Julus lignaui Verhoeff 1910

Julus lignaui Verhoeff, 1910

Figs 1E, 2E, 3J–M, 6A–D, 11, 14E, 15E, 16E, 18A, Map 1

Julus terrestris — Lignau, 1903: 113 (R); Muralewicz, 1913: 231 (R).

Julus scandinavius — Lignau, 1903: 138 (R).

Julus ligulifer — Attems, 1907: 3 (M).

Julus lignaui Verhoeff, 1910: 353 (D).

Micropodoiulus lignaui — Lignau, 1915: 380 (R).

Julus lignaui — Lang, 1959: 1791 (M); Kobakhidze, 1965: 393 (M); Lokšina and Golovatch, 1979: 386 (M); Talikadze, 1984: 143 (M).

Material examined. 1 male, 3 females (ZMUM), Russia, Krasnodar Prov., 11 km N of Krasnaya Polyana, S spur of Mt Chugush, subalpine meadow, 43°46’29”N, 40°12’30”E, 2000 m a.s.l., 22.VIII.2014, leg. K. Makarov and A. Matalin; 1 male (SMNG), Yatyrgvarta Ridge, hut N of Gora Armovka, 43.8908°N, 40.6631°E, 1830 m a.s.l., sparse deciduous forest (Betula, Sorbus) with hight vegetation, 19.VIII.2012, leg. F. Walther.

1 male, 3 females (ZMUM), Russia, Karachaevo-Cherkessia, Teberda Nature Reserve, Mt Malaya Khatipara above Teberda, alpine meadow, 2700–2800 m a.s.l., VI.–VII.1981, leg. V. Onipchenko.

1 male (ZMUM), Abkhazia, Arabika Massif, Kamennyi Klad Mt. Range, Trekhusa Grotto, 28.VIII.2014, leg. I. Turbanov; 1 male, 1 female (ZMUM), Adante Valley, near Marukh Pass, 1700–1800 m a.s.l., VIII.1984, leg. E. Kvavadze.

3 males, 5 females (ZMUM), Georgia, Mestia, 1500 m a.s.l., Betula and Rhododendron on moraine, litter and under stones, 5 and 16.IX.1986, leg. S. Golovatch.

Diagnosis. Differs from other species of the genus by the following combination of characters. Main process (mp) of male coxa 2 long, with or without a small apical bulb, but always with a small caudal tooth or uncus at apex (Figs 6A–D). Gonopodal promere (pr) narrow, round at apex, with an elongated lateral lamella (la) (Figs 11A, 11C, 11E, 11G). Flagella (fl) wide basally, gradually attenuating towards apex (Figs 11A, 11B, 11D, 11F, 11H). Mesomere (ms) rounded at apex (Figs 11B, 11D, 11F, 11H). Opisthomere (op) and lateral outgrowth (lo) sharpened on top (Figs 11B, 11D, 14E). Striations on metazonae regular and rough (Fig. 16E). Shape and arrangement of ampullae of female vulvae much like in J. colchicus (Fig. 18A).

Descriptive notes. Length 23–27 mm, width 1.3–2.5 mm. Number of segments from 44+1+T to 50+1+T. Body grey with a thin, black, dorsal, axial line, venter lighter; legs light brown. Antennae and anal valves brown. Eye patches composed of ca 45 ocelli. Striations on metazonae regular and rough (Fig. 16E).

All other characters as in J. alexandrae, except as follows. Antennae in situ reaching back to body segment 3. Antennomeres 5 and 6 each with a corolla of bacilliform sensilla (Fig. 1E). Each stipes of gnathochilarium with a large group of setae parabasally below mentum (Fig. 2E).

Male leg-pair 1 (Figs 3J–M) usually with a well-developed suture between coxa (cx) and 1-segmented telopodite remnant (te), but sometimes the suture is absent (Figs 3J, 3L); cx with (Figs 3J–L) or without a lateral process (Fig. 3M); te round, with a group of thin setae. Male leg-pair 2 with three coxal processes (Figs 6A–D). Anterolateral process (alp) short, rounded at apex. Main process (mp) long, usually with a small bulb and a caudal dentiform outgrowth at apex (Figs 6A, 6C), but sometimes slender throughout and with a small, apical, caudal uncus (Fig. 6B). Posterior process (pp) typically with three setae (Fig. 6C). Penes (p) short, emarginate apically (Figs 6A, 6C).

Promere (pr) narrow, rounded at apex, with an elongated lateral lamella (la) (Figs 11A, 11C, 11E, 11G). Flagella (fl) wide basally, gradually attenuating towards apex (Figs 11A, 11B, 11D, 11F, 11H).

Mesomere (ms) rounded at apex (Figs 11B, 11D, 11F). Opisthomere (op) and lateral outgrowth (lo) pointed on top (Figs 11B, 11D, 14E).

Ventral edge of male segment 7 with small curved lamellae bordering the gonopodal aperture (Fig. 15E).

Female vulva (vu) narrow, apices of bursa (bu) rounded; ampullae (am1 and am2) elongated. Each coxa of female leg-pair 2 (l2) with a small pointed process (Fig. 18A).

Remarks. A fairly rare, probably high-montane species hitherto recorded only from the Krasnodar Province and Abkhazia (Lignau 1903; Verhoeff 1910; Lang 1959; Kobakhidze 1965; Talikadze 1984; Lokšina and Golovatch 1979). Based on geographical evidence alone, we cannot exclude the possibility that Lohmander’s (in Kobakhidze 1964) “ J. svaneticus ” nomen nudum actually represented J. lignaui, the only species that Lohmander (1936) failed to revise because of the lack of material. It is for this reason that we illustrate J. lignaui well to show variations.