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 tight ball. Although the name "millipede" derives from Latin for "thousand feet", no species was known to have 1,000 or more until the discovery in 2020 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.
Armadillidiidae is a family of woodlice, a terrestrial crustacean group in the order Isopoda. Unlike members of some other woodlice families, members of this family can roll into a ball, an ability they share with the outwardly similar but unrelated pill millipedes and other animals. This ability gives woodlice in this family their common names of pill bugs or roly polies. Other common names include slaters,potato bugs, butchy boys and doodle bugs. Most species are native to the Mediterranean Basin, while a few species have wider European distributions. The best-known species, Armadillidium vulgare, was introduced to New England in the early 19th century and has become widespread throughout North America.
KarlWilhelm Verhoeff was a German myriapodologist and entomologist, specialising in myriapods as well as woodlice and to a lesser extent insects.
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.
Brachyiulus is a genus of millipedes, containing around eight species, most of which live in the Mediterranean Basin of Europe and Asia. The species B. pusillus has been introduced widely around the world
Julidae is a family of millipedes in the order Julida, containing more than 600 species in around 20 genera. Its members are largely confined to the Western Palaearctic, with only a few species extending into the Oriental and Afrotropical realms. They are united by a characteristic form of the mouthparts, and are classified in the superfamily Juloidea of the order Julida, alongside the families Trichoblaniulidae, Rhopaloiulidae and Trichonemasomatidae.
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.
Julus curvicornis is a species of millipede from the Julidae family. It was described by Karl Wilhelm Verhoeff in 1899 and is endemic to Slovakia.
Pachyiulus asiaeminoris is a species of millipede in the family Julidae. It was described by Karl Wilhelm Verhoeff in 1898 and is found on Crete and in the Near East.
Pachyiulus is a genus of julid millipedes containing the following species:
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.
Robert Latzel was an Austrian myriapodologist and entomologist who published a series of pioneering works on millipedes, centipedes, and allies. His collection of myriapod specimens, today housed in the Natural History Museum of Vienna, includes many type specimens. His monographs on the myriapods of the Austro-Hungarian Empire were the first comprehensive treatments of the large region's centipede and millipede faunas. He named nearly 130 taxa of millipedes and over 40 centipede groups, as well as four taxa each of pauropods and symphylans. His work on millipedes pioneered the use of gonopods in millipede classification and species recognition. At least three authors have honored Latzel by naming a genus Latzelia.
Ophyiulus is a genus of millipedes in the family Julidae. There are more than 30 described species in Ophyiulus.
Polyzonium is a genus of millipedes belonging to the family Polyzoniidae and order Polyzoniida.
Trichopolydesmidae is a family of millipedes belonging to the order Polydesmida. This family includes two genera notable for featuring sexual dimorphism in segment number: adult females in these genera have the 20 segments usually found in this order, but adult males have only 19. This family also includes the species Deharvengius bedosae, notable for being among the very few species in this order to feature adults with only 18 segments rather than the 20 segments usually found in polydesmids.
Glomeris hexasticha, also known as the eastern six-striped pill millipede or the diagonal-striped pill millipede, is a species of pill millipede within the family Glomeridae and order Glomerida. The pill millipede is widely distributed within many European countries, with the species consisting of over twenty different subspecies.
Glomeris balcanica, also known as the Balkan pill millipede, is a species of pill millipede within the family Glomeridae and order Glomerida.
Glomeris pulchra is a species of pill millipede within the genus Glomeris and the family Glomeridae. The species is native to South-eastern Europe, where it can be found in the countries of: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Montenegro and North Macedonia.
Polyzonium eburneum, is a species of millipede within the genus Polyzonium and family Polyzoniidae. The species is native to the European countries of Austria, Italy, Poland and Slovakia, where it can be found inhabiting the mountain ranges of the Eastern Alps and Western Carpathian.
Polydesmus complanatus is species of millipede in the family Polydesmidae. The species can be found in most of Europe except for countries west of Germany.
