Polyzoniida

Abstract: Polyzonium malagassum de Saussure & Zehntner, 1902, the only indigenous record of the order Polyzoniida from Madagascar, is redescribed after a study of the type specimens The only male specimen is selected as the lectotype and illustrated P malagassum is discovered to be a synonym of the widespread tropical tramp species Rhinotus purpureus (Pocock, 1894) A mapping of additional locality data of R pupureus shows that the species is widespread in Malagasy rainforests and montane rainforests, and occurs locally in high densities Seven potentially indigenous Polyzoniida morphospecies also occur on Madagascar, but these undescribed species are more localized and show a lower abundance than R purpureus Brief notes, locality data, and Museum acronyms are given for the undescribed Polyzoniida species, which will hopefully assist future studies on Malagasy representatives of this little-known but biogeographically interesting order With the discovery of the ubiquitous presence of R purpureus on Madagascar, the similarity of the defense secretions of South American and of endemic Malagasy poison dart frogs (family Mantellidae) might derive from the fact that both groups prey on and sequester alkaloids from the same species of millipede

Abstract: V. 1: Orders polyxenida, Glomerida, Platydesmida, Siphonocryptida, Polyzoniida, Calllipodida, Polydesmida

Abstract: Fifty-six (56) species of millipedes belonging to ten different orders of Diplopoda are listed as members of the Taiwanese fauna. All literature records are cited, and a number of new records are included as well. Representatives of four millipede orders (Glomerida, Polyzoniida, Siphonocryptida, and Platydesmida) are reported for the first time to the island as a result of recent collections. Nine species, including four undescribed ones, are new records from the island. These are Hyleoglomeris sp. (Glomerida: Glomeridae), Andrognathidae, two undescribed species (Platydesmida), Rhinotus purpureus (Pocock, 1894) (Polyzoniida: Siphonotidae), Siphonocryptidae sp. (Siphonocryptida), Orinisobates sp. (Julida: Nemasomatidae), Spirobolus walkeri Pocock, 1895 (Spirobolida: Spirobolidae), Trigoniulus corallinus (Gervais, 1842) (Spirobolida: Trigoniulidae), and Chondromorpha xanthotricha Attems, 1898 (Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae). The Taiwanese millipede fauna consists of 23 endemic species, 17 East Asiatic elements, and 11 synanthropic species. The following new synonymies are established: Glyphiulus tuberculatus Verhoeff, 1936 under G. granulatus Gervais, 1847; Aponedyopus jeanae (Wang, 1957) and A. reesi (Wang, 1957) under A. montanus Verhoeff, 1939; Nedyopus cingulatus (Attems, 1898) under N. patrioticus (Attems, 1898); Three species: "Habrodesmus" inexpectatus Attems, 1944, Orthomorpha bisulcata Pocock, 1895, and O. flavomarginata Gressitt, 1941 are removed from the list of Taiwanese millipedes because of their uncertain taxonomic statuses/unconfirmed occurrences. Descriptions and figures of every species are referred to wherever available to initiate further studies on the Taiwanese fauna. A complete bibliography on the millipedes of Taiwan is also presented.

Abstract: The superorder Colobognatha is represented in the Caucasus by three genera and species, one each in the orders Polyzoniida, Platydesmida and Siphonocryptida. Hirudisoma roseum (Victor, 1839) (Hirudisomatidae, Polyzoniida) is especially widespread, ranging from S Russia, Abkhazia, Georgia (with a neotype designated and described from Kakhetia, E Georgia) and NW Azerbaijan to E Turkey, and also including H. ponticum (Lohmander, 1939) (junior subjective synonym, syn. nov.). Fioria hyrcana Golovatch, 1980 (Andrognathidae, Platydesmida) is endemic to the Hyrcanian parts of the Republic of Azerbaijan and NW Iran along the western and southern coasts of the Caspian Sea. Due to the finding of Hirudicryptus abchasicus sp. nov. (Siphonocryptidae, Siphonocryptida), from a single locality in Abkhazia, NW Caucasus, the order Siphonocryptida is new to the fauna of the region. A key to all four species of the trans-Palaearctic genus Hirudicryptus is given. All three Caucasian species of Colobognatha are described in due detail and abundantly illustrated, and their distributions mapped.