The millipede order Julida (Myriapoda: Diplopoda) in Tunisia, with an overview of the North African species

Abstract

An overview of the millipedes of the order Julida in Tunisia based on both literature data and new material is provided. Fifteen species from two families and five genera are presently known, of which Ommatoiulus aumalensis (Brolemann, 1925) and Brachyiulus pusillus (Leach, 1814) are new. recorded for the country. All old records of Cylindroiulus distinctus (Lucas, 1846) from Tunisia are probably erroneous and refer to either C. algerinus (Brölemann, 1897) or C. attemsi Read, 2005. Notes on the species distribution are given along with geographical maps and comments on their habitat preferences. Ommatoiulus punicus(Brölemann, 1894) is the most euryecious species of all Tunisian julidans. B. pusillus is the sole member of the order occurring in the oases in the south, as its presence there is certainly due to human introduction. An illustrated dichotomous key for identification of the Tunisian species is provided. An annotated checklist of North African Julida comprising 58 species and subspecies from 12 genera and three families, as well as a historical overview of their exploration supplements this study. Ommatoiulus punicus, O. malleatus Akkari & Voigtländer, 2007 and Brachyiulus stuxbergi (Fanzago, 1875) are herewith reported for the first time from Algeria, while Proteroiulus hispanicus Schubart, 1959, which was hitherto known only from Spain, is now reported from Morocco. A concise biogeographic analysis outlines the similarities in the distribution of some species at regional and continental scales.