Elena V. Mikhaljova

The millipede family Polydesmidae in Taiwan, with descriptions of five new species (Polydesmida, Diplopoda)

Abstract Polydesmidae are represented in Taiwan by seven species in two genera. Neither of the genera is endemic to Taiwan, but six of the species are, including five new: Nipponesmus minor sp. n., Epanerchodus bispinosus sp. n., Epanerchodus curtigonopus sp. n., Epanerchodus flagellifer sp. n. and Epanerchodus pinguis sp. n. In addition, the diagnosis of the hitherto enigmatic genus Nipponesmus Chamberlin & Wang, 1953 is refined vis-à-vis the especially similar, Central Asian, Siberian and Eastern European genus Schizoturanius Verhoeff, 1931, chiefly based on new material of the type-species Nipponesmus shirinensis Chamberlin & Wang, 1953; this species is adequately redescribed and represents still another Taiwanese endemic. A key to all three currently known species of Nipponesmus Chamberlin & Wang, 1953 is given. The highly speciose Central to East Asian genus Epanerchodus Attems, 1901 is represented in Taiwan by five species, all keyed, including Epanerchodus orientalis Attems, 1901, which is long known to be highly variable in Japan and found particularly polymorphous and apparently allochthonous in Taiwan. The following synonymy is formalized: Epanerchodus orientalis orientalis Attems, 1901 = Epanerchodus orientalis takakuwai Verhoeff, 1913, syn. n. The genus Usbekodesmus Lohmander, 1932 is formally synonymized with Epanerchodus Attems, 1901, syn. n., resulting in the following new formal transfers: Epanerchodus redikorzevi (Lohmander, 1932), Epanerchodus swatensis (Golovatch, 1991), Epanerchodus varius (Geoffroy & Golovatch, 2004), Epanerchodus anachoretus (Golovatch, 1986), Epanerchodus buddhis (Golovatch, 1986), Epanerchodus occultus (Golovatch, 1986), Epanerchodus sacer (Golovatch, 1987), Epanerchodus theocraticus (Golovatch, 1990) and Epanerchodus theosophicus (Golovatch, 1986), all comb. n. ex Usbekodesmus. The distributions of all seven species of Polydesmidae occurring in Taiwan are mapped and discussed.

Review of the millipede genus Yasudatyla Shear & Tsurusaki, 1995 new to the fauna of Russia, with description of new species from the Kurile Islands (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Conotylidae).

The diplopod genus Yasudatyla Shear & Tsurusaki, 1995 is new to the fauna of Russia, due to the discovery of Y. kurilensis sp. nov. from Kurile Islands. The genus is currently represented by four species, i.e. Y. yasudai Shear & Tsurusaki, 1995, Y. hidakaensis Shear & Tsurusaki, 1995, Y. shariensis Shear & Tsurusaki, 1995, all from Japan, and Y. kurilensis sp. nov. from the Kurile Islands, Russia, described here. All known species of the genus are keyed, including the new species.

Review of the millipede family Diplomaragnidae of Japan, with description of a new species and the restoration of the combination Diplomaragna hokkaidensis (Verhoeff, 1939) (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Diplomaragnidae)

Diplomaragnidae are currently represented in Japan by ten species in three genera. One species is described here as new to science: Tokyosoma flexuosum sp. n. Maritimosoma hokkaidense (Verhoeff, 1939) is returned to Diplomaragna: Diplomaragna hokkaidensis (Verhoeff, 1939). The distributions of the Japanese species of Diplomaragnidae are mapped.