![]() Superfamily † Xyloiuloidea Cook, 1895 (Sometimes aligned with Spirobolida).Order † Pleurojulida Schneider & Werneburg, 1998 (possibly sister to Colobognatha).Order † Palaeosomatida Hannibal & Krzeminski, 2005.Order † Cowiedesmida Wilson & Anderson 2004.Order † Archidesmida Wilson & Anderson 2004.Superorder † Archipolypoda Scudder, 1882.Infraclass Helminthomorpha Pocock, 1887.Order † Zosterogrammida Wilson, 2005 (Chilognatha incertae sedis).Order † Microdecemplicida Wilson & Shear, 2000.Order † Eoarthropleurida Shear & Selden, 1995.Subclass † Arthropleuridea (placed in Penicillata by some authors).After each name is listed the author citation: the name of the person who coined the name or defined the group, even if not at the current rank.Ĭlass Diplopoda de Blainville in Gervais, 1844 The placement and positions of extinct groups (†) known only from fossils is tentative and not fully resolved. Recent cladistic and molecular studies have challenged the traditional classification schemes above, and in particular the position of the orders Siphoniulida and Polyzoniida is not yet well established. The higher-level classification of millipedes is presented below, based on Shear, 2011, and Shear & Edgecombe, 2010 (extinct groups). Outline of classification įurther information: List of millipede families All other millipedes belong to the subclass Chilognatha consisting of two infraclasses: Pentazonia, containing the short-bodied pill millipedes, and Helminthomorpha (worm-like millipedes), containing the great majority of the species. The basal subclass Penicillata contains a single order, Polyxenida (bristle millipedes). The living members of the Diplopoda are divided into sixteen orders in two subclasses. These factors have favoured genetic isolation and rapid speciation, producing many lineages with restricted ranges. Few species of millipede are at all widespread they have very poor dispersal abilities, depending as they do on terrestrial locomotion and humid habitats. Estimates of the true number of species on earth range from 15,000 to as high as 80,000. 3,500 species of Polydesmida to 2 species of Siphoniulida Īpproximately 12,000 millipede species have been described. The scientific study of millipedes is known as diplopodology, and a scientist who studies them is called a diplopodologist.Īpproximate relative diversity of extant millipede orders, ranging from ca. Millipedes can be distinguished from the somewhat similar but only distantly related centipedes (class Chilopoda), which move rapidly, are venomous, carnivorous, and have only a single pair of legs on each body segment. The longest extant species is the giant African millipede ( Archispirostreptus gigas).Īmong myriapods, millipedes have traditionally been considered most closely related to the tiny pauropods, although some molecular studies challenge this relationship. Some members of prehistoric groups, such as Arthropleura, grew to over 2 m ( 6 + 1⁄ 2 ft) the largest modern species reach maximum lengths of 27 to 38 cm ( 10 + 1⁄ 2 to 15 in). Reproduction in most species is carried out by modified male legs called gonopods, which transfer packets of sperm to females.įirst appearing in the Silurian period, millipedes are some of the oldest known land animals. Its primary defence mechanism is to curl into a tight coil, thereby protecting its legs and other vital delicate areas on the body behind a hard exoskeleton. Most millipedes defend themselves with a variety of chemicals secreted from pores along the body, although the tiny bristle millipedes are covered with tufts of detachable bristles. Millipedes can be unwanted especially in greenhouses where they can cause severe damage to emergent seedlings. Millipedes are generally harmless to humans, although some can become household or garden pests. Some eat fungi or drink plant fluids, and a small minority are predatory. Most millipedes are slow-moving detritivores, eating decaying leaves and other dead plant matter. 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. Although the name "millipede" derives from the Latin for "thousand feet", no species was known to have 1,000 or more until the discovery of Eumillipes persephone, which can have over 1,300 legs. Most millipedes have very elongated cylindrical or flattened bodies with more than 20 segments, while pill millipedes are shorter and can roll into a ball. Each double-legged segment is a result of two single segments fused together. 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. An assortment of millipedes (not to scale) ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |