large lobe (l) covering most of the opisthomere; promere looking like a hood above the solenomere. Lateral margins of each promere more or less parallel to each other, unlike in M. unilineatum (see Fig. 17a in comparison with 20a). Opisthomere’s (Figs 17a–b, 17d) posterior process (pp) apically rounded, almost as long as the solenomere. The solenomere’s posterior finger-like process (psp) characteristically enlarged (this enlargement visible mostly from mesal view, see Fig. 17d), but still shorter than the anterior process (asp). Apical posterior hump (ph) hardly detected.

Both males and females brown with two lighter longitudinal bands. Body length and height: males: 22–25mm, 1.5–1.7mm; females: 22.2–29.1mm, 2.3–2.4mm (17–22mm and 1.4–2.2mm according to Meinert 1868).

Remarks. The species was originally described on the basis of females (Meinert 1868). Lohmander (1925) was the first to give figures of the male gonopods and to show that M. wolterstorffi (Verhoeff, 1904) was a junior synonym of M. sjaelandicum.

This species is probably the most widespread Megaphyllum species, showing the northernmost and easternmost distribution of the whole genus: not only does it reach the Ural Mountains (Golovatch 1992), but it was reported from further East, from the Altai Mountains (Mikhaljova et al. 2007). It is one of the most common species across European Russia and is the only Megaphyllum species that occurs in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Latvia.