Soil centipedes (Chilopoda, Geophilomorpha) in the Val Camonica forests (Southern Alps): species composition and richness

Soil centipedes (Chilopoda, Geophilomorpha) are a widespread group of predators in the forest soils of the European Alps. While in the eastern and western parts of the Southern Prealps, larger efforts were devoted to sample and study the geophilomorph fauna, little is known about species richness and composition of geophilomorph communities in the central part of Southern Prealps. In this work, five sites located in the Val Camonica were surveyed by hand searching, between November 2021 and July 2022 and their species richness was estimated applying non-parametrical statistical methods (Chao-1 and Abundance-based Coverage Estimator) to account for incomplete detection. A total of 18 species were found amongst the five sites. A maximum of 12 species were recorded in each single site, while estimates suggest that another 1-3 species were likely undetected. Species composition were found highly variable also between sites with similar species richness.

Automated summary

This study surveyed five sites in the Val Camonica, finding a total of 18 species of soil centipedes. Each site recorded a maximum of 12 species, with an estimated 1-3 species likely remaining undetected. Species composition varied greatly even between sites with similar species richness.