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* Correspondence: ivan.tuf@upol.cz There are many species inhabiting soil as spaces in soil offer free ecological niches (Růžička, 1999). Nevertheless, life underground is enabled by specific adaptations. Christiansen (1992) summarized exaptations as the key factor necessary for colonization of subterranean habitats, although we do not know for which environmental factors these preadaptations were evolved. Vandel (1965) suggested that cave species probably evolved from surface-dwelling species (terrestrial as well as aquatic ones). Recent studies support an alternative view: adaptations to life in soil are good preadaptations to life in caves as well as in the mesovoid shallow substratum (MSS, i.e. spaces in soil and bedrock mainly; Ortuño et al., 2013). Růžička (1999) showed that some troglomorphic species of spiders in Central Europe are related to species inhabiting forest soils, screes, rock fissures, mountain snowfields, and peat bogs. The vertical distribution of spiders in the soil was recently studied in forests (Deltshev et al., 2011; Laška et al., 2011; Růžička et al., 2011), peat bogs (Biteniekytė and Rėlys, 2006), and screes (Culver and Pipan, 2009; Pipan et al., 2011). Nevertheless, the vertical distribution of centipedes in soil and the MSS has rarely been studied (Nitzu et al., 1999; Ilie, 2003; Rendoš et al., 2012, 2016) and then at the community level only, so we do not have information about the distribution of individual species in the soil profile. The aim of this study is to describe the vertical distribution of individual centipede species at three localities with different soil conditions. The study was done at three localities in eastern Bohemia, 10 km northwest of Skuteč. The first locality, called beech, was in this type of wood near the village of Hluboká. The soil was covered by approximately 15 cm of leaf litter. The clay layer of 30 cm lay on cracked marl bedrock. The second locality was situated in slate quarry near the village of Hněvětice. This slate quarry soil profile was almost homogeneous, created by bigger stones (approx. 10–15 cm) with some amount of soil among them. The third locality was located in the valley of the Krounka River between Hněvětice and Předhradí. There was a scree slope of big stones (20–30 cm) partially filled by soil and detritus. Centipedes were sampled using subterranean traps according to the alpine model of Schlick-Steiner and Steiner (2000), similar to that of López and Oromí (2010). Traps were made from long tubes buried in a vertical position from the soil surface to a depth of 130 cm. Walls of the tube were perforated in intervals of 10 cm. Inside the tubes there were systems of 10 pots with fixation solution, which collected the animals entering into tubes at depths of 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85, and 95 cm, respectively. As a fixation solution, 4% formaldehyde was used. At each locality, three traps were installed in one hollow. The distance between traps was 50–60 cm. During installation of traps, the hollow was filled by material (soil, stones) considering the original stratification of stones. Traps were Abstract: Communities of centipedes (Chilopoda) were studied at three localities in eastern Bohemia (Czech Republic) near the town of Skuteč using modified subterranean traps. Centipedes were trapped separately from depths of 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85, and 95 cm to allow evaluation of the vertical distribution in the soil. Presence of centipedes in deeper soil profiles is related to their ability to colonize the subterranean environment. Lithobius tenebrosus fennoscandius, L. lucifugus, L. macilentus, Cryptops parisi, Strigamia acuminata, and S. transsilvanica inhabited deeper soil layers preferentially. This study shows that soil can be inhabited by cave centipedes or centipedes with montane distribution.

Can montane and cave centipedes inhabit soil?