A new species of Trichopolydesmidae (Myriapoda, Diplopoda, Polydesmida) from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

Abstract

A new species of the ‘flat-backed’ millipede family Trichopolydesmidae, Monstrodesmus grimaldii sp. nov., is described from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Detailed morphological characters are provided on the basis of three well-preserved adults (two males and one female), one male juvenile, and seven additional specimens, using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and microcomputer tomography (μCT) with computer-aided 3D-reconstructions. The new species can be placed most likely in the extant genus Monstrodesmus by presenting great similarities to living species.