Centipedes and Millipedes (Chilopoda, Diplopoda) of the Khentey Mountain Range, Northern Mongolia

Authors

Ansgar Poloczek, Humboldt-Universität BerlinFollow
Martin Pfeiffer, University of Bayreuth
Pavel S. Nefediev, Altai State University

Date of this Version

2021

Document Type

Article

Citation

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei (2021) band 14: 317-327.

Comments

Copyright 2021, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle Wittenberg, Halle (Saale). Used by permission.

Abstract

We sampled 99 plots in three locations in the West, South and East Khentey, each consisted of both pitfall traps and soil and litter sampling. We were able to establish the occurrence of ten species of Chilopoda from three genera, three families and three orders and three species of Diplopoda also from three genera, three families and three orders in the Khentey Mountain region. Among the Chilopoda were found eight Lithobiomorpha: Lithobius (Ezembius) giganteus, L. (E.) sibiricus, L. (E.) ostiacorum, L. (E.) rapax, L. (E.) mongolellus, L. (Monotarsobius) alticus, L. (M.) crassus and L. (M.) curtipes and two Geophilomorpha: Escaryus chadaevae and Strigamia pusilla. L. giganteus and L. alticus were by far the most widespread Chilopoda species. Three Diplopoda species were Angarozonium amurense, Orinisobates microthylax, and Uniramidesmus perplexus, with A. amurense as the most abundant species. Both, the genus Orinisobates with O. microthylax, as well as the family Nemasomatidae they belong to, are new to the millipede fauna of Mongolia. Being the southernmost find of U. perplexus, the current record is new to the Mongolian millipede species list, likewise the genus Uniramidesmus, the family Polydesmidae and the order Polydesmida to which it belongs. The Chilopoda communities in the western Khentey were more species-rich than those in the south and east, which is caused by the higher precipitation and hence resulting higher diversity of the forest. Within the western and southern Khentey, was found a simultaneously increase in the richness of Chilopoda and tree species. Generally, was found the highest diversity of Chilopoda in the higher altitudes, which corresponds with the increasing precipitation. Lithobiomorpha, however, had their highest diversity in the floodplain forests. Geophilomorpha were absent in the alluvial forests and were only found in the hill forests. Diplopoda occurred only within the West and East Khentey, while in the dry southern Khentey no Diplopoda were found and their occurrence seems lacking or very rare.