Antić D.1, Turbanov I.S.2 2022. An unexpected new cave-dwelling species of the genus Leucogeorgia Verhoeff, 1930 (Diplopoda: Julida: Julidae) from the Chechen Republic, Caucasus, Russia // Arthropoda Selecta. Vol.31. No.4: 375–383 [in English].
1 University of Belgrade – Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Studentski Trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. E-mail: dragan.antic@bio.bg.ac.rs
2 Papanin Institute for the Biology of Inland Waters, Russian Academy of Sciences, Borok, Yaroslavl Region 152742, Russia. E-mail: turba13@mail.ru
doi: 10.15298/arthsel.31.4.01
ABSTRACT. This paper is devoted to the description of a presumed troglobiont millipede, Leucogeorgia umari sp.n., from a cave formed by sulfuric acid karstification processes in Chechnya, northern Caucasus, Russia. This is the 16th member in the genus and the first record of a cave-dwelling Leucogeorgia species on the northeastern macro slope of the Greater Caucasus Ridge, or Caucasus Major. The new species represents an isolate lying rather far northeast of the distribution core area of the genus in the western Caucasus. The new species is diagnosed, described in detail, illustrated using several techniques, and mapped. New records of some previously described or unidentified species of the genus are also presented. The relationship of the new species with congeners and the distribution of the genus Leucogeorgia are briefly discussed. A plausible scenario of speciation in Leucogeorgia is hypothesized in connection with global Pleistocene climate changes. Some interesting cave-dwelling arthropods with a similar isolated distribution in carbonate massifs on the northern macro slope of the Caucasus are also listed.
KEY WORDS: Leucogeorgiini, millipede, new records, taxonomy.