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ecological and faunistic notes (Zapparoli, 2006b, 2007; Fanfani et al., 2006;
Zapparoli and Peroni, 2007; Zapparoli and Biondi, 2007), provides therefore
an up-to-date picture of the knowledge on the composition, the detailed distri-
butions and the local habitat preferences of the centipede fauna of the area.
In contrast with other Italian geographic districts, such as the south-eastern
Alps, the western Alps, the Ligurian Apennines, the Calabrian-Lucano
Apennines and Sardinia, for which there exist relatively complete and mod-
ern faunistic and zoogeographic studies (Minelli, 1983, 1991; Minelli and
Zapparoli, 1985, 1992; Zapparoli, 1986, 1989), the centrai Apennines still
lacks a comprehensive analysis of the fauna. Therefore, the object of this paper
is to provide a generai view of the present knowledge on the centipede fauna
of the centrai Apennines and its zoogeographic significance.

STUDYAREA

The area taken under investigation in this study is the part of peninsular Italy
that lies between the Ombrone and Foglia Rivers, to the north, and the Volturno
and Fortore Rivers, to the south; the Ombrone and Volturno Rivers flow imo
the Tyrrhenian Sea, an d the Foglia an d Fortore Rivers flow imo the Adriatic Sea.
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This area, which is near 52,700 km wide, corresponds to the centrai sector of
theApennines Province (Ruffo and Vigna Taglianti, 2002; Minelli et al., 2006),
and it includes seven administrative regions: Umbria, Lazio, Abruzzo and Molise
in their entirety, an d parts of Marches, T uscany an d Campania.
From an orographic point of view, three main parallellimestone mountain
chains are generally recognized in this area. They run from north-west to south-
east andare separated from one another by deep, wide valleys (Landi Vittorj,
1989). The more western chain is constituted, from the north to the south, by
the Sabini (1,287 m), Prenestini (1,218 m), Simbruini (2,156 m), Emici (1,951
m), and Cairo Mountains (1,669 m). The Reatini (2,213 m), Carseolani (1,803
m), Velino (2,487 m), Sirente (2,349 m) Mountains, as well as Marsicana
Mountain (including the reliefs of the National Park of Abruzzo, 2,000-2,400
m) and the Matese Massif (2,050 m) are considered the centrai part of the sys-
tem. The more orientai chain comprises the massifs ofNerone (1,525 m), Catria
(1,701 m), Sibillini (2,476 m) and Laga (2,455 m) Mountains, as well as the
Gran Sasso (2,912 m) and Maiella (2,795 m) Mountains. Along the Tyrrhenian
coast, separated by the valley o( the Sacco River, there are some modest lime-
stone groups; commonly known as the Anti-Apennines, represented by the
Lepini (1,536 m), Ausoni (1,090 m) andAurunci (1,533 m) Mountains.
Besides the limestone reliefs of the centrai and the Anti-Apennines, this
study also includes the mountain and hilly areas of volcanic origin along the
Tyrrhenian side (from north to south: Amiata Mountain, 1,738 m; Tolfa, 616

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