Seasonal patterns of activity of Scolopendra cretica and S. cingulata (Chilopoda, Scolopendromorpha) in East Mediterranean maquis ecosystem

Abstract

The seasonal activity patterns of Scolopendra cingulata and S. cretica in relation to abiotic factors and microhabitat preferences in five eastern Mediterranean maquis formations were studied. The abundance of both species proved to be spatially non-variant, suggesting a uniform distribution of populations, which exhibited a statistically similar phenological pattern, peaking in early-midsummer. The variability of the temporal activity patterns in Crete, Naxos and Cyprus denotes the influence of insularity and rapid change of environmental conditions to the phenology of both species. The annually consistent seasonal activity represents an invariant pattern in continental areas such as Attiki and Samos. Although young and large adults were more abundant than juveniles, the microhabitat preferences of scolopendrids did not differ between the two species and in relation to age class and study site and did not change temporally. The correlation of abundance with high air temperature and low air relative humidity and precipitation shows that both species are thermophilous and xerophilous, well adapted to the environmental conditions of the eastern Mediterranean region.