The Millipedes (Diplopoda) of Georgia, Caucasus Mzia S. Kokhia1 & Sergei I. Golovatch2 1 Institute of Zoology, Ilia State University, 3/5, K. Cholokashvili Ave., Tbilisi 0162, Georgia 2 Institute for Problems of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, 33, Leninsky Prospekt, Moscow, 119071 Russia INSERTLOGO HERE INSERT LOGO HERE INTRODUCTION DISCUSSION RESULTS Studies on the biodiversity and species composition of soil-litter macrofauna are amongst the most important directions of zoological research. Georgia, like the entire Caucasus, is among 34 hotspots of biodiversity globally, supporting, among other animal groups, numerous endemic and/or rare species of Myriapoda, both epigean and cave-dwelling. However, the myriapod fauna of Georgia still remains poorly-known, lacking even an up-to-date checklist. A complete overview of myriapodological research in the region is presented, with special emphasis on the fauna of Georgia compiled as a checklist. The table shows data on the distribution of Diplopoda's taxa by the regions of Georgia. There is clearly a greater occurrence of all taxa in Western Georgia. Such a high diversity of the species composition of diplopods in the Western part of the country is due to the subtropical climatic features of the region: the high humidity and high-temperature indexes, which is the optimal conditions for the diplopods habitat. The proceed materials allowed to make the certain conclusions, according to which the main representatives (68%) of the Diplopod class are concentrated in Western Georgia, of which more than 30% are endemic to Georgia, and 22.4% are sub-endemic. It should be noted that 11 species of millipedes-troglobionts, of 12 recorded in Georgia, are endemic species and also concentrated in Western Georgia. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that the most of the caves are located in Western Georgia and are subject to intensive research by specialists of different directions. Among them are some species which are occurred in the neighboring countries, the highest occurrence of common species 43.9% is observed for Russia (For Russia is characterized by the greatest spread of common species of Diplopoda), The equal number of general species 15.6% of diplopods noted in Turkey and Azerbaijan, the relatively less similarity in species composition with Armenia and the less similarity in species of diplopods (6%) observed with the Crimea. Diplopoda taxa distribution in the Georgia regions Taxon Regions Order % Family Genus Species W 6 85.7 8 66.7 31 73.8 67 68 C 3 42.9 5 41.7 13 30.1 16 16.1 E 4 57.1 7 16.7 9 9.2 G 12 28.6 13.3 ABSTRACT The diplopod fauna of Georgia is very rich given the country’s relatively small territory, presently comprising 98 species from 43 genera, 12 families and seven orders. The number of species and, to a lesser degree, genera is about twice as high as quoted in the latest checklists available for Azerbaijan and Iran, and ca 2/3 as diverse as the fauna of the very much larger Turkey. Most of the Diplopoda known from Georgia are subendemics (40 species, or 39%), shared with one or more neighboring countries, but another 33 species (33%) are strict endemics, nearly all highly localized, including 12 presumed troglobites. Several genera are likewise endemic to Georgia, including a few troglobionts. The proportions of the remaining, more widely distributed species are rather modest, represented by Mediterranean, Euro-Mediterranean, eastern Mediterranean, eastern European or ubiquitous elements, but even among the latter the sub cosmopolitan Nopoiulus kochii (Gervais, 1847) may have originated in the Caucasus, because the remaining congeners (from all subgenera) seem to be endemic to the Caucasus region (Golovatch & Enghoff 1990). Within Georgia, the fauna of the western part (= Colchis) is particularly rich and diverse, the faunas of the central and eastern parts of the country growing increasingly depauperate inland and apparently following a rather gradual climatic aridization gradient from west (the Black Sea coast) to east (until Armenia and Azerbaijan). Much more work, to include alpine and cave environments as well, is required in order to reveal and refine the real diversity of Georgia’s Diplopoda. KEYWORDS. Biodiversity, Diplopoda, Endemic, Subendemic, Georgia Distribution and Status of Diplopoda in Georgia regions Designations: G – entire Georgia; W – western Georgia; C – central Georgia; E – eastern Georgia; Distribution Ca EM EuM EE M sc t se % e Regions W 56 3 1 4 11 22 22.4 30 30.6 C 15 - 9 9.2 5 5.1 E 1.02 G 10 10.2 Total 90 7 2 12 50 36 CONCLUSIONS The present checklist must be understood as temporary, far from complete, marking only the state of the art of diplopodological research in Georgia. Much more work is required to reveal the real diversity of Georgia’s Diplopoda. Discoveries and descriptions of still numerous new taxa, both species and probably even genera, can be expected in the future. Further faunistic records are necessary to refine not only the taxonomy and the above list, but also the distributions, both horizontal and vertical. Very little is known yet concerning high-montane millipedes, in particular, whether strictly alpine Caucasian/Georgian endemics exist at all, like those few recorded from the Pyrenees and Alps. Finally, cave explorations in Georgia will undoubtedly reveal many more new troglobionts, including diplopods. Designations: G – entire Georgia; W – western Georgia; C – central Georgia; E – eastern Georgia; e – endemic to Georgia; se – subendemic to Georgia; t – presumed troglobiont; sc – subcosmopolitan; EuM – Euro-Mediterranean; M – Mediterranean; EM – eastern Mediterranean; EE – eastern European; Ca – Caucasian. A B Figure 5 Pachyiulus krivolutskyi Golovatch, 1977 GEORGIA ACKNOWLEGEMENTS Thanks are due to Boyan Vagalinski (Sofia, Bulgaria) and Megan Short (Melbourne, Australia) for kindly sharing published and unpublished information on their current research relevant to our topic. MK is grateful for the support rendered through the Project "Georgia’s Natural and Agricultural Ecosystems: Animal Diversity, Monitoring, Biocontrol", funded by the Ministry of Science and Education of Georgia. GEORGIA 17th International Congress of Myriapodolgy 23-27 July at Krabi, Thailand