The scolopendromorph centipedes ( Chilopoda , Scolopendromorpha ) of Tunisia : taxonomy , distribution and habitats

Th e present paper provides a review of the composition, distribution and habitat preferences of the scolopendromorph centipede fauna of Tunisia. Five (sub)genera and 8 (sub)species have hitherto been reported from the country, of which two are of uncertain status. After a study of signifi cant amount of new material collected in the period 2003-2008, 6 species, namely Scolopendra canidens Newport, 1844, S. morsitans Linnaeus, 1758, Cormocephalus gervaisianus (C.L. Koch, 1841), Otostigmus spinicaudus (Newport, 1844), Cryptops punicus Silvestri, 1896 and C. trisulcatus Brölemann, 1902, were found in the country. New illustrations and, where appropriate, brief descriptions of the species are given, along with an identifi cation key for the Tunisian scolopendromorphs. Cryptops anomalans Newport, 1844, Scolopendra oraniensis Lucas, 1846 and S. cingulata Latreille, 1829 are excluded from the country’s list since all previous records are most likely based on misidentifi cations. Cryptops trisulcatus and C. punicus are recorded for the fi rst time from Tunisia and Libya, respectively. Th e taxonomic position of C. punicus is discussed and the species is transferred from the subgenus Trigonocryptops to Cryptops. Scolopendra morsitans scopoliana is synonymised under S. morsitans. S. canidens, O. spinicaudus and C. punicus are well adapted to arid and semidesert biotopes and have much wider ranges compared to the other three species which are restricted to the northern, more humid parts of the country. S. canidens is the only myriapod in Tunisia found in a pure sandy desert.


Introduction
Th e scolopendromorph centipedes of Tunisia have never been studied intensively.Prior to Silvestri's (1896) paper "Una escursione in Tunisia…" only two species, Scolopendra oraniensis Lucas, 1846 and Scolopendra mediterranea var.africana Verhoeff , 1891 collected in the cities of Tunis and Gabes respectively [misspelled Ghades], had been recorded from the country (Pocock 1892, Verhoeff , 1891, Verhoeff 1893).After studying topotypic material of the latter, Silvestri (1896) proposed its synonymy with S. oraniensis.In the same publication he also recorded Cupipes (now Cormocephalus) gervaisianus (C.L. Koch, 1841) and Cryptops anomalans Newport, 1844 for Tunisia, and described a new variety, punicus, of C. anomalans.Verhoeff (1901) described Otostigma tunetanum from Tunis which Kraepelin (1903) later synonymized with Otostigmus spinicaudus (Newport, 1844).Kraepelin also reported S. morsitans scopoliana C.L. Koch, 1841 andS. canidens Newport, 1844, although he did not specify where exactly these species were collected.He disregarded the separate status of punicus.Attems (1902) reported Scolopendra morsitans Linnaeus, 1758 from Medjez-el-Bab in North Tunisia.A few years later, he (Attems 1908) also identifi ed the myriapods amassed by Henri Gadeau de Kerville during his remarkable expedition to Kroumirie (NW Tunisia), confi rming the occurrence in the area of C. gervaisianus and C. anomalans.Brölemann (1904) reported Scolopendra morsitans and S. canidens from several localities in Tunisia and was the fi rst to summarize the information on the Myriapoda of North Africa, providing a checklist of all species known at that time (Brolemann 1921).He mentioned altogether 9 (sub)species of Scolopendromorpha for Tunisia, including Scolopendra cingulata Latreille, 1829, although, like Kraepelin, he did not mention any specifi c localities.In another paper (Brolemann 1928) he raised Cryptops anomalans punicus to full species rank and transferred it to the genus Trigonocryptops Verhoeff , 1906.In his monograph on Scolopendromorpha Attems (1930) excluded S. oraniensis and S. cingulata from the list of Tunisian species and probably being unaware of Brolemann's publication, regarded C. punicus as a synonym of C. anomalans.Studying a small collection of myriapods collected by Dr. Cloudsley-Th ompson in Tunisia, Turk (1955) recorded S. canidens and S. clavipes C.L. Koch, 1847 from Jebel Cherchera, west of Kairouan.Th e same material was later referred to by Cloudsley-Th ompson (1956).Dobroruka (1968) reported S. morsitans, S. canidens (incl.S. c. cyrenaica Verhoeff , 1908), and C. gervaisianus from several localities in Tunisia.Lewis (1969) recorded Scolopendra amazonica Bücherl, 1946, which is currently considered a junior synonym of S. morsitans (Würmli 1975, Koch 1983), from a mountain near Soukahas, Tunis, at 1000-1500 m elevation.Th is record from 1894 may refer to the Barbary state of Tunis rather than the city.Th is seems probable as there is no settlement with this name near Tunis, nor a mountain that high.
Th e taxonomic status and the distribution in the Mediterranean region of the species of S. canidens group were revised by Würmli (1980).Two of the subspecies, S. canidens oraniensis and S. canidens cretica Attems, 1902, were given full species rank, while some others including S. c. cyrenaica were synonymized.Th e author concluded that in Tunisia the group, which comprises also S. clavipes and S. dalmatica C.L. Koch, 1847, is represented only by S. canidens. Recently, Zapparoli (2002), Zapparoli et al. (2004), Simaiakis and Mylonas (2008) mentioned Tunisia in their overviews of the world range of Scolopendra cingulata.Th e centipede fauna of the Italian islands Lampedusa, Linosa and Pantelleria, which are situated close to Tunisian coast, was studied by Zapparoli (1995).On Pantelleria, which is located approx.70 km off the Tunisian coast he recorded C. punicus, C. trisulcatus Brölemann, 1902, and S. cingulata, while on the Pelagic islands Lampedusa and Linosa lying ca.120 km off the coast S. canidens and C. punicus were found.CHILOBASE, the world catalogue of Chilopoda (Minelli 2006) lists the following taxa: C. anomalans, C. punicus, C. gervaisianus, S. oraniensis and O. spinicaudus for Tunisia.
Th e Tunisian scolopendromorph fauna comprises 5 (sub)genera and 8 (sub)species, of which, the occurrence of S. cingulata and C. anomalans needs confi rmation.Almost all the remaining species are known from single outdated records, mainly from the northern, generally better prospected parts of the country (e.g.Kroumirie and Mogods regions).Th e scolopendromorph fauna of the arid, semidesert and desert regions in the central and southern parts of the country (e.g. the Tunisian Ridge, the Sahel, the plain of Kasserine, the Grand Erg Oriental and the coastal plain of Jeff ara) remained virtually unknown as had the biology and ecology of all Tunisian species.
In the last fi ve years abundant material of Scolopendromorpha collected in each of the four main bioclimatic zones of the country: Humid (Kroumirie and Mogods regions), Subhumid (Cap Bon Peninsula), Semiarid-Arid (Central Tunisia), Arid (meridian Tunisia, south of 36 th parallel) was accumulated and investigated.Th e aim of present paper is to put on record the results of the identifi cation of this signifi cant collection and to provide detailed information on the taxonomy, distribution, habitats and in some cases also the biology of scolopendromorphs in Tunisia.New illustrations based on the freshly collected material and a key are provided to facilitate the identification of the species.

Material and methods
Unless stated otherwise, the material treated herein has been collected by N.A. and P.S. during a month long collecting trip in Tunisia conducted in March 2008, and also in the course of individual excursions by the fi rst author to diff erent regions of the country in the period 2003-2008.Various types of habitats were prospected for scolopendromorphs: oak forests (Quercus suber, Q. faginea, Q. ilex), pine forest (Pinus halepensis), open habitats dominated by Stipa tenacissima, arid rocky planes with scattered palm trees, pure sandy and rocky deserts, coastal and mountainous oases dominated by palm trees (Phoenix dactylifera), etc.All the material was preserved in 70 or 96 % ethanol and was shared between the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, National Museum of Natural History, Sofi a and University of Tunis El Manar.Close up photos were taken under an Olympus SZH 10 research microscope with an Olym-pus Altra-20 colour camera, and were processed using the program Adobe Photoshop CS2.A complete chronological list of citations related to species occurrence in Tunisia is also provided.Morphological terminology follows Lewis et al. (2005).
Distribution in Tunisia (Map 1).A widespread and much more common species than S. morsitans, in particular in central and southern Tunisia.In the North it is known only from Korba on the Cap Bon Peninsula.In the central and southern regions of the country it occurs in the High tell (hills of Le Kef ), virtually along the whole Tunisian Ridge (from Chambi to Zaghouan mountains), the eastern lowland plain (the so called Sahel) and the plain of Jeff ara (Matmata Mts., Tataouine region), the islands Djerba and Kerkennah.In the West it is found from the High Steppes (Gafsa Mts.) down to the Sahara boundaries (Oriental Erg).In the past the species has been reported also from Adjel el Haioum, Arad, Sfax, Savoual, Makuassy, B. el Aalia, Jebel Cherchera, Gabes, Gabes-Mensel, Oasis Gafsa, Kairouan and Tunis (Verhoeff 1891, Pocock 1892, Silvestri 1896, Brölemann 1904, Turk 1955, Dobroruka 1968, Würmli 1980).We were unable to fi nd some of the localities, e.g.Adjel el Haioum, Arad, Savoual, Makuassy, B. el Aalia, Gabes-Mensel, and they are not marked on the map.
Altitudinal range in Tunisia.From sea level up to 1500 m in the mountains (surroundings of Chambi Peak).In Saudi Arabia it is reported up to 2400 m alt.(Lewis 1986).
Altitudinal range in Tunisia.Known from sea level up to approx.600 m.
Map 2. Distribution of S. morsitans in Tunisia.Map 1. Distribution of S. canidens in Tunisia.
Remarks.All the specimens examined have olive green-blackish colouration, which is characteristic for S. morsitans scopoliana C.L. Koch, 1841. However, Lewis (1969, 1978) studied the variation of African scolopendrid centipedes, and particularly that of S. amazonica and stated that the colouration show a considerable degree of variation, thus being an unreliable taxonomic character.Koch (1982) observed the same variability in S. laeta in Australia, fi nding some correlation with the rainfall.Th e darkest forms of S. laeta occur mainly in areas with high mean annual rainfall (more than 750 mm), although sometimes they are also found in regions with low rainfall (up to 250 mm).Other characters used to characterize S. m. scopoliana are tergal margination starting on tergite 17, and coxopleural process bearing 5 spines (Brolemann 1932).As it has already been shown by Lewis (1969)  Description.Colour yellowish to olive-green.Maximal length, including ultimate legs, ca.60 mm.Head plate with 2 paramedian sutures occupying the posterior half of head plate (Fig. 14).Antennae composed of 17 articles, the basal 6 glabrous.Tooth plate with 3+1 teeth, the lateralmost one well separated from the others.Trochanteroprefemoral process moderately expanded bearing 4 tubercles (Fig. 15).Legs 1-20 with two spurs on tarsus 2. Spiracles small and rounded.Tergites 1-20 with 2 paramedian sulci (those on fi rst tergite not reaching anterior border), tergite 21 with a complete median suture.Sternites 2 to 20 with two complete paramedian sutures which are well separated anteriorly and posteriorly and narrowing in the middle of sternite.Sternite 21 trapeziform, broader anteriorly.Ultimate pair of legs: coxopleuron with one lateral spine and long and slender process bearing 2 terminal spines; pores not reaching posterior border of coxopleura.Th e length of coxopleural process varies considerably between specimens.Prefemur, femur and tibia strongly swollen with dorsal furrow, tarsus 1 wider than tarsus 2; prefemur with 2 ventrolateral rows of 3-5 spines, and 8-10 ventromedial and medial teeth and 2-6 dorsomedial ones .Pretarsus fi nely serrated ventrally, longer than tarsus 2.
General distribution.Spain, Algeria, Tunisia, Azerbaijan (Minelli 2006) Distribution in Tunisia (Map 3).Widespread in North and Central Tunisia.Th e range covers the Mogods-Kroumirie Mts. in the west (Feidja, Beni Mtir) and spreads to the eastern part of the Tunisian Ridge (Jebel Mansour and Jebel Zaghouan) and the main coastal area of the Gulf of Tunis (Bizerta, Tunis, Ariana) including the Cap Bon Peninsula (Oued el Abid).Further south it has been found also in the Sahel (Bou Ficha in the district of Sousse).In the past recorded from Tunis, Souk el Arba, Babouch and Ain Draham (Silvestri 1896, Attems 1908).Dobroruka (1968) reported the species from Savoual (Zaghouan Region) but we were unable to fi nd this locality on the map.
Altitudinal range in Tunisia.Known from sea level up to approx.800 m.Habitats.Mixed oak formations dominated by either Quercus faginea or Q. suber, coniferous forests dominated by P. halepensis, mixed forests of Q. faginea and Q. suber, Q. faginea and Pinus pinaster, P. halepensis and Quercus ilex, Q. coccifera and P. halepensis.It is also found in semidry open areas, garigue with Olea europaea, suburban habitats and coastal grasslands.
Remarks.Th e morphological characters of the specimens examined correspond well with the description of this species given by Attems (1930) which was the most recent description.Cormocephalus, which currently comprises about 70 species, was divided into three supergroups, each composed of several species-groups (Schileyko and Stagl 2004).In this tentative division, C. gervaisianus belongs to the gervaisianus species group of supergroup III, which is characterized by the presence of complete (rarely somewhat shortened) paramedian sulci on tergite 1; paramedian sulci complete from tergite 2; prefemur of ultimate leg-pair usually bearing ventrolateral spines; coxa of terminal legs with well developed coxopleural process; and pretarsus of ultimate legs longer than tarsus 2.
Distribution in Tunisia (Map 4).Known from Tunis (Verhoeff 1901), the mountains Bou Hedma and Chambi, and the surroundings of Matmata (new records); the specimen from Matmata may be another (sub)species (see below).and Bou Hedma correspond well with the description given by Lewis, diff ering only in the number of ventromedial prefemoral spines on ultimate leg (4 vs. 3).In the specimen from Chambi two tarsal spurs are present on leg-pairs 1-9 the rest to 19 have one, while in the Bou Hedma specimen only legs 1-6 have two tarsal spurs.In the Canary Islands specimens there were usually two tarsal spurs on the fi rst four pairs of legs but sometimes they occurred as far as leg-pair 8.Both specimens have coxopleural processes bearing 2 apical, one lateral and one dorsal spine.Th e dorsomedial conical protuberance bears a single apical spine in the specimen from Bou Hedma and two to four in the specimen from Jebel Chambi .
Th e specimen from Matmata is diff ering from the other two specimens and from the Lewis ' (2000) redescription in that the prefemur of the ultimate leg bears 4-5 ventrolateral and 6-9 ventromedial spines (vs.3/3 in Canary specimens and 4/4 in other Tunisian specimens), and the conical protuberance bears 4-5 spines (vs.usually 1-2) .In all other respects the specimen resembles O. spinicaudus.Manfredi (1935Manfredi ( , 1939) ) described two subspecies of spinicaudus from Libya -O.s. ghiblanus Manfredi, 1935 andO. s. latispinus Manfredi, 1939.Th e former was separated from nominate form by the presence of incomplete sternal sutures and only 2 apical spines on the coxopleural process, as well as by the diff erent position of the dorsomedial spine on the prefemur of ultimate leg-pair (Manfredi 1935).Th e subspecies latispinus, was distinguished by the size, shape and the position of the dorsomedial prefemoral protuberance of the ultimate pair of legs, which is sited at mid-length of prefemur (big and emerging as a triangular appendix at the median side of the leg, sometimes bent distad, dorsally convex, ventrally concave with an apical spine).Th e prefemur also has strong longitudinal medial sulcus.Although not specifi ed, the number of ventral prefemoral spines is higher than that in the type (Manfredi 1939).Having a larger number of prefemoral spines and well-developed conical protuberance on the dorsomedial side of the prefemur, the Matmata specimen resembles O. spinicaudus latispinus.However, it has 4-5 apical spines on the dorsomedial prefemoral protuberance instead of 1, and lacks a longitudinal sulcus.It could be a distinct (sub) species, although with only one specimen available it could represent an aberrant individual.Th e irregular arrangement of the prefemoral spines and their elevated number may indicate the ultimate legs are regenerated.Further Tunisian and other material is required in order to clarify the situation.19.11.2003;3 ex., same locality, 4.11.2003;1 ex., Beja Distr., Nefza, N36°45.42/ E09°11.41, alt. 176 m, 27.2.2004;1 ex., same locality, 18.4.2004;2 ex., Bizerta Distr., Ichkeul N.P., 8.2.2004;1 ex., same locality, 7.1.2005Description.Light brown to tawny with dense punctuation, and extensive setation.Maximal length: 22-28 mm.Head as long as broad, with 2 short paramedian longitudinal sutures on the anterior and posterior borders of head plate.Antenna composed of 17 articles.Coxosternum rounded and slightly prominent (Fig. 29).Labrum with a single tooth (Fig. 30).First tergite with a complete curved anterior transverse suture only (Fig. 28).Paramedian sutures incomplete on the second tergite, becoming complete from the third.Lateral crescentic sulci starting on the 3rd or 4th tergite.From third leg-pair onwards tarsus 1 and tarsus 2 faintly separated.Ultimate pair of legs: coxopleura with pore fi eld extending to but not touching the posterior margin of coxa.Many scattered setae among the pores and a tuft of 7-8 posterior to the pore fi eld.Tibial saw with 11-13 sharp teeth.Tarsal saw with 5-7 teeth (Fig. 31).

Cryptops
General distribution.Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Italy: Sicily, Sardinia, Tuscan Archipelago (Matic 1962, Minelli 1982, Zapparoli 1995).Distribution in Tunisia (Map 6).One of the most common scolopendromorphs in Tunisia found in all bioclimatic zones.Originally described from Tunis (Silvestri 1896), it is currently known also from the littoral of Kroumirie (Tabarka), from the Gulf of Tunis area and along the eastern part of the Tunisian Ridge up to the Cap Bon Peninsula (Soliman, Mensel Bou Zelfa).Towards the centre, it is present in the western mountains of the Ridge (Chambi N.P.) and along the eastern coast of the Sahel (Sousse, Mahdia, Chebba) down to the plain of Jeff ara in the southeast (Matmata, Gabes).
Altitudinal range in Tunisia.Known from sea level up to 1000 m in the mountains (Jebel Chambi).
Habitats.Forests dominated by Q. coccifera or Pinus halepensis, mixed woods of Q. ilex and P. halepensis or Q. coccifera and P. halepensis, mountain meadows, suburban areas, oases, arid rocky terrains with scattered shrubs.
Remarks.Silvestri (1896) described Cryptops punicus from Kroumirie as a variety of C. punctatus (now anomalans).It was synonymised with C. anomalans by Kraepelin (1903) and later revived by Brolemann (1928).Besides raising punicus to full species rank, Brolemann also transferred it to the genus Trigonocryptops, which is currently considered a subgenus of Cryptops Leach, 1815.Trigonocryptops is characterised by trigonal sutures in front of the endosternite, a transverse ridge on the sternites between the coxae, generally bipartite tarsi, head overlying tergite 1, a transverse suture on tergite 1, a divided katopleure and mostly yellow or brown colour.Other characters shared by members of Trigonocryptops are an anterior setose area on the clypeus delimited by sutures, paired spinose process on the ultimate leg, slit-like spiracles, etc. (Edgecombe 2005).C. punicus shows some of the characters typical for Trigonocryptops, e.g.subdivided tarsi (very faint in most specimens), yellowish colouration, head overlying tergite 1, transverse suture on tergite 1 but these are shared with some species of the subgenus Cryptops.Instead of trigonal sutures at the base of endosternite there is just a curved transverse suture (see Brolemann 1928, fi g. 14).With this possible exception C. punicus lacks the characters unique to the subgenus Trigonocryptops viz. the clypeus is devoid of sutures, and ultimate leg is devoid of processes.Th e spiracles are ovoid-shaped and the katopleure is single.For the above reasons, we prefer to place C. punicus in the subgenus Cryptops rather than in Trigonocryptops as suggested by Brolemann (1928).Nevertheless, until combined morphological and molecular phylogenetic analysis is undertaken in the genus Cryptops, the real position of C. punicus remains uncertain.Th e specimen from Tripoli represents the fi rst formal record of the species from Libya.

Remarks on the occurrence of Scolopendra cingulata, S. oraniensis and C. anomalans in Tunisia
Scolopendra cingulata, S. oraniensis and C. anomalans were reported for Tunisia in several old publications but were not found in the recently collected material.While those of S. oraniensis (e.g.Silvestri 1896, Brölemann, 1904) are most likely due to misidentifi cation with the closely related S. canidens (see also Würmli 1980), the presence of the other two species requires further explanation in the light of the new study.S. cingulata was reported for all the countries of the Maghreb region in Brolemann's checklist of North African myriapods (1921).Th is publication still serves as a main source of information regarding the North African myriapod fauna, being cited even nowadays in papers outlining the world distribution of S. cingulata (e.g.Zapparoli 2002, Zapparoli et al. 2004, and Simaiakis and Mylonas 2008).It seems that Brolemann's data originated from Kraepelin's (1903) general statement that S. cingulata is distributed "durch ganz Nordafrika"[throughout northern Africa], though the author did not list exact localities to support this.Th ere are numerous later records of S. cingulata from one or another country in the Maghreb (e.g.Verhoeff 1908, Manfredi 1939, Brolemann 1947), and the species was also reported to occur on the closely situated to Tunisia islands Pantelleria and Lampedusa (Zapparoli 1995).However, until new material becomes available to confi rm its presence in Tunisia, we regard the old records as dubious.So far, the only reliable records of S. cingulata in North Africa come from the eastern part of Egypt (Lewis 1985, Minelli 2006).
Cryptops anomalans was recorded by Silvestri (1896) from Souk el Arba, Ain Draham and Babouch, and by Attems (1908) from Ain Draham.Th e recent intensive collecting in the region of Ain Draham where all these localities are situated did not confi rm its presence there.Instead, another species, C. trisulcatus, appeared to be quite common in the area.Taking into account that C. trisulcatus superfi cially resembles C. anomalans (both having identical number of saw teeth on ultimate leg-pair and tergite 1 having obvious sutures), and the fact that at the time when Silvestri reported anomalans, C. trisulcatus had not been described, it is very probable that Silvestri misidentifi ed his material.Th is may also holds true for Attems' later record of anomalans.

Distribution patterns
Th e scolopendromorph centipedes are widely distributed in Tunisia and occur in all the bioclimatic zones -from the humid and subhumid forests in the northwestern part of the country to the pure sandy deserts in the south.Cryptops punicus and S. canidens are the most common species, and except for the extreme south are virtually distributed throughout the country.Th e notable absence of S. canidens from the Kroumirie region and the core of Cap Bon Peninsula, could be explained by the higher humidity in those areas and possible competition with S. morsitans.Th e recent fi nds of S. canidens from Ksar Oued Soltane and Douiret (both situated south of Tatauine) constitute the southernmost point of distribution of Scolopendromorpha in Tunisia and together with still unidentifi ed specimen of Lithobiidae represent the southernmost record of Myriapoda as a whole.Th e records from the Hoggar (Ahaggar Mts., Southern Algeria) represent the southernmost records of S. canidens in Africa (Würmli 1980).
S. morsitans has a restricted distribution in northeastern Tunisia from the extreme northern parts of Cap Bon Peninsula to the surroundings of Siliana.It seems that S. canidens and S. morsitans occur allopatrically in the country, the latter being generally restricted to more humid parts, the former to the rest of the country, including the harsh deserts in the south, southern coastal regions, and the islands of Djerba and Kerkennah.Th e eastern part of Tunisian Ridge is a possible contact zone where they may occur together.Cryptops trisulcatus and Cormocephalus gervaisianus show an almost identical distribution in north and central Tunisia, with the exception that the former goes farther south reaching the Chambi N.P. Cryptops trisulcatus is absent from the Cap Bon Peninsula although it is found along the coast to the west of that area.O. spinicaudus is the rarest of all the six species.Until now it was known only from Tunis, while the freshly collected material comes from three localities lying well apart from each other in the central and southeastern parts of the country.

Habitat preferences
In Tunisia, scolopendromorphs are known from virtually all the main types of vegetation, starting with the humid and subhumid oak forests of Quercus faginea and Q. suber in the Kroumirie-Mogods Mts., passing through the subhumid coniferous forests of the Tunisian Ridge and ending in the pure sandy desert of Sahara.Th ey are also known in suburban and urban areas, in close proximity to the littoral zone and in agricultural stands.Caves are a largely unexplored biotope in terms of scolopendromorphs.It is not improbable that cave-dwelling species will be found in future in such a large limestone massifs as Jebel Zaghouan.
Like the preceding species, Otostigmus spinicaudus is also a thermophilic species.It was found under stones in arid and semidesert biotopes with Acacia raddiana (Bou Hedma N.P.) and shrubs (Matmata).In Jebel Chambi it was collected in a sparse P. halepensis and Th uya forest grown with Stipa tenacissima.Lewis (2000) reported it from a crater on Lanzarote.Scolopendra morsitans has hitherto been registered only in coniferous forests of Pinus halepensis, mixed woods of Quercus coccifera and Rosmarinus offi cicnalis and in open coastal areas.Cormocephalus gervaisianus and C. trisulcatus show an affi nity to the forest biotopes, being often present in old oak formations and diff erent kinds of mixed heterogeneous woods.
Altitudinal range in Tunisia.Known from 950-1000 m.Habitats.Arid biotopes with Acacia raddiana or shrubs; sparse P. halepensis and Th uya forest grown with Stipa tenacissima.Remarks.Lewis (2000) provided a detailed re-description of O. spinicaudus based on material from the Canary Islands.Th e specimens from Jebel Chambi

Map 4 .
Distribution of O. spinicaudus in Tunisia.Th e Matmata record is marked with an arrow.Map 3. Distribution of C. gervaisianus in Tunisia.

Map 6 .
Distribution of C. punicus in Tunisia.Map 5. Distribution of C. trisulcatus in Tunisia.