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Millipedes are a group of arthropods that are characterised by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the class Diplopoda, the name derived from this feature. Each double-legged segment is a result of two single segments fused together. Most millipedes have very elongated cylindrical or flattened bodies with more than 20 segments, while pill millipedes are shorter and can roll into a ball. Although the name "millipede" derives from the Latin for "thousand feet", no species was known to have 1,000 or more until the discovery of Eumillipes persephone, which can have over 1,300 legs. There are approximately 12,000 named species classified into 16 orders and around 140 families, making Diplopoda the largest class of myriapods, an arthropod group which also includes centipedes and other multi-legged creatures.
Pill millipedes are any members of two living orders of millipedes, often grouped together into a single superorder, Oniscomorpha. The name Oniscomorpha refers to the millipedes' resemblance to certain woodlice (Oniscidea), also called pillbugs or "roly-polies". However, millipedes and woodlice are not closely related ; rather, this is a case of convergent evolution.
The Javan mongoose is a mongoose species native to Southeast Asia.
Glomerida is an order of pill-millipedes found primarily in the Northern Hemisphere. They superficially resemble pill-bugs or woodlice, and can enroll into a protective ball. They have twelve body segments, 17 to 19 pairs of legs, and males have enlarged rear legs involved in mating. The order includes about 30 genera and at least 280 species, including Glomeris marginata, the common European pill-millipede. The order contains members in Europe, South-east Asia and the Americas from California to Guatemala. Although historically considered closely related with the similar sphaerotheriidans that also enroll, some DNA evidence suggest they may be more closely related to glomeridesmidans, a poorly known order that does not enroll.
Spirostreptida is an order of long, cylindrical millipedes. There are approximately 1000 described species, making Spirostreptida the third largest order of millipedes after Polydesmida and Chordeumatida.
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).
Sphaerotheriida is an order of millipedes in the infraclass Pentazonia, sometimes known as giant pill millipedes. They inhabit Southern Africa, Madagascar, South and Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Like the Northern Hemisphere pill millipedes of the order Glomerida, these millipedes can roll into a ball when disturbed. When they are rolled-up, most sphaerotheriidans reach a maximum size of a cherry or golf ball, but some species from Madagascar can even reach the size of an orange. When rolled-up, predators are unable to unravel giant pill millipedes since the margins of their second and last dorsal plates fit perfectly into one another, creating a sealed ball. A few giant pill millipede species are able to produce sound, the only millipedes known to do this. This order of millipedes is also unique in that some African species are used for medicinal purposes.
Julida is an order of millipedes. Members are mostly small and cylindrical, typically ranging from 10–120 millimetres (0.39–4.72 in) in length. Eyes may be present or absent, and in mature males of many species, the first pair of legs is modified into hook-like structures. Additionally, both pairs of legs on the 7th body segment of males are modified into gonopods.
Phyllogonostreptus nigrolabiatus is a common species of millipede found in India, and Sri Lanka.
Zephroniidae is a family of giant pill millipedes in the taxonomic order Sphaerotheriida. They occur in southeast Asia from the Himalayas and China south and east to Sulawesi and to Australia, and also inhabit some Philippine islands.
Polyzoniida is an order of millipedes in the subterclass Colobognatha containing three families and at least 74 described species.
Platydesmida is an order of millipedes containing two families and over 60 species. Some species practice paternal care, in which males guard the eggs.
Callipodida is an order of millipedes containing around 130 species, many characterized by crests or ridges.
Orthomorpha is a genus of millipedes in the family Paradoxosomatidae containing approximately 50 species distributed in Southeast Asia.
Chordeumatida is a large order of millipedes containing some 1200 species with a nearly worldwide distribution. Also known as "sausage millipedes," they possess around 30 body segments behind the head as adults and reach about 25 mm (0.98 in) in length.
Stemmiulida is an order of millipedes consisting of approximately 130 species, reaching up to 50 mm in length. It contains a single family, Stemmiulidae.
Brachycybe (Greek for "short head") is a genus of andrognathid millipedes with species in the United States and East Asia. In a rare example of paternal care in invertebrates, males of most species guard the eggs until they hatch.
Bollmania is a genus of millipedes with around six species occurring from Central through East Asia, including Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and China. The genus was established by entomologist Filippo Silvestri in 1896, and is named in honor of Charles Harvey Bollman. Bollmania is the sole genus of the family Caspiopetalidae.
Scytonotus is a genus of flat-backed millipedes in the family Polydesmidae. There are about 17 described species in Scytonotus.
References
- ↑ Likhitrakarn, N.; Golovatch, S. I.; Inkhavilay, K.; Sutcharit, C.; Srisonchai, R.; Panha, S. (2017). "Two new species of the millipede genus Glyphiulus Gervais, 1847 from Laos (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Cambalopsidae)". ZooKeys (722): 1–18. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.722.21192 . PMC 5740414 . PMID 29308027.
- ↑ "Review of the millipede genus Glyphiulus Gervais, 1847 with descriptions of new species from Southeast Asia" (PDF). sciencepress. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
- ↑ "Four new species of the Glyphiulus javanicus group from southern China (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Cambalopsidae)". Zootaxa. Retrieved 3 April 2018.