Different species of the <i>Glomeris klugii</i> species-group.

<p>(<b>A)</b> <i>Glomeris larii</i> Verhoeff, 1921 (ZFM MYR4562); (<b>B)</b> <i>Glomeris primordialis</i> Verhoeff, 1930 (ZFMK MYR4741); (<b>C)</b> <i>Glomeris oblongoguttata</i> Verhoeff, 1894 (ZFMK MYR4570) from Pisogne; (<b>D)</b> <i>G</i>. <i>oblongoguttata</i>, living specimen from Oltre il Colle, photograph courtesy of JP Oeyen; (<b>E)</b> <i>Glomeris oropensis</i> Verhoeff, 1936, adult specimen (ZFMK MYR4534); (<b>F)</b> <i>G</i>. <i>oropensis</i>, juvenile.</p

Different color morphs of <i>Glomeris klugii</i>.

<p>(<b>A)</b> Living, rolled-up specimens from Tübingen, SW Germany, left the 'undulata' morph, right the 'conspersa' morph, photograph courtesy of JP Oeyen; (<b>B)</b> Living, walking specimen from Tübingen, SW Germany, the 'conspersa' morph, photograph courtesy of JP Oeyen; (<b>C)</b> Specimen from Malgrate at the Lago di Como (ZFMK MYR4559); (<b>D)</b> Specimen from Malgrate at the Lago di Como (ZFMK MYR4767); (<b>E)</b> Specimen of <i>G</i>. <i>klugii porphyrea</i> from Croatia (ZFMK MYR734); (<b>F)</b> Population of <i>G</i>. <i>klugii porphyrea</i> from Croatia, photograph courtesy of P. Kautt.</p

Distribution map of <i>Glomeris klugii</i> and sample localities.

<p>Known area of distribution of <i>G</i>. <i>klugii</i> highlighted in green (after Hoess 2000). Letters a-i refer to specific analyzed species (letters marked by a red diamond refer to microendemics), numbers in rectangles to populations (1–16) of <i>G</i>. <i>klugii</i> (as listed in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0162284#pone.0162284.t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>).</p

Local Hotspots of Endemism or Artifacts of Incorrect Taxonomy? The Status of Microendemic Pill Millipede Species of the Genus <i>Glomeris</i> in Northern Italy (Diplopoda, Glomerida)

<div><p>Local endemic species with their unique evolutionary history always stirred the interest of scientists. One such area especially rich in endemics is northern Italy. In case of pill millipedes of the genus <i>Glomeris</i> Latreille, 1803, only a single species is found in northern Europe, while 22 country-endemics alone are known from Italy. Many of these endemics, however, have not been studied in several decades; therefore we aimed to determine whether this diversity is the result of overlooked synonymies or natural processes. A focus was placed on the local endemics that are in some aspects morphologically similar to the widespread and variable <i>G</i>. <i>klugii</i> Brandt, 1833. The local endemics <i>Glomeris larii</i> Verhoeff, 1921, <i>G</i>. <i>primordialis</i> Verhoeff, 1930, <i>G</i>. <i>oblongoguttata</i> Verhoeff, 1894, <i>G</i>. <i>oropensis</i> Verhoeff, 1936, <i>G</i>. <i>transalpina</i> Koch, 1836, <i>G</i>. <i>romana</i> Verhoeff, 1900, <i>G</i>. <i>ligurica</i> Latzel, 1884 and <i>G</i>. <i>apuana</i> Verhoeff, 1911 were included in a molecular analysis incorporating ribosomal nuclear (28S) and mitochondrial (COI) genes. Individuals were sequenced and compared to 31 specimens from 18 localities of <i>G</i>. <i>klugii</i>. The final dataset included 657 base pairs for 56 terminals in the COI, and 14 terminals with 1068 base pairs in the combined 28S and COI analysis. Our analysis shows intraspecific distances of up to 5% in the COI gene in <i>G</i>. <i>klugii</i> that are not strictly correlated to geography or color pattern. <i>G</i>. <i>larii</i> is discovered to be genetically and morphologically identical to <i>G</i>. <i>klugii</i> and is synonymised with the latter. Interspecific distances in our dataset vary between 6.7 to 15.9%, with the lowest (6.7–9.0%) between <i>G</i>. <i>primordialis</i> and <i>G</i>. <i>klugii</i>. Our analysis confirms the species status of the local endemics <i>G</i>. <i>primordialis</i>, <i>G</i>. <i>oblongoguttata</i>, <i>G</i>. <i>oropensis</i>, <i>G</i>. <i>transalpina</i>, <i>G</i>. <i>ligurica</i> and <i>G</i>. <i>apuana</i>. We also confirm the synonymy of <i>G</i>. <i>undulata</i> Koch, 1844 under <i>G</i>. <i>klugii</i>. <i>G</i>. <i>genuensis</i> Latzel, 1886 is indistinguishable from <i>G</i>. <i>ligurica</i>.</p></div

Frequency distribution of pairwise intraspecific (blue) and interspecific (red) distances.

<p>All red points in the blue area refer to <i>Glomeris larii</i>. Basic table see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0162284#pone.0162284.s002" target="_blank">S1 Table</a>.</p

Phylogenetic tree recovered in the maximum likelihood analysis based on the COI gene.

<p>Numbers represent nodal support values from the maximum likelihood (1000 bootstrap replicates) analysis. Values >65% not shown. Sequences from GenBank marked with single asterisk after name. Species and subspecies surrounded by boxes. <i>G</i>. <i>klugii</i> species-group highlighted by brown background.</p

Phylogenetic tree recovered in the combined maximum likelihood analysis based on the 28S and COI gene.

<p>Numbers represent nodal support values from the maximum likelihood (1000 bootstrap replicates) analysis. Values <65% not shown. Sequences from GenBank marked with single asterisk after name. Species and subspecies surrounded by boxes. <i>G</i>. <i>klugii</i> species-group highlighted by brown background.</p

Analysed specimens, voucher and Genbank code for the COI analysis.

<p>ZFMK = Zoological Research Museum A. Koenig, Bonn, Germany; ZSM = Zoologische Staatssammlung Munich, Germany. Asterisk marks sequences downloaded from Genbank.</p

Different species of <i>Glomeris</i>.

<p>(<b>A)</b> <i>Glomeris transalpina</i> Koch, 1836, living specimen from the Riederalm, photograph courtesy of JP Oeyen (ZFMK MYR2609); (<b>B)</b> <i>Glomeris romana marinensis</i> Verhoeff, 1928 (ZFMK MYR797); (<b>C)</b> <i>Glomeris ligurica</i> Latzel, 1884, living specimens from a population close to Melogno, photograph courtesy of P. Kautt.</p

Five new species of the giant pill-millipedes of the genera <i>Zephronia</i> and <i>Sphaerobelum</i>, from China (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida: Zephroniidae)

Five new species of giant pill-millipedes in the family Zephroniidae are described and illustrated from China: Zephronia medogensis Zhao & Liu n. sp., Z. zhouae Zhao & Liu n. sp., Z. hui Liu & Wesener n. sp., Sphaerobelum benqii Liu & Wesener n. sp. and S. tujiaphilum Zhao & Liu n. sp. COI sequences of these five new species are given and deposited in GenBank. Additionally, a study of the genetic distance and a molecular maximum likelihood analysis were conducted based on DNA barcoding data of most SE Asian Sphaerotheriida species.</p