Richard Lawrence Hoffman was an American zoologist known as an international expert on millipedes, and a leading authority on the natural history of Virginia and the Appalachian Mountains. He was a biology professor at Virginia's Radford College for almost thirty years, and curator of invertebrates at the Virginia Museum of Natural History for another twenty years. He co-founded the Virginia Natural History Society, described over 400 species of millipedes, and produced more than 480 scientific publications. He is commemorated in the scientific and/or common names of over 30 animal species, including the valley and ridge salamander and Hoffman's dwarf centipede.
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.
Urochordeuma is a genus of millipedes in the order Chordeumatida and the only genus in the family Urochordeumatidae. Adult millipedes in this family have 30 segments. The two species are known from the U.S. state of Washington, where U. bumpusi is known from Pierce County, and U. porona from King County.
Haplodesmidae is a family of millipedes in the order Polydesmida. Species occur in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania, although some species have been introduced to the New world tropics. Species are small bodied, often with elaborate sculpturing on the tergites, and some species are capable of rolling into a near-complete ball.
Fuhrmannodesmidae is a family of millipedes belonging to the order Polydesmida. The family includes over 50 genera. This family includes three species 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. This family also includes several genera notable for featuring sexual dimorphism in segment number: adult females in these genera have the usual 20 segments, but adult males have only 19. Millipedes in these species arrive at these lower numbers of segments by going through the same stages of teloanamorphosis observed in other polydesmids but reaching maturity one moult earlier for 19 segments or two moults earlier for 18 segments.
Anthroleucosomatidae is a family of millipedes in the order Chordeumatida. These millipedes range from 3.5 mm to 28 mm in length. Adult millipedes in this family have 26, 28, 30, or 31 segments. This family includes Metamastigophorophyllon martensi, notable as the only chordeumatidan species with 31 segments. There are about 38 genera in Anthroleucosomatidae.
Caseyidae is a family of millipedes in the order Chordeumatida. Adult millipedes in this family have 30 segments. There are about 7 genera and at least 40 described species in Caseyidae.
Cleidogonidae is a family of millipedes in the order Chordeumatida. Adult millipedes in this family have 28, 29, or 30 segments. This family includes the genus Tianella, notable for featuring adult millipedes with 29 segments, a number not found in the adults of any other chordeumatidan species. All Tianella species have adults with 29 segments except for two in which adults have only 28 segments. In the Tianella species with 29 segments, adult females have 48 pairs of legs, as one would expect in adult female chordeumatidans with one segment fewer than the 30 usually found in this order. There are seven genera and at least 140 described species in Cleidogonidae.
Conotylidae is a family of millipedes in the order Chordeumatida. Adult millipedes in this family have 30 segments. There are about 19 genera and at least 60 described species in Conotylidae.
Craspedosomatidae is a family of millipedes in the order Chordeumatida. Most adult millipedes in this family have 30 segments, but some have only 28. There are at least 30 genera and 210 described species in Craspedosomatidae.
Rhiscosomides is a genus of millipedes in the order Chordeumatida with seven described species, and is the only genus in the family Rhiscosomididae. Adult millipedes in this family have 30 segments.
Tingupidae is a family of millipedes in the order Chordeumatida. Adult millipedes in this family have 28 or 30 segments. There are 2 genera and 13 described species in Tingupidae.
Trichopetalidae is a family of millipedes in the order Chordeumatida. Adult millipedes in this family have 28 or 30 segments. There are about 5 genera and at least 30 described species in Trichopetalidae.
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.
Buotidae is a family of millipedes belonging to the order Chordeumatida. This family contains a single species, Buotus carolinus, which exhibits sexual dimorphism in segment number: the adult female has 28 segments, but the adult male has only 26, both fewer than the 30 usually found in this order. These millipedes are very small and have been found in the mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina.
Apterouridae is a family of millipedes belonging to the order Chordeumatida. Adult millipedes in this family have 30 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.
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.
Kashmireumatidae is a small family of millipedes belonging to the order Chordeumatida. These millipedes range from 5 mm to 14 mm in length and are found in East Asia. Adult millipedes in this family have only 26 or 28 segments rather than the 30 segments usually found in this order. In the species Vieteuma topali, adults have 26 segments, whereas in all other species in this family, adults have 28 segments.
