Distribution, activity, life‐history and standing crop of Julidae (Diplopoda, Myriapoda) in the Central High Alps (Tyrol, Austria)*

Abstract

The research area includes subalpine meadows, alder communities, dwarf‐shrub heaths, lichen heaths and highalpine meadows (1960 m–3090 m a.s.l.). The material consists of 4419 Julidae (31.6% adult) collected by extraction of litter samples (66.4%), in pitfall traps (26.3%) and by handsampling (7.3%). Cylindroiulus meinerti (Verhoeff) only occurred below 2000 m; Leptoiulus saltuvagus (Verhoeff) was mainly found at Alnus viridis sites; Leptoiulus simplex (Verhoeff) had its main distribution in the lichen heath (2200‐2300 m); Ommatoiulus sabulosus (L.) was found most frequently in the subalpine meadow and Leptoiulus alemannicus (Verhoeff) occurred up to 2800 m without any altitudinal concentration.Adults of L. saltuvagus showed only one distinct activity peak in September, those of L. simplex were diplochronous (June/September) and O. sabulosus summer stenochronous (July). L. saltuvagus reached maturity in stage IX (only males), X or XI after four or five Years. In their first year of growth the members of a generation reached the third or fourth stage, in the second year the sixth or seventh, in the third year the eighth or ninth. Females could carry full‐sized eggs in the autumn of the fourth year in the tenth stage or in the fifth year in stage eleven. Apparently eggs may be laid in spring of the fifth or sixth year. Overwintering density of L saltuvagus in alder litter was found to be 215.6 ± 38.7 inds m−2, the mean biomass 1.16 g m−2(max. 1.88 g m−2). Mean annual production during the growth period of 4‐5 months was in the order of 0.85 g m−2 (max. 1.36 g m−2).