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Graellsia, 77(1): e129
enero-junio 2021
ISSN-L: 0367-5041
https://doi.org/10.3989/graellsia.2021.v77.279
ABSTRACT
Millipedes (Diplopoda) are a group of terrestrial arthropods with high specific diversity at a global scale. There
are 12,000 species worldwide, distributed in 16 orders and 145 families. The family Polyzoniidae is represented
in Europe by three species, being Polyzonium germanicum Brandt, 1837 the one with the widest distribution. To
date there are no records in the Iberian Peninsula for this family. Polyzonium germanicum mainly inhabits humid
or very humid soils, either in coniferous, deciduous or mixed forests. This note describes a population of P. ger-
manicum in soils of a beech forest located in the north of Barcelona province (Spain). This report represents the
first record of P. germanicum and the family Polyzoniidae in the Iberian Peninsula.
Keywords: Millipedes, Polyzonium germanicum, Cadí Moixeró Natural Park, Gresolet forest, beech forest.
RESUMEN
Primera cita de la Familia Polyzoniidae Newport, 1844 (Diplopoda, Polyzoniida) en la Península
Ibérica
Los milpiés (Diplopoda) son un grupo de artrópodos terrestres con una alta diversidad específica a escala
global. En el mundo están citadas unas 12,000 especies distribuidas en 16 órdenes y 145 familias. La familia
Polyzoniidae está representada en Europa por tres especies, siendo Polyzonium germanicum Brandt, 1837 la
que presenta una distribución más amplia. Hasta la fecha no existen citas en la Península Ibérica para esta familia.
Polyzonium germanicum habita fundamentalmente en suelos de bosques húmedos o muy húmedos, ya sean de
coníferas, de frondosas o bosques mixtos. La presente nota describe una población de P. germanicum localizada
en suelos de un hayedo del norte de la provincia de Barcelona (España). Este registro representa la primera cita
de la especie P. germanicum y de la familia Polyzoniidae para la fauna ibérica.
Palabras clave: Milpiés, Polyzonium germanicum, Parc Natural del Cadí Moixeró, bosc de Gresolet, hayedo.
Recibido/Received: 5/05/2020; Aceptado/Accepted: 13/11/2020; Publicado en línea/Published online: 21/05/2021
Cómo citar este artículo/Citation: Mateos, E. 2021. First record of the Family Polyzoniidae Newport, 1844 (Diplopoda,
Polyzoniida) in the Iberian Peninsula. Graellsia, 77(1): e129. https://doi.org/10.3989/graellsia.2021.v77.279
Copyright: © 2021 SAM & CSIC. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License.
Notas / Notes
First record of the Family Polyzoniidae Newport, 1844 (Diplopoda, Polyzoniida)
in the Iberian Peninsula
Eduardo Mateos
Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals; Facultat de Biologia; Universitat de Barcelona; Avinguda Diagonal 643,
08028 Barcelona; Spain.
Email: emateos@ub.edu – ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9741-5744
et al., 2012), distributed in 16 orders and 145 fami-
lies (Shelley, 2007). Of this astonishing diversity
9 orders, 48 families and well over 1,500 species are
currently described from Europe (Kime & Enghoff,
2017). The family Polyzoniidae Newport, 1844,
Millipedes (Class Diplopoda) are terrestrial ar-
thropods that belong to the subphylum Myriapoda.
There are probably as many as 80,000 millipede
species worldwide (Sierwald & Bond, 2007), but
around 12,000 have been described so far (Brewer
2 Notas / Notes
Graellsia, 77(1), junio 2021, e129 — ISSN-L: 0367-5041 – https://doi.org/10.3989/graellsia.2021.v77.279
in the beech forest at 1,300 m above sea level (posi-
tion 42°15’32.5” N, 1°42’47.2” E). The ve young
specimens are preserved in absolute ethanol and
deposited at the E. Mateos collection (Departament
de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambien-
tals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona).
The ve adult specimens (2 and 3 ) are pre-
served in 70% ethanol and deposited at the Centre
de Recursos de Biodiversitat Animal (Facultat de
Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona) with collection
codes CRBA-92751 to CRBA-92755. The Gresolet
beech forest represents the southernmost locality of
the western European population of the species and
the rst record for the Iberian Peninsula. The forest is
crossed by the Mulleres stream and is distributed in
a range of altitudes between 1,000 and 2,000 m. The
area is characterized by a continental climate with
Mediterranean inuence, with relatively high pre-
cipitation and soft temperatures. The Gresolet forest
host a mosaic of plant communities including oak
grove (Quercus pubescens Willd.), beech forest (of
Fagus sylvatica L.), r forest (of Abies alba Mill.)
and pine forests (of Pinus sylvestris L. and Pinus
mugo Turra).
Polyzonium germanicum is a distinctive rather
slug-like millipede, some 5 to 18 mm in length, with a
yellowish to orange brown body composed of 35–60
segments and a very small and characteristic triangu-
lar head (Fig. 2A); when curled into a spiral it is said
to resemble beech bud scales (British Myriapod &
Isopod Group, 2020; Enghoff et al., 2015). In P. ger-
manicum (as in all Polyzoniida) males and females
are externally very similar. Only the transformation of
legs-9 and legs-10 into gonopods in males (in stadium
IV) allows differentiating the sexes (Couret & David,
1985). Polyzonium germanicum is a liquid feeder spe-
cies (Couret, 1985) and very hygrophilous in its habi-
tat requirements (David, 1983). Forests with thick hu-
mus layers and high humidity levels around the year is
the preferred habitat of the species (David & Vannier,
1995). These forests may be coniferous, mixed or de-
ciduous, with dense, open or clearing structure, but al-
ways with wet (or even waterlogged) soils (see Kime
& Enghoff, 2011). Characteristically P. germanicum
females brood the eggs (Enghoff, 1984). They remain
curled up around them until hatching, while secret-
ing a repellent substance that probably also acts as a
biocide preventing the rotting of the eggs (Minelli,
2015). A couple of specimens collected on 14.v.2009
were observed during mating activities (Fig. 2B), and
one female deposited an egg mass on 16.vii.2009
(Figs. 2C–D).
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Dr. Henrik Enghoff for the identica-
tion of the specimens. José D. Gilgado and Per Djursvoll provided
valuable comments that improved the manuscript.
with 6 genera and 20 described species worldwide
(Enghoff et al., 2015), is represented in Europe by
three species of the genus Polyzonium Brandt, 1837,
P. eburneum Verhoef, 1907, P. transsilvanicum Ve r -
hoeff, 1898 and P. germanicum Brandt, 1837. The
rst two mentioned species have a restricted distri-
bution in central and Eastern Europe, respectively,
while P. germanicum is widespread in most of the
continent (Kime & Enghoff, 2011). Two main Euro-
pean populations (Fig. 1), one in the eastern half of
Europe and one in the western half (including France
and SE Britain), have been described for P. germani-
cum (see Kime & Enghoff, 2011). An area of central
Europe, with only a few records of the species, seems
to separate these two populations (Kime, 2001), but
no morphological (Schubart, 1934) nor ecologi-
cal (Kime & Enghoff, 2011) differences have been
found between them. To date P. germanicum was not
known in the Iberian Peninsula.
This report describes a population that has been
found in the Gresolet forest (Fig. 1), located into the
Cadí-Moixeró Natural Parc (Saldes municipality,
Barcelona province, Spain). Ten specimens of P. ger-
manicum were collected by the author (with collec-
tion permit inside the natural park) in two dates (14.
xi.2008, 5 young specimens, and 14.v.2009, 2
and 3 ) from litter layer and under logs and stones
Fig. 1.— Polyzonium germanicum distribution map. Data from
Enghoff & Kime (2009) and Kime & Enghoff (2011). Dark gray:
western population; light gray: eastern population; green: area
located between eastern and western populations with few
records for the species; white: no records for the species;
red dot: forest population of Gresolet (Spain) described in the
present report.
Fig. 1.— Mapa de distribución de Polyzonium germanicum.
Datos de Enghoff & Kime (2009) y Kime & Enghoff (2011). Gris
oscuro: población occidental; gris claro: población oriental;
verde: área ubicada entre las poblaciones oriental y occidental,
con pocos registros de la especie; blanco: sin registros para la
especie; punto rojo: población forestal de Gresolet (España)
descrita en el presente informe.
Notas / Notes 3
Graellsia, 77(1), junio 2021, e129 — ISSN-L: 0367-5041 – https://doi.org/10.3989/graellsia.2021.v77.279
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Enghoff, H., 1984. Phylogeny of millipedes - a cladis-
tic analysis. Journal of Zoological Systematics and
Evolutionary Research, 22 (1): 8–26. https://doi.
org/10.1111/j.1439-0469.1984.tb00559.x
Enghoff, H., Golovatch, S., Short, M., Stoev, P. & Wesener
T., 2015. Diplopoda – Taxonomic overview. In: Minelli
A. (Ed.). Treatise on Zoology – Anatomy, Taxonomy, Bi-
ology. The Myriapoda, Vol. 2. Brill. Leiden: 363–447.
Enghoff H. & Kime R.D., 2009. Fauna Europaea: Diplop-
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Kime, R.D., 2001. The continental distribution of British
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4 Notas / Notes
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