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.
Sphaeromimus, or the chirping giant pill millipedes, is a genus of giant pill millipedes endemic to southeastern Madagascar. Though described in 1902, the genus was up to 2005 known from a single male specimen, whose appearance was so unusual that the authors suspected a mislabeled giant pill-millipede from India. Their unusual and distinct morphology includes well-developed stridulation organs, probably as devices for courtship. These are the male ‘harp’ and the female ‘washboard’, which contain more stridulation ribs than in other members of the order Sphaerotheriida. They have a closer affinity with the Indian genus Arthrosphaera than to other Malagasy genera, though all belong to the Arthrosphaeridae.
Arthrosphaeridae is a family of giant pill millipedes that are found in Madagascar, the Western Ghats of India, and Sri Lanka. The largest pill-millipede in the world, Zoosphaerium neptunus belongs to this family and is known to swarm at certain times of the year.
Chryseobacterium arthrosphaerae is a Gram-negative and rod-shaped bacteria from the genus Chryseobacterium which has been isolated from the faeces of the pill millipede Arthrosphaera magna in India.
Microbacterium agarici is a Gram-positive and rod-shaped bacterium from the genus Microbacterium which has been isolated from the mushroom Agaricus blazei in Taiwan.
Microbacterium amylolyticum is a Gram-positive, heterotrophic, aerobic, non-spore-forming and non-motile bacterium from the genus Microbacterium which has been isolated from soil from an industrial waste site in Noida in India.
Microbacterium humi is a Gram-positive and rod-shaped bacterium from the genus Microbacterium which has been isolated from the fungus Agaricus blazei in Taiwan.
Microbacterium immunditiarum is a Gram-positive and non-spore-forming bacterium from the genus Microbacterium which has been isolated from soil from a municipal landfill in Chandigarh, India.
Microbacterium indicum is a bacterium from the genus Microbacterium which has been isolated from deep-sea sediments from the Chagos Trench in the Indian Ocean.
Microbacterium invictum is a Gram-positive and facultatively aerobic bacterium from the genus Microbacterium which has been isolated from compost in Portugal.
Microbacterium lindanitolerans is a Gram-positive, aerobic and rod-shaped bacterium from the genus Microbacterium which has been isolated from soil which was contaminated with hexachlorocyclohexane in India.
Microbacterium murale is a Gram-positive bacterium from the genus Microbacterium which has been isolated from an indoor wall in Giessen in Germany.
The Tanzanian Pill Bug Millipede,, is a species of pill millipede in the family Arthrosphaeridae. It is found in many African and Asian countries including India and Sri Lanka. Mature individuals of the species reach 3–4 cm in length. Adults are pale brown in colour with black lines in between the segments, whereas juveniles are dark brown. The species is one of the most commonly kept giant pill millipede species within the exotic pet keeping hobby. An introduced population of Arthrosphaera brandtii exists on the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania.
Arthrosphaera corrugata, is a species of pill millipedes in the family Arthrosphaeridae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka
Arthrosphaera leopardina, is a species of pill millipedes in the family Arthrosphaeridae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka.
Arthrosphaera pilifera, is a species of pill millipedes in the family Arthrosphaeridae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka.
Arthrosphaera ruginosa, is a species of pill millipedes in the family Arthrosphaeridae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka.
Arthrosphaera versicolor, is a species of pill millipedes in the family Arthrosphaeridae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka.
Microbacterium pseudoresistens is a Gram-positive and rod-shaped bacterium from the genus Microbacterium which has been isolated from the fungus Agaricus blazei in Taiwan.
Microbacterium sediminis is a Gram-positive, rod-shaped, aerobic, psychrotolerant, thermotolerant, halotolerant, alkalitolerant bacterium from the genus Microbacterium which has been isolated from deep-sea sediments from the Indian Ocean.
