Desmoxytes, whose species are commonly known as the dragon millipedes, is a genus of millipedes of the family Paradoxosomatidae found in Southeast Asia. The genus was described by Ralph Vary Chamberlin in 1923, and reviewed by Sergei Golovatch and Henrik Enghoff in 1994. At least 18 species are known from to Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand. One species, D. planata, has also been observed in Sri Lanka, the Andaman Islands, Seychelles, Java, Great Coco Island, and Fiji; however, this species has expanded its range by being transported through human activity. Several species have only recently been discovered, and some have yet to be officially described.
Polydesmida is the largest order of millipedes, containing approximately 3,500 species, including all the millipedes reported to produce hydrogen cyanide (HCN). Polydesmids grow and develop through a series of moults, adding segments until they reach a fixed number in the adult stage, which is usually the same for a given sex in a given species, at which point the moulting and the addition of segments and legs stop. This mode of development, known as teloanamorphosis, distinguishes this order from most other orders of millipedes, which usually continue to moult as adults, developing through either euanamorphosis or hemianamorphosis.
Hylomus is a genus of millipede of the family Paradoxosomatidae found in southeast Asia.
Xystodesmidae is a family of millipedes. Its members often have very small distributional areas, with many species only known from a single locality. They are found across the northern hemisphere, with peak diversity in the Appalachian Mountains, where one-third of the 300 or so species occur. They are particularly abundant in deciduous broadleaf forests in the Mediterranean Basin, Africa, Asia, Central and North America, and Russia. Information on basic taxonomy is scant for this family; for example, it is estimated that the genus Nannaria contains over 200 species, but only 25 were described as of 2006. By 2022, 78 species in Nannaria have been described.
Paradoxosomatidae, the only family in the suborder Paradoxosomatidea, is a family of flat-backed millipedes in the order Polydesmida. Containing nearly 200 genera and 975 species as of 2013, it is one of the largest families of millipedes. Paradoxosomatids occur on all continents except Antarctica, and can generally be distinguished by dorsal grooves on most body segments and a dumb-bell shaped gonopod aperture. Notable groups within the Paradoxosomatidae include the dragon millipedes of Southeast Asia, and the widely introduced greenhouse millipede Oxidus gracilis.
Orthomorpha is a genus of millipedes in the family Paradoxosomatidae containing approximately 50 species distributed in Southeast Asia.
Orthomorpha coarctata, the long-flange millipede, is a widely introduced species of Polydesmidan millipede of the family Paradoxosomatidae. It is presumed native to Southeast Asia but due to transport by humans occurs in tropical and sub-tropical areas throughout the world, including the Hawaiian Islands, the West Indies, Gulf Coast of North America, and the Galápagos Islands.
Casimir Albrecht Willem Jeekel (1922–2010) was a Dutch myriapodologist and entomologist known for his major contributions to the taxonomy of millipedes. His 1971 monograph Nomenclator Generum et Familiarum Diplopodorum is credited as launching the "modern era" of millipede taxonomy, and has been considered the "most important single work ever published on the Diplopoda". He served as director of the Zoological Museum Amsterdam, and authored over 150 works on the taxonomy of millipedes and other myriapods.
Ammodesmidae is a family of small millipedes endemic to Africa, containing seven species in two genera. Ammodesmids range from 1.4 to 5.0 mm long with 18 or 19 body segments in both sexes, and are capable of rolling into a tight sphere.
Chamberlinius is a genus of flat-backed millipedes in the family Paradoxosomatidae. There are five species; 3 of which occur only Taiwan, one only in the Ryukyu Islands of southeast Japan, and one occurring in both areas. Individuals are 25–37 mm (0.98–1.46 in) long and up to 5.5 mm wide, colored in pale yellow to brown, sometimes with dark brown markings on the anterior portion of body segments.
Boreohesperus is a genus of paradoxosomatid millipedes containing six species native to Western Australia. The name refers to the northwestern distribution in Australia, deriving from Boreas, Greek god of the North, and hesperus, Latin for "west".
Anoplodesmus humberti is a species of millipede in the family Paradoxosomatidae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka, which was first documented from Peradeniya.
Anoplodesmus inornatus, is a species of millipedes in the family Paradoxosomatidae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka, which was first documented from Peradeniya.
Anoplodesmus sabulosus, is a species of millipedes in the family Paradoxosomatidae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka, which was first documented from Kandy.
Anoplodesmus saussurii is a species of millipedes in the family Paradoxosomatidae. It was once thought endemic to Sri Lanka, but it was later found in Fiji and Mauritius.
Paranedyopus simplex, is a species of millipedes in the family Paradoxosomatidae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka, first documented from Pundaloya. The species is greatly differ from other members of the genus due to reduced paraterga and more elaborate gonopods.
Tonkinosoma tiani, is a species of millipede belonging to the family Paradoxosomatidae. It is found from caves in southern China.
Lissodesmus is a genus of the Dalodesmidae family of Millipedes. Species of the genus are found in Australia. They are commonly known as Tasmanian multipedes.
Desmoxytes cervina, is a species of millipede in the family Paradoxosomatidae. It is known from Myanmar and Thailand.
Desmoxytes golovatchi, is a species of millipede in the family Paradoxosomatidae, that can be found in Thailand.
