Glomeris hexasticha, also known as the eastern six-striped pill millipede or the diagonal-striped pill millipede, is a species of pill millipede within the family Glomeridae and order Glomerida.[1] The pill millipede is widely distributed within many European countries,[2] with the species consisting of over twenty different subspecies.[1]

Glomeris hexasticha
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Myriapoda
Class: Diplopoda
Order: Glomerida
Family: Glomeridae
Genus: Glomeris
Species:
G. hexasticha
Binomial name
Glomeris hexasticha
Brandt, 1833
Synonyms
List
  • Eurypleuroglomeris hexasticha (Brandt, 1833)
  • Eurypleuroglomeris hexasticha hexasticha (Brandt, 1833)
  • Glomeris ambigua (Haase, 1886)
  • Glomeris europaea hexasticha (Brandt, 1833)
  • Glomeris hexasticha bavarica var. hungarica (Verhoeff, 1906)
  • Glomeris hexasticha bavarica var. septemseriata (Verhoeff, 1906)
  • Glomeris hexasticha boleti var. austriaca (Attems, 1927)
  • Glomeris hexasticha boleti var. bifurcata (Attems, 1927)
  • Glomeris hexasticha boleti var. boleti (Verhoeff, 1906)
  • Glomeris hexasticha boleti var. kalonota (Attems, 1927)
  • Glomeris hexasticha boleti var. maculosa (Attems, 1927)
  • Glomeris hexasticha boleti var. taeniata (Attems, 1927)
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha (Brandt, 1833)
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha var. ambigua (Haase, 1886)
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha var. analis (Verhoeff, 1906)
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha var. continens (Attems, 1927)
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha var. eremita (Verhoeff, 1906)
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha var. hexasticha (Brandt, 1833)
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha var. jablanicensis (Verhoeff, 1906)
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha var. luctuosa (Attems, 1927)
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha var. marcomannia (Verhoeff, 1906)
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha var. mniszechii (Nowicki, 1870)
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha var. popinacina (Attems, 1927)
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha var. pseudoambigua (Verhoeff, 1906)
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha var. quadrimaculata (Latzel, 1884)
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha var. quadristriata (Haase)
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha var. saxonicorum (Verhoeff, 1906)
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha var. scutoatrata (Verhoeff, 1906)
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha var. szeklerana (Verhoeff, 1906)
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha var. vallicola (Verhoeff, 1906)
  • Glomeris hexasticha marcomannia var. baernsteinensis (Verhoeff, 1927)
  • Glomeris hexasticha marcomannia var. boleti (Verhoeff, 1906)
  • Glomeris hexasticha marcomannia var. graniticola (Verhoeff, 1906)
  • Glomeris hexasticha marcomannia var. marcomannia (Verhoeff, 1906)
  • Glomeris hexasticha marcomannia var. pseudosuevica (Verhoeff, 1911)
  • Glomeris hexasticha marcomannia var. vidovecina (Attems, 1927)
  • Glomeris hexasticha markomannica (Verhoeff, 1906)
  • Glomeris hexasticha rabensteinensis var. medioatrata (Verhoeff, 1906)
  • Glomeris hexasticha rabensteinensis var. pannonica (Verhoeff, 1906)
  • Glomeris hexasticha var. divisa (Haase, 1886)
  • Glomeris hexasticha var. formosa (Latzel, 1884)
  • Glomeris hexasticha var. hexasticha (Brandt, 1833)
  • Glomeris hexasticha var. mniszechii (Nowicki, 1870)
  • Glomeris hexasticha var. obscura (Haase, 1886)
  • Glomeris hexasticha var. quadrimaculata (Latzel, 1884)
  • Glomeris hexasticha var. rubiginosa (Latzel, 1884)
  • Glomeris mniszechi (Nowicki, 1875)
  • Glomeris mniszechii (Nowicki, 1870)

Description

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The body length of Glomeris hexasticha ranges from 6 to 17 mm long. Its exoskeleton displays a base colour ranging from brown to black, adorned with 7 rows (typically 6 in the eastern populations) of yellow-brown to red-brown spots. These lateral spots on the thoracic plate are large and always well-defined. The 2nd tergite of the species usually possesses a main furrow, accompanied by 0-1 pre-furrow and 2-4 subsidiary furrows. In males, the pre-anal tergite exhibits a prominent bulging of the rear margin, while in females, this bulge is less pronounced. Additionally, the male individuals exhibit a cross bulge above the rear margin.[3]

Distribution

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Glomeris hexasticha possess a widespread European distribution where it can be found in the countries of: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine.[2][4] The species is also native to Central European Russia, European Turkey and the transcontinental region of the Near East.[4]

Habitat

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Glomeris hexasticha mainly inhabitants forests located within montane and subalpine altitudes.[3] Forests can be both deciduous or coniferous, exhibiting tree species such as the common hornbeam (C. betulus) and black pine (Pinus nigra).[5] G. hexasticha has also been discovered to live on forest edges and within meadow habitat, where it is found living alongside wild wheat grasses (Agropyron sp.) and common rosehip (R. canina).[5] G. hexasticha is a detritivore feeding on decaying plant matter such as dead wood and leaves.[3]

Subspecies

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Glomeris hexasticha contains 27 distinct subspecies:[1]

  • Glomeris hexasticha bavarica Verhoeff, 1906
  • Glomeris hexasticha boleti Verhoeff, 1906
  • Glomeris hexasticha bosniensis Verhoeff, 1906
  • Glomeris hexasticha calcivaga Verhoeff, 1906
  • Glomeris hexasticha chiemensis Verhoeff, 1941
  • Glomeris hexasticha eimeri Verhoeff, 1906
  • Glomeris hexasticha hexasticha Verhoeff
  • Glomeris hexasticha intermedia Latzel, 1884
  • Glomeris hexasticha marcomannia Verhoeff, 1906
  • Glomeris hexasticha quercivora Verhoeff, 1906
  • Glomeris hexasticha rabensteinensis Verhoeff, 1906
  • Glomeris hexasticha ruscorum Verhoeff, 1929
  • Glomeris hexasticha suevica Verhoeff, 1911
  • Glomeris hexasticha szeklerana Verhoeff, 1906
  • Glomeris hexasticha theresiae Verhoeff, 1906
  • Glomeris hexasticha trisulcata Rothenbühler, 1899

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Glomeris hexasticha Brandt, 1833". Millibase. 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  2. ^ a b "Occurrences". Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  3. ^ a b c "Glomeris hexasticha Brandt, 1833 Schrägstreifiger Saftkugler". arthropodafotos.de. 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  4. ^ a b "Glomeris hexasticha Brandt, 1833". Fauna Europaea. 2023-05-31. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  5. ^ a b Bachvarova D. (2019) New record of Glomeris hexasticha Brandt, 1833 (Diplopoda: Glomerida: Glomeridae) from the Lilyaksko Plateau, North-Eastern Bulgaria. Acta Scientifica Naturalis, Vol.6 (Issue 2), pp. 55-61. doi:10.2478/asn-2019-0018