Zoosphaerium album

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Zoosphaerium album
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Myriapoda
Class: Diplopoda
Order: Sphaerotheriida
Family: Arthrosphaeridae
Genus: Zoosphaerium
Species:
Z. album
Binomial name
Zoosphaerium album
Wesener, 2009

Zoosphaerium album, also known as the giant opal pill millipede, is a species of pill millipede within the family Arthrosphaeridae and order Sphaerotheriida. [1] It is an endemic species, found only within the Vohibasia forest of Western Madagascar. The species name album, refers to the white colouration of the pill millipedes exoskeleton. [2]

Contents

Description

Zoosphaerium album reach lengths of up to 34 mm long, with both males and females reaching a similar size. [2] Z. album exhibits yellowish white tergites, which form the segmented dorsal exoskeleton of the pill millipede. These tergites are adorned with a light, shiny-green field that extends dorso-laterally on each side. [3] The anterior margin of the collum, thoracic shield, and tergites displaying a green colour, while the rest of the texture appears yellowish-white. [2] The head, antenna, and legs of Z. album are also green. The walking legs of Z. album hosts tarsi of usual size, measuring approximately 3.8 times as long as they are wide. Additionally, the third podomere of the anterior telopods possesses a single large, sclerotized tooth. Z. album also exhibits endotergal marginal bristles that slightly extend beyond the tergite. [3] The texture of the tergites is smooth and glabrous, and the antennomeres 1–5 possess sclerotized teeth. The disc is adorned with 14–19 (-28) apical cones, and the antennomeres lack a groove. [2]

The third podomere of the posterior telopods in Z. album is weakly curved, featuring approximately 25 large, sclerotized teeth on the posterior side. Additionally, it has two large, non-sclerotized lobes and five thin spines. The male harp exhibits two stridulation ribs, while each side of the washboard contains 2 or 3 ribs. Notably, Z. album does not possess locking carinae on its anal shield. The operculum of the vulva has a unique shape, with only a very weak notch on the apical margin, sometimes appearing well-rounded in certain specimens. [2] The coloration pattern of Z. album tends to fade in preserved specimens, with the green colouration gradually turning brown as the specimens are stored in alcohol. [2]

Similar species

Zoosphaerium album shares similarities with another species, Z. libidinosum , in terms of the shape of their posterior telopods. However, there are distinguishing features that set the species apart. Z. album can be distinguished by features such as its weakly bell-shaped male anal shield, smaller size, unique colouration pattern, and slight variations in the shape of the anterior telopods and vulva. [2]

Distribution and habitat

Zoosphaerium album is currently known to exist solely in the subhumid forest of Vohibasia, which is part of the Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park. [4] The forest is located in the Toliara Province of Southwest Madagascar. [4] This species appears to be endemic to this specific region and has not been documented elsewhere. [2] The forest habitat is a transitional zone between the dry Western and humid Eastern forests of Madagascar. [4] The forest of Vohibasia provides the primary habitat for Z. album, where it resides in the leaf litter and understory vegetation of the forest floor. [2] Z. album has been recorded at elevations of 780 meters above sea level. [2]

Related Research Articles

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

Pill millipedes are any members of two living orders of millipedes, often grouped together into a single superorder, Oniscomorpha. The name Oniscomorpha refers to the millipedes' resemblance to certain woodlice (Oniscidea), also called pillbugs or "roly-polies". However, millipedes and woodlice are not closely related ; rather, this is a case of convergent evolution.

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

Sphaerotheriidae is a family of giant pill millipedes of the class Diplopoda. Millipedes of this family are distributed in southern Africa.

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

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.

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

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.

<i>Sphaeromimus</i> Genus of millipedes

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.

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

Zephroniidae is a family of giant pill millipedes in the taxonomic order Sphaerotheriida. They occur in southeast Asia from the Himalayas and China south and east to Sulawesi and to Australia, and also inhabit some Philippine islands.

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

Glomeridesmida is an order of millipedes in the infraclass Pentazonia containing 2 families and at least 31 species. Glomeridesmida is the only living order of the superorder Limacomorpha. Also known as slug millipedes, glomeridesmidans are small and somewhat flattened, and unlike other orders of Pentazonia, are unable to roll into a ball. Ocelli (eyes) are absent.

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

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zephronia</span> Genus of millipedes

Zephronia is a genus of giant pill millipedes in the family Zephroniidae. This genus includes 47 species distributed throughout N. India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malayan Peninsula, Java, Sumatra and Borneo.

<i>Glomeris klugii</i> Species of pill millipede

Glomeris klugii is a species of pill millipede within the genus Glomeris and family Glomeridae. The species is highly variable in colouration, with more than 40 varieties and subspecies identified, each displaying unique colour patterns. The diverse colour patterns of G. klugii can be visually striking, and certain patterns are geographically restricted, leading to the species being associated with numerous taxonomic synonyms.

<i>Glomeris connexa</i> Species of millipede

Glomeris connexa is a species of pill millipede within the genus Glomeris and family Glomeridae.

<i>Trachysphaera</i> Genus of millipedes

Trachysphaera is a genus of dwarf pill millipedes in the order Glomerida. Just over 30 species are known, making it the third most species-rich genus of Glomerida. Trachysphaera species are patchily distributed throughout Europe and western Asia, extending from Spain to Caucasia. Members of this genus are tiny, with modified appearances resembling that of calcareous stones.

<i>Zoosphaerium neptunus</i> Species of millipede

Zoosphaerium neptunus, also known as the giant emerald pill millipede, is a species of millipede within the family Arthrosphaeridae. Its size is an example of island gigantism, it being the largest known pill-millipede in the world, with some individuals reaching a maximum length of 90 mm long. The species is endemic to Madagascar, where it is known to swarm at certain times of the year. Z. neptunus is the only known species within the order Sphaerotheriida that is known to exhibit this mass swarming behaviour.

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.

<i>Zoosphaerium darthvaderi</i> Species of millipede

Zoosphaerium darthvaderi, also known as the Darth Vader giant pill millipede, is a species of giant pill millipede endemic to the island state of Madagascar. It is named after the Star Wars character Darth Vader. The millipede is restricted to the Ambohitantely Reserve and is considered an extremely endangered species.

<i>Zoosphaerium</i> Genus of myriapods

Zoosphaerium is a genus of giant pill millipedes endemic to Madagascar. Some species within this genus express island gigantism. The largest of the known species of giant pill millipede known is Zoosphaerium neptunus, which is capable of growing to lengths of 90 mm.

<i>Glomeris sublimbata</i> Species of pill millipede

Glomeris sublimbata, also known as the marbled pill millipede, is a species of pill millipede belonging to the genus Glomeris and the family Glomeridae.

<i>Glomeris aurita</i> Species of millipede

Glomeris aurita, also known as the golden-eared pill millipede, is a species of pill millipede belonging to the genus Glomeris and the family Glomeridae.

<i>Glomeris ornata</i> Species of millipede

Glomeris ornata, is a species of pill millipede within the genus Glomeris and family Glomeridae.

<i>Glomeris punica</i> Species of pill millipede

Glomeris punica, is a species of pill millipede belonging to the genus Glomeris and the family Glomeridae.

References

  1. ↑ "Zoosphaerium album Wesener, 2009". Millibase. 2023-06-04. Retrieved 2023-06-04.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Wesener, Thomas. (2009). Unexplored richness: Discovery of 31 new species of Giant Pill-Millipedes endemic to Madagascar, with a special emphasis on microendemism (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida). Zootaxa. 2097. 1-134. 10.11646/zootaxa.2097.1.1.
  3. 1 2 Wesener, T. and Sagorny, C. (2021) “Seven new giant pill-millipede species and numerous new records of the genus Zoosphaerium from Madagascar (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Arthrosphaeridae)”, European Journal of Taxonomy, 758(1), pp. 1-48. doi: 10.5852/ejt.2021.758.1423.
  4. 1 2 3 "White Giant Pill-Millipede Zoosphaerium album". IUCN Red List . 2015-12-17. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
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