The millipeds of eastern Canada (Arthropoda: Diplopoda)

Abstract

The diplopod fauna of eastern Canada, an area containing all or parts of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland, consists of 6 orders, 15 families, 28 genera, and 38 species. Eighteen species, 47% of the total fauna, are synanthropic forms introduced chiefly from Europe, and 11 additional millipeds, including another order and family, may occur there, particularly in southern Ontario. The sole Canadian records of Polyzonium mutabile Causey, Aniulus paludicolens Causey, Uroblaniulus stolidus Causey, Pseudopolydesmus branneri (Bollman), Scytonotus granulatus (Say), and Pleuroloma flavipes Rafinesque; the genera Cleidogona, Scytonotus, and Pleuroloma; and the family Cleidogonidae are from Ontario. Pleuroloma flavipes and Uroblaniulus stolidus, in Essex and Algoma counties, are newly recorded from Canada. Polyxenus lagurus (L.), Underwoodia iuloides (Harger), and Trichopetalum lunatum Harger are the only native diplopods in the Maritime Provinces, and Allajulus caeruleocinctus (Wood), a Palearctic introduction, is the only species known from New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. The combination Polyzonium cryptocephalum (McNeill) is revived for the dominant eastern polyzoniid species, and Petaserpes rosalbus Cope and Polyzonium divaricatum Loomis are recognized as synonyms of it, the latter being new. Other new synonymies are Polyzonium borealis Loomis and P. quadricauda Loomis with P. mutabile Causey; Julus immaculatus Wood and Parajulus dux Chamberlin with Uroblaniulus canadensis (Newport); and Underwoodia polygama Cook and Collins with U. iuloides. Apheloria virginiensis (Drury), n.comb., is proposed as are subspecific statuses for the common eastern spirobolid millipeds. American species improbable for eastern Canada are identified, and a key to known and potential taxa and pertinent anatomical drawings are provided.