Xystodesmidae

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Xystodesmidae
Apheloriavirginiensis.jpg
Apheloria virginiensis
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Myriapoda
Class: Diplopoda
Order: Polydesmida
Suborder: Leptodesmidea
Superfamily: Xystodesmoidea
Family: Xystodesmidae
Cook, 1895
Subfamilies

Melaphinae
Parafontariinae
Xystodesminae

Diversity
c. 60 genera, 300+ species
Synonyms

Fontariidae Attems, 1926
Eurydesmidae Chamberlin, 1950

Contents

Xystodesmidae is a family of millipedes in the suborder Leptodesmidea within the order Polydesmida (the "flat-backed" or "keeled" millipedes). [1] The family Xystodesmidae was created by the American biologist Orator F. Cook in 1895 and named after the genus Xystodesmus. [2] [3] This family includes more than 390 known species distributed among 62 genera. [1] Many species, however, remain undescribed: for example, it is estimated that the genus Nannaria contains over 200 species, but only 25 were described as of 2006. [4] By 2022, 78 species in Nannaria have been described. [5]

Distribution

Millipedes in this family are found across the northern hemisphere, with peak diversity in the Appalachian Mountains, where one-third of the 300 or so species occur. [4] They are particularly abundant in deciduous broadleaf forests in the Mediterranean Basin, Africa, Asia, Central and North America, and Russia. [4] Species in this family often have very small distributional areas, with many species only known from a single locality. [6]

Description

Xystodemids are characterized by a relatively broad and compact body shape and one or more spines on the second leg-segments (prefemoral spines) in most species. [7] Millipedes in this family range from 8 mm to 85 mm in length, with moderately convex bodies that taper toward both the front and especially the rear end. The antennae are slender and long. The paranota are normally large and prominent. [1]

Colors range from pitch black to pallid, often with vivid patterns. [1] This family contains many colorful and distinctive species, including Apheloria virginiensis of the eastern U.S. and Harpaphe haydeniana of the western U.S. The Sierra luminous millipedes of the genus Motyxia exhibit the only known examples of bioluminescence in the Polydesmida. Species of Apheloria and Brachoria in the Appalachians exhibit Müllerian mimicry, in which unrelated species resemble one another where they co-occur. [8]

This family also includes the cave-dwelling genus Devillea , notable for having more than the 20 segments (counting the collum as the first segment and the telson as the last) usually found the Polydesmida. [9] [10] For example, in the species D. tuberculata , adult females have 22 segments and adult males have 21, with a corresponding increase in the number of leg pairs (35 in adult females and 32 in adult males, excluding the gonopods). [11] [9] [12] Some species in this genus also exhibit variation in segment number within the same sex, for example, in D. subterranea, adult males can have as few as 19 segments or as many as 23. [9] [12] The species D. doderoi has the maximum number of segments recorded in this family (29, including the telson). [9]

Classification

The family is divided into three subfamilies: the Melaphinae with around 10 species, the Parafontariinae with a dozen species in a single genus, and the Xystodesminae, with many genera and species. [13]

Parafontaria tonominea from Japan Midoribaba yasude 02.jpg
Parafontaria tonominea from Japan

Subfamily Melaphinae

Macellolophini

Melaphini

Subfamily Parafontariinae

Subfamily Xystodesminae

Unidentified Xystodesmidae, either Apheloria montana (Bollman) or Cherokia georgiana (Bollman). Purchase Knob, Smokies National Park, Haywood County, North Carolina, USA. Xystodesmidae sp.jpg
Unidentified Xystodesmidae, either Apheloria montana (Bollman) or Cherokia georgiana (Bollman). Purchase Knob, Smokies National Park, Haywood County, North Carolina, USA.

The subfamily Xystodesminae is subdivided into ten tribes, [13] [14] each ending in the suffix "-ini", although taxonomist Richard Hoffman stated in his 1999 checklist: "I am by no means satisfied that this is the definitive arrangement, nor that the tribal divisions of the Xystodesminae are entirely satisfactory either." [13]

ApheloriiniHoffman, 1980

Chonaphini Verhoeff, 1941

DevilleiniBrölemann, 1916

NannariniHoffman, 1964

OrophiniHoffman, 1964

Orophe unicus, a species of northern Idaho Orophe unicus (F. Xystodesmidae) (4032672731).jpg
Orophe unicus, a species of northern Idaho

Pachydesmini Hoffman, 1980

RhysodesminiBrolemann, 1916

SigmocheiriniCausey, 1955

Xystocheirini Cook, 1904

Xystodesmini Hoffman, 1980

Harpaphe haydeniana, a species of the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. and Canada Harpaphe haydeniana 0446.JPG
Harpaphe haydeniana , a species of the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. and Canada

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polydesmida</span> Order of millipedes

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.

<i>Eutrichodesmus</i> Genus of millipedes

Eutrichodesmus is a genus of millipedes in the family Haplodesmidae, containing at least 32 species in China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. One of these species exhibits sexual dimorphism in segments number: The adult females have 20 segments, but the adult males have only 19.

Tridontomidae is a small family of millipedes. Its members are endemic to Guatemala. These millipedes range from 22 mm to 28 mm in length and are uniformly grayish in color; their legs and antennae are unusually long and slender. This family includes the remarkable species Aenigmopus alatus, in which adult males feature no gonopods. This millipede is the only species in the infraclass Helminthomorpha without gonopods.

<i>Motyxia</i> Genus of millipedes

Motyxia is a genus of cyanide-producing millipedes that are endemic to the southern Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi, and Santa Monica mountain ranges of California. Motyxias are blind and produce the poison cyanide, like all members of the Polydesmida. All species have the ability to glow brightly: some of the few known instances of bioluminescence in millipedes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chordeumatida</span> Order of millipedes

Chordeumatida is a large order of millipedes containing more than 1,400 species. Also known as sausage millipedes, they are found nearly worldwide. Chordeumatida is the largest order in the superorder Nematophora, a group also known as spinning millipedes because their telsons feature spinnerets used to build nests of silk. These millipedes produce this silk to create chambers in which to molt or to lay their eggs.

Brachoria is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Mountains, especially the Cumberland Plateau and Ridge and Valley Province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haplodesmidae</span> Family of millipedes

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polydesmidae</span> Family of millipedes

Polydesmidae is a family of millipedes in the order Polydesmida. This family includes more than 240 species in about 30 genera. These millipedes have a mostly Holarctic distribution that extends south not only to Mexico and North Africa but also as far as Java.

<i>Apheloria</i> Genus of millipedes

Apheloria is a genus of flat-backed millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae, occurring in the central and southeastern United States, and ranging as far north as southern Quebec, Canada. They are aposematically colored in black and contrasting reds and yellows, and some species in the Appalachian Mountains resemble species of Brachoria where they co-occur, a phenomenon known as Müllerian mimicry.

Fuhrmannodesmidae is a family of millipedes belonging to the order Polydesmida. Although some authorities deem Fuhrmannodesmidae to be a junior synonym for Trichopolydesmidae, others still regard the taxonomic status of Fuhrmannodesmidae as valid. The family Fuhrmannodesmidae includes over 50 genera.

<i>Pleuroloma flavipes</i> Species of millipede

Pleuroloma flavipes, commonly known as the traveling cherry millipede, is a species of flat-backed millipede in the family Xystodesmidae. It has the widest distribution of any species of xystodesmid millipede and is found in eastern North America from southeastern North Dakota, eastward to Connecticut, and southward to North Carolina, northern Louisiana, and southern Texas. Pleuroloma flavipes millipedes are occasionally observed in large aggregations of individuals where they appear to move en masse in a certain direction, hence the common name "wandering cherry millipede". In a report from 1950, an aggregation of about 6,000 individuals were encountered on a single bridge at McCormick's Creek State Park, Indiana. The species is extremely variable in coloration, and converges in appearance with several species of Apheloria and Brachoria as a result of mimicry.

Siphonotidae is a family of millipedes in the order Polyzoniida. This family includes more than 70 species distributed among 13 genera. These millipedes are found in South America, South Africa, Madagascar, Southeast Asia, and New Zealand. Millipedes in this family have a narrow telson and are quick and active.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Striariidae</span> Family of millipedes

Striariidae is a family of millipedes in the order Chordeumatida. Adult millipedes in this family have 30 segments. There are at least 3 genera and about 13 described species in Striariidae.

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.

Diplomaragnidae is a family of millipedes belonging to the order Chordeumatida. These millipedes range from 9 mm to 24 mm in length and are found from the Volga River region in Russia to Japan and Taiwan. All known adult females in this family have 32 segments rather than the 30 segments typically found in this order; in most species, adult males also have 32 segments, but in some species, adult males have only 30 segments.

Agenodesmus is a genus of millipedes in the family Fuhrmannodesmidae, which some authorities consider a junior synonym of Trichopolydesmidae. This genus is notable for being among the very few genera in the order Polydesmida to feature adults with only 18 segments rather than the 20 segments usually found in this order. The genus Agenodesmus contains only two species, A. reticulatus and A. nullus. The type species A. reticulatus is notable as the first polydesmidan millipede discovered with only 18 segments in adults, the smallest number recorded in the order Polydesmida. Before the discovery of A. reticulatus, polydesmidans were known to have only 19 or 20 segments in adults.

Devillea is a genus of flat-backed millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae. These millipedes are rare and limited to caves. Species in this genus are found in Sardinia, Capri, and southern France in the Maritime Alps. These species are notable for featuring more than the 20 segments usually found in the order Polydesmida. This genus is one of only two genera in this order to feature these extra segments and the first such genus to be discovered.

Devilliea tuberculata is a species of flat-backed millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae. Like other members of the genus Devillea, this species is limited to caves. This millipede has been found in several caves in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France. This species is notable as the first millipede in the order Polydesmida found to feature more than the 20 segments usually found in this order.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Enghoff, Henrik; Golovatch, Sergei; Short, Megan; Stoev, Pavel; Wesener, Thomas (2015). "Diplopoda — Taxanomic Overview". In Minelli, Alessandro (ed.). The Myriapoda. Vol. 2. Leiden, The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV. p. 399. ISBN   978-90-04-15612-8.
  2. ↑ Cook, O.F. (1895). "Introductory note on the families of Diplopoda". In Cook, O.F.; Collins, G.N. (eds.). The Craspedosomatidae of North America. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. Vol. 9. New York: New York Academy of Sciences. pp. 1–9 [5].
  3. ↑ "MilliBase - Xystodesmidae Cook, 1895". www.millibase.org. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  4. 1 2 3 Paul E. Marek & Jason E. Bond (2006). "Phylogenetic systematics of the colorful, cyanide-producing millipedes of Appalachia (Polydesmida, Xystodesmidae, Apheloriini) using a total evidence Bayesian approach". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . 41 (3): 704–729. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.05.043. PMID   16876439.
  5. ↑ Hennen, Derek A.; Means, Jackson C.; Marek, Paul E. (2022). "A revision of the wilsoni species group in the millipede genus Nannaria Chamberlin, 1918 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Xystodesmidae)". ZooKeys (1096): 17–118. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1096.73485 . PMC   9033750 . PMID   35837667.
  6. ↑ Richard L. Hoffman (1995). "Laurel Creek Xystodesmid Milliped Sigmoria whiteheadi". In Karen Terwilliger, John R. Tate & Susan L. Woodward (ed.). A Guide to Endangered and Threatened Species in Virginia. University of Tennessee Press. p. 58. ISBN   978-0-939923-31-1.
  7. ↑ Hoffman, R L (1978). "The Taxonomic and Nomenclatorial Status of the Milliped Generic Names Parafontaria Verhoeff, Caphonaria Verhoeff, and Japonaria Attems (Polydesmida, Xystodesmidae)". Spixiana. 1. München :Zoologische Staatssammlung München: 215–224 [217].
  8. ↑ Marek, P. E.; Bond, J. E. (2009). "A Mullerian mimicry ring in Appalachian millipedes". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 106 (24): 9755–9760. Bibcode:2009PNAS..106.9755M. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0810408106 . PMC   2700981 . PMID   19487663.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Enghoff, Henrik; Dohle, Wolfgang; Blower, J. Gordon (1993). "Anamorphosis in Millipedes (Diplopoda) — The Present State of Knowledge with Some Developmental and Phylogenetic Considerations". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 109: 103–234.
  10. ↑ Mesibov, Robert. "External Anatomy of Polydesmida: Body plans". myriapodology.org. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  11. ↑ Brölemann, H.-W. (1902). "Myriapodes Cavericoles". Annales de la Société Entomologique de France (in French). 71: 448–460 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  12. 1 2 Minelli, Alessandro (2015-01-01). "Diplopoda — development". Treatise on Zoology - Anatomy, Taxonomy, Biology. The Myriapoda, Volume 2: 267–302. doi:10.1163/9789004188273_012.
  13. 1 2 3 Hoffman, R. 1999. Checklist of the millipeds of North and Middle America. Virginia Museum of Natural History Special Publications 8, 1–553
  14. ↑ Marek, P., et al. (2014) A Species Catalog of the Millipede Family Xystodesmidae (Diplopoda: Polydesmida). Archived 2017-01-24 at the Wayback Machine Special Publication 17. Virginia Museum of Natural History. 140 p.
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