Glomerida is an order of pill-millipedes found primarily in the Northern Hemisphere. Also known as northern pill millipedes, 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.
Polydesmida is the largest order of millipedes, with more than 5,000 species, including all the millipedes reported to produce hydrogen cyanide (HCN). This order is also the most diverse of the millipede orders in terms of morphology. Millipedes in this order are found in all regions of the world other than Antarctica.
Glomeridesmida is an order of millipedes in the infraclass Pentazonia containing two families and at least 35 described species. Glomeridesmida is the only living order of the superorder Limacomorpha. Glomeridesmidans are also known as slug millipedes.
Chordeumatida is a large order of millipedes containing some 1200 species with a nearly worldwide distribution. Also known as sausage millipedes, they 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.
Glomeridesmidae is a millipede family of the order Glomeridesmida. This family includes two genera: The genus Glomeridesmus includes most species in this family; the genus Glomeridesmoides includes one species.
Metopidiotrichidae is a family of millipedes in the order Chordeumatida. These millipedes range from 4 mm to 17 mm in length. Adult millipedes in this family have 32 segments, not the 30 segments usually found in this order. Adult males in this family often feature a reduced or vestigial leg pair 10 as part of the gonopod complex, in addition to the two leg pairs typically modified into gonopods in this order. There are about 9 genera and at least 70 described species in Metopidiotrichidae.
Speophilosomatidae is a family of millipedes belonging to the order Chordeumatida. These millipedes are found in Japan and range from 4 mm to 6 mm in length. Adult millipedes in this family are notable for being among the few in this order with only 26 segments instead of the 30 usually found in chordeumatidans. The adult males in this family are also notable for involving three leg pairs in the gonopod complex rather than the two pairs typically modified into gonopods in this order.
Vandeleumatidae is a family of millipedes belonging to the order Chordeumatida. Adult millipedes in this family have 28 or 30 segments.
Chamaesomatidae is a family of millipedes belonging to the order Chordeumatida. These millipedes range from 3.3 mm to 12 mm in length and are found in Europe and North Africa. Adult millipedes in this family have 26, 28, or 30 segments. This family includes the species Chamaesoma broelemanni, notable as one of only a few chordeumatidan species with only 26 segments in adults, four fewer segments than typically found in adults in this order. The adult female of this species has only 42 pairs of legs, and the adult male has only 40 pairs of walking legs, excluding two pairs of gonopods.
Pygmaeosomatidae is a family of millipedes belonging to the order Chordeumatida. Adult millipedes in this family have 30 or 32 segments.
Peterjohnsiidae is a small family of millipedes belonging to the order Chordeumatida. The family was first described in 1987 by Jean-Paul Mauriès. These millipedes range from 3 mm to 8 mm in length and are found in Australia. Species in this family exhibit sexual dimorphism in segment number: adult males have 30 segments, but adult females have 32 segments. In adult males in this family, the gonopod complex involves three leg pairs rather than just the two usually modified into gonopods in this order.
Haaseidae is a family of millipedes belonging to the order Chordeumatida. These millipedes are found in central and southeastern Europe. Adult millipedes in this family range from 4.5 mm to 12 mm in length and have either 28 or 30 segments. For example, Haasea hungarica has only 28 segments in adults rather than the 30 usually found in adults in the order Chordeumatida, with only 46 pairs of legs in adult females and only 44 pairs of walking legs in adult males.
Kirkayakidae is a family of millipedes belonging to the order Chordeumatida. This family was formerly known as Altajellidae. Adult millipedes in this family have 28 segments rather than the 30 segments usually found in chordeumatidans.
Hoffmaneumatidae is a family of millipedes belonging to the order Chordeumatida. This family includes two genera, one (Hoffmaneuma) found in the Russian Far East and the other (Japanoparvus) found in Japan. Millipedes in this family range from 4 mm to 6 mm in length. Adult millipedes in this family have only 28 segments, not the 30 segments usually found in this order. Adult males in this family feature a reduced leg pair 10 in addition to the two pairs normally modified into gonopods in this order. In the adult male of the species Hoffmaneuma exiguum, for example, the gonopod complex derives from all three leg pairs rather than from just the usual two.
Haplobainosomatidae is a family of millipedes belonging to the order Chordeumatida. Adult millipedes in this family have 30 segments.
Opisthocheiridae is a family of millipedes belonging to the order Chordeumatida. These millipedes range from 5 mm to 16 mm in length and are found from Belgium to Morocco. Adult millipedes in this family have 26 or 30 segments. This family includes the cave-dwelling species Opisthocheiron canayerensis, notable as one of only a few chordeumatidan species with only 26 segments in adults, four fewer segments than typically found in adults in this order. The adult female of this species has only 42 pairs of legs, and the adult male has only 40 pairs of walking legs, excluding two pairs of gonopods.
Opisthocheiron is a genus of millipedes in the family Opisthocheiridae. These millipedes are found in France and Spain. The French entomologist Henri Ribaut created this genus in 1913 to contain the newly discovered type species Opisthocheiron penicillatum. This genus also includes the cave-dwelling species Opisthocheiron canayerensis, notable as one of only a few species in the order Chordeumatida with only 26 segments in adults, four fewer segments than typically found in adults in this order. The adult female of this species has only 42 pairs of legs, and the adult male has only 40 pairs of walking legs, excluding two pairs of gonopods.
Opisthocheiron canayerensis is a species of millipede in the family Opisthocheiridae. This species is found in France, far inside deep caves. This millipede is notable as one of only a few species in the order Chordeumatida with only 26 segments in adults, four fewer segments than typically found in adults this order.
Chamaesoma is a monotypic genus of millipede in the family Chamaesomatidae, and Chamaesoma broelemanni is the only species in this genus. This millipede is notable as one of only a few species in the order Chordeumatida with only 26 segments in adults, four fewer segments than typically found in adults this order. This species lives on the surface of the soil and is distributed across most of France and Luxembourg. The genus Chamaesoma and its only species were first described by the German zoologist K.W. Verhoeff in 1913 based on type material found by the French zoologists Henri Brölemann and Henri Ribaut under wet leaf litter near St. Béat in the Pyrenees in France.
Lipseuma is a genus of millipedes in the family Kashmireumatidae. This genus contains only two species, the type species L. josianae and its close relative L. bernardi. Both species are troglobites found in caves in China.
