Norwegian Journal of Entomology - Norsk entomologisk forening

INTRODUCTION
The Norwegian myriapod fauna is only partly
known, and published works from Norway are
mainly those by Ellingsen (1892, 1897, 1903,
1910), Meidell (1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1975,
1977, 1979), Simonsen (1981), Olsen (1995a,
1998a, 2000) and scattered notes (e. g. Porat 1887,
Storm 1898, Meidell & Simonsen 1985, Olsen
1995b, 1995c, 1996, 1998b). In North Norway,
the first myriapod reported appears to be Lithobius
curtipes from eastern Finnmark (Palmberg
1866). In 1866, probably also in Finnmark
(„Finmarken“), Lauritz Esmark collected two
more species, Lithobius forficatus and Geophilus
Norw. J. Entomol. 53, 23-38, 22 May 2006
Centipedes (Chilopoda) and millipedes (Diplopoda)
in North Norway
Robert Bergersen, Kjell Magne Olsen, Per Djursvoll & Arne C. Nilssen
Bergersen, R., Olsen, K. M., Djursvoll, P. & Nilssen, A. C. 2006. Centipedes (Chilopoda) and
millipedes (Diplopoda) in North Norway. Norw. J. Entomol. 53, 23-38.
Based on 486 specimens collected over the last 70 years, the Chilopoda and Diplopoda in North
Norway were found to consist of four genera and eight species in the former, and seven genera each
of one species in the latter. All but two species, Pachyiulus varius (S European) and Oxidus gracilis
(anthropochorous), could be regarded as native. Four species (Lithobius melanops, L. tenebrosus,
Strigamia maritima and Nemasoma varicorne) were new to the area. From S to N, Nordland hosted
12 species, Troms 6 and Finnmark 5. Among the Chilopoda, numbers were 7, 5 and 5; in Diplopoda,
5, 1 and 0, respectively. Seven species were viewed as being common: Lithobius forficatus, L.
erythrocephalus, Proteroiulus fuscus and Polydesmus denticulatus in Nordland, Lamyctes emarginatus
and Geophilus proximus in Nordland and Troms, and Lithobius curtipes in Finnmark. These are the
world‘s northernmost finds (65 o 04‘N-70 o 52‘N), except for curtipes, which also occurs in N Russia.
In Nordland, Polyxenus lagurus and Cylindroiulus latestriatus may be more common than this study
shows. Almost half the material was collected by schoolchildren in one year (2005). The children
proved to be useful collectors.
Key-words: Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Myriapoda, geographical distribution, North Norway.
Robert Bergersen & Arne C. Nilssen, Tromsø University Museum, NO-9037 Tromsø, Norway.
E-mail: robert.bergersen@tmu.uit.no; arnec.nilssen@tmu.uit.no.
Kjell Magne Olsen, Stiftelsen Siste Sjanse, Maridalsveien 120, NO-0461 Oslo, Norway.
E-mail: kjell-magne@sistesjanse.no.
Per Djursvoll, Zoological Museum, University of Bergen, Muséplass 3, NO-5007 Bergen, Norway.
E-mail: per.djursvoll@zmb.uib.no.
proximus (cf. Porat 1887), so that three species
were known from North Norway by the end of
the 19th century (Ellingsen 1897). In 1900, Sparre
Schneider and Embrik Strand collected three
species, Lithobius erythrocephalus, Henicops
fulvicornis (= Lithobius emarginatus) and Julus
luscus (= Cylindroiulus latestriatus) in Nordland
(Schneider 1905, p. 178), so that six species were
known by Ellingsen (1910).
The history repeated itself when in 1966,
Lithobius curtipes was again collected in eastern
Finnmark by the Norwegian ZMO Expedition
(unpubl.). During the next three decades, some
more myriapods were found (Meidell 1969,
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