Millipede Species Research Articles

Structure of the midgut epithelium in four diplopod species: histology, histochemistry and ultrastructure

Abstract The middle region of the digestive system of millipedes, the midgut, is responsible for all processes connected with digestion, but also takes part in homeostasis maintenance thanks to the ability to activate many mechanisms which neutralize changes occurring at different levels of the animal’s body. Numerous millipede species are treated as bioindicators of the natural environment and they are exposed to different stressors which originate from external environment. To obtain all data on the functioning of midgut of millipedes as the barrier against stressors, it is necessary to have a precise and general description of the midgut epithelium. Members from four millipede orders were selected for the studies: Polydesmus angustus (Polydesmida), Epibolus pulchripes (Spirobolida), Unciger transsilvanicus (Julida) and Glomeris tetrasticha (Glomerida). The structure and ultrastructure of their midgut epithelial cells (the digestive, secretory and regenerative cells) were documented using transmission electron microscopy and histochemical methods. The obtained results have been compared and discussed to previous ones, to present the general and structural organization of the midgut in Diplopoda. Our studies revealed that the ultrastructure of all cells which form the midgut epithelium in millipedes is general for all the species studied up to now and it resembles the cell ultrastructure observed in Chilopoda and Hexapoda, including the digestive, secretory and stem cells.

A pinhead millipede astray: a new polyzoniidan millipede from New Zealand in Great Britain and the genus Siphonethus Chamberlin, 1920 in New Zealand (Polyzoniida: Siphonotidae)

ABSTRACT Millipedes are slow-moving soil organisms, which do not easily disperse to new habitats. However, species can be transported by humans across large distances and be found in anthropogenic habitats like botanical gardens and glasshouses. Thus, several millipede species have been introduced from around the world to Europe. Here we describe three new species of pinhead millipedes (Polyzoniida): Siphonethus dudleycookeorum sp. nov. from Great Britain with close affinities to specimens from New Zealand, and Siphonethus coxaespinosus sp. nov. and Siphonethus obtusus sp. nov. from Tawhiti Rahi (Poor Knights Islands) from New Zealand. Siphonethus dudleycookeorum sp. nov. was initially discovered in Lamorran House Gardens (Cornwall) in Great Britain and could be traced back to New Zealand with DNA-barcoding and comparison to specimens from the New Zealand Arthropod Collection (NZAC). As generic as well as species characters of the Siphonotidae Cook, 1895 are only poorly worked out, the placement of the new species in the only New Zealand genus Siphonethus Chamberlin, 1920 is provisional. Based on the available material and photographs of the holotypes of S. bellus Chamberlin, 1920 and S. enotatus Chamberlin, 1920, we suggest that the species currently classified as Siphonethus belong to at least two separate genera. It can be expected that New Zealand harbours a great diversity of undescribed polyzoniidan millipedes, as a lot of unsorted specimens are present in various collections and already material from the relatively small island Tawhiti Rahi has yielded two species new to science. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6D3FF76F-16A2-43ED-B9CC-F34B4EBE7525 http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F59D9647-6F25-448F-AD36-DE9F86F187D6 http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A0718515-C5AE-4BE1-B32A-312FB66E9B5C http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3D4D8C0C-F30E-42B9-8CBD-E394C635FD87

Pitfall trap design affects the capture efficiency of harvestmen (Opiliones) and millipedes (Diplopoda).

Pitfall trapping is one of the standard methods used for the capture of ground‐active arthropod groups. Despite being frequently used, the standardization of this method is problematic due to the large range of combinations of the individual parameters of pitfall traps with varying efficacy under different environmental conditions. We evaluated the effects of the trap diameter, the fixing fluid, and their combination on the capture efficacy for harvestmen (Opiliones) and millipedes (Diplopoda). We used pitfall traps with three different diameters: 3 cm, 5 cm, and 12 cm, filled with three types of fixing fluids (saturated fluid of NaCl, 10:1 mixture of 70% ethanol and glycerol and 4% formaldehyde). Altogether, 90 traps representing nine combinations of trap diameters and fixing fluid were placed on a mown meadow in spring and autumn intervals for a total of 45 days. We sampled 1,488 individuals representing 11 harvestmen species and 881 individuals representing 11 millipede species. Large (d = 12 cm) and medium (5 cm) traps captured significantly more millipede species and individuals than the small‐sized traps (3 cm). The same effect was observed for harvestmen species richness, whereas the medium traps (d = 5 cm) captured the highest mean activity of harvestmen. By analyzing the differences in the body sizes of the studied arthropods in relation to the trap diameter and fluid, we found that larger traps, as well as traps filled with NaCl solution, captured larger harvestmen more frequently than the other trap types. Our results revealed that the combination of larger traps (d = 5 and 12 cm) and formaldehyde was most effective in the capture of both studied groups. However, the disadvantage of formaldehyde is its toxicity.

Sechelleptus arborivagus sp. nov., a new arboreal spirostreptid millipede (Diplopoda, Spirostreptidae) endemic to Mayotte Island (Comoros Archipelago), Indian Ocean

A new millipede species of the genus Sechelleptus Mauriès, 1980 is described and illustrated from Mayotte Island, Indian Ocean. This new species, S. arborivagus sp. nov., found on trees, looks particularly similar to the sympatric S. variabilis VandenSpiegel & Golovatch, 2007, but is much larger and has a very different ecological behavior. Phylogenetic analyses based on a concatenated dataset of the COI and 16S rRNA genes and including nine species of Spirostreptidae (including Sechelleptus, Doratogonus Attems, 1914, Bicoxidens Attems, 1928 and Spirostreptus Brandt, 1833), strongly support the monophyly of Sechelleptus. Despite the similarity of their genitalia, the molecular analyses also reveal a clear-cut genetic divergence between S. arborivagus sp. nov. and S. variabilis (22.55% for COI and 6.63% for 16SrRNA) and further suggest the presence of a higher diversity within the genus Sechelleptus on Mayotte.

Symbiosis of the millipede parasitic nematodes Rhigonematoidea and Thelastomatoidea with evolutionary different origins

BackgroundHow various host–parasite combinations have been established is an important question in evolutionary biology. We have previously described two nematode species, Rhigonema naylae and Travassosinema claudiae, which are parasites of the xystodesmid millipede Parafontaria laminata in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Rhigonema naylae belongs to the superfamily Rhigonematoidea, which exclusively consists of parasites of millipedes. T. claudiae belongs to the superfamily Thelastomatoidea, which includes a wide variety of species that parasitize many invertebrates. These nematodes were isolated together with a high prevalence; however, the phylogenetic, evolutionary, and ecological relationships between these two parasitic nematodes and between hosts and parasites are not well known.ResultsWe collected nine species (11 isolates) of xystodesmid millipedes from seven locations in Japan, and found that all species were co-infected with the parasitic nematodes Rhigonematoidea spp. and Thelastomatoidea spp. We found that the infection prevalence and population densities of Rhigonematoidea spp. were higher than those of Thelastomatoidea spp. However, the population densities of Rhigonematoidea spp. were not negatively affected by co-infection with Thelastomatoidea spp., suggesting that these parasites are not competitive. We also found a positive correlation between the prevalence of parasitic nematodes and host body size. In Rhigonematoidea spp., combinations of parasitic nematode groups and host genera seem to be fixed, suggesting the evolution of a more specialized interaction between Rhigonematoidea spp. and their host. On the other hand, host preference of Thelastomatoidea spp. was not specific to any millipede species, indicating a non-intimate interaction between these parasites and their hosts.ConclusionsThe two nematode superfamilies, Rhigonematoidea and Thelastomatoidea, have phylogenetically distinct origins, and might have acquired xystodesmid millipede parasitism independently. Currently, the two nematodes co-parasitize millipedes without any clear negative impact on each other or the host millipedes. Our study provides an example of balanced complex symbioses among parasitic nematodes and between parasitic nematodes and host millipedes, which have been established over a long evolutionary history.

Mountainous millipedes in Vietnam. I. Two new species of the family Paradoxosomatidae from Mount Fansipan (Diplopoda, Polydesmida).

Two new paradoxosomatid millipede species were discovered at the high elevations of Mount Fansipan in northwestern Vietnam. They are named as Orthomorphoides sapasp. nov. and Hylomus solenophorussp. nov. In addition to their morphological descriptions, sequences from fragments of two mitochondrial genes, COI and 16S rRNA, are also provided for both new species.

The Chemoautotrophically Based Movile Cave Groundwater Ecosystem, a Hotspot of Subterranean Biodiversity

Movile Cave hosts one of the world’s most diverse subsurface invertebrate communities. In the absence of matter and energy input from the surface, this ecosystem relies entirely on in situ primary productivity by chemoautotrophic microorganisms. The energy source for these microorganisms is the oxidation of hydrogen sulfide provided continuously from the deep thermomineral aquifer, alongside methane, and ammonium. The microbial biofilms that cover the water surface, the cave walls, and the sediments, along with the free-swimming microorganisms, represent the food that protists, rotifers, nematodes, gastropods, and crustacean rely on. Voracious water-scorpions, leeches, and planarians form the peak of the aquatic food web in Movile Cave. The terrestrial community is even more diverse. It is composed of various species of worms, isopods, pseudoscorpions, spiders, centipedes, millipedes, springtails, diplurans, and beetles. An updated list of invertebrate species thriving in Movile Cave is provided herein. With 52 invertebrate species (21 aquatic and 31 terrestrial), of which 37 are endemic for this unusual, but fascinating environment, Movile Cave is the first known chemosynthesis-based groundwater ecosystem. Therefore, Movile Cave deserves stringent attention and protection.

A Miocene pyrgodesmid millipede (Polydesmida: Pyrgodesmidae) from Mexico.

A new fossil species of pyrgodesmid millipede (Polydesmida: Pyrgodesmidae) placed in the genus Myrmecodesmus Silvestri, 1910 is described. The type materials are two amber inclusions, male and female specimens that come from Miocene strata in Chiapas, Mexico. Myrmecodesmus antiquus sp. nov. has collum with 10 dorsal tubercles; without porosteles or ozopores; legs of the rings 2–9 with a short projection on the prefemur in both the female and male. Myrmecodesmus antiquus sp. nov is the first fossil record of the genus Myrmecodesmus. This is a New World taxon that belongs to the pantropical family Pyrgodesmidae. Thus, Myrmecodesmus antiquus sp. nov expands the range of the genus to the Miocene tropics in Middle America.

Eight-year periodical outbreaks of the train millipede.

Periodical cicadas are the only confirmed periodical animals with long life cycles. In Japan, however, 8-year periodicity had been suggested in a species of train millipedes that had frequently obstructed trains in the central mountainous region of Honshu, Japan. This species was identified as Parafontaria laminata armigera Verhoeff (Diplopoda: Xystodesmidae), which is endemic to Japan. We finally confirmed the 8-year periodicity of this millipede using detailed surveys of life histories over 8 years. Seven broods were recognized, with almost no overlaps in their distributions. We also report the historical outbreaks and train obstructions of this millipede during 1920–2016. This is the first confirmed case of periodical non-insect arthropods.

Effect of tropical millipede Rhinocricus botocudus in the degradation and maturity of coffee residues

In Brazil, approximately 3 tons of dry mass per hectare of coffee residues (CR), formed by leaves and branches <5 mm in diameter, were accumulated around the crops in the last harvests of the semi-mechanized crops. Thus, the production of substrates and organic fertilizers from the bioconversion of residues of coffee activity is an important theme in Brazil and in the world. The objective of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of the tropical millipede Rhinocricus botocudus on the degradation and maturity of coffee residues (CR). The presence and absence of R. botocudus were tested in five sampling times (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days) with three replicates (n = 3). The analyzed variables were: total C and N contents, lignin, cellulose, soluble C and N, soluble polyphenols, C of humic substances, and infrared analysis of humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA). At the final incubation stage (120 days), the lowest values of cellulose, cellulose/lignin, and polyphenols occurred with R. botocudus. Infrared analysis of HA demonstrated that readily biodegradable structures, such as alcohols and short chain aliphatic molecules, were decomposed over time, consequently reflecting the increase of aromatic structures of greater stability. Compared to the control, these changes in HA were more evident in the presence of R. botocudus. The results of the present study suggest that this millipede species alters the dynamics of degradation and humification of CR by accelerating the maturity of this residue. Key words: Cellulose; humic substances; lignin.

Permian millipedes from the Fort Sill fissures of southwestern Oklahoma, with comments on allied taxa and millipedes preserved in karstic environments

AbstractPermian millipedes are rare, especially so considering the relative abundance of millipedes in Carboniferous rocks. We report an early Permian millipede fauna containing three new genera and species of millipedes (Oklahomasoma richardsspurensenew genus new species,Karstiulus fortsillensisnew genus new species, andDolesea subtilanew genus new species) found in fossil-producing pockets of the Fort Sill fissures exposed in the Dolese Quarry near Richards Spur, southwest Oklahoma, USA. These are the first new genera of invertebrates to be described from this site, one of the most prolific fossil-vertebrate sites in the world. We also comment on taxa with morphological similarities and note previously described occurrences of Permian millipedes as well as occurrences of fossil myriapods (millipedes and centipedes) in karst deposits (caves and fissure fills) in Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, and the Caribbean. In contrast with the forms found at Richards Spur, most of these previous accounts of millipedes found in caves and fissure fills are of Pleistocene forms that are closely allied to modern taxa. The taxa from Richards Spur bear some similarities to Pennsylvanian forms. Karst (cave and fissure) faunas should be ranked with concretion faunas, cannel coals, and amber faunas as a major source of fossil myriapods.UUID:http://zoobank.org/5d58e1fb-4e5b-4597-9cd9-5cc9e2096b4d

Influence of saprophages (Isopoda, Diplopoda) on leaf litter decomposition under different levels of humidification and chemical loading

The paper presents a study about the influence of two saprophage groups (Isopoda, Diplopoda) on leaf litter decomposition under different levels of humidification and chemical stress. Because of their worldwide distribution, we focused on the common pillbug Armadillidium vulgare (Latreille, 1804) (Isopoda, Armadillidiidae), and the common millipede species Rossiulus kessleri (Lohmander, 1927) (Julida, Julidae). The function of environment creation by the given saprophages, as destructors of dead plant matter, supporting such ecosystem services as soil fertility improvement and nutrients’ turnover, is highlighted. To conduct the experiment, the animals were collected manually and using pitfall trapping. In order to bring the experimental conditions closer to the natural, the individuals were not sexed. The maximum consumption of leaf litter by woodlice was recorded in the conditions with adequate moisture (0.5 mL of distilled water per box) and amounted to 2.52 mg/10 individuals per day, which exceeds its consumption with low and increased moisture, respectively, by 1.82 and 1.24 times. As for the effect of interaction, the consumption of maple litter with optimal moisture (4.77 mg/10 individuals per day) was the greatest. The largest absolute difference between broad-leaved tree species in the average weight of leaf litter consumed by woodlice was between maple leaf litter and oak leaf litter, the minimum – between robinia leaf litter and oak leaf litter. According to the results of the obtained data (Diplopoda), it can be stated that there is a statistically significant effect of chemical stress and discrepancy of the average zinc content in the object of study (in Diplopoda and their faecal pellets). We found that the diet provided did not affect the distribution of zinc in Diplopoda under conditions of chemical stress. According to the results of pairwise comparisons, we determined that the zinc content in the Diplopoda clearly differs for control and almost every concentration of zinc sulfate solution – 0.03 and 0.15 g/L, the samples of which do not form a homogeneous group. The species composition, abundance and distribution in space of soil invertebrates are informative indicators which reflect the ecological state of soils, intensity in development of soil horizons as well as intensity of processes occurring in them.

Soil invertebrates occurrences in European North-East of Russia.

BackgroundThe European North-East of Russia is the territory which includes the Nenets Autonomous District, represented by the East European tundra (from Kanin Peninsula to Vaigach Island), Komi Republic with its taiga ecosystems and the Urals (Northern, SubPolar and Polar). Over 20 years of systematic studies of soil fauna in the studied region has resulted in a huge amount of data being accumulated that can be analysed from different positions. Considering that the representation of Russian soil biota data, especially from European North-East of Russia in the GBIF database is not large, our data are of great interest to the scientific world community. The accumulation of such data will solve questions on national and global scales using large arrays.This study produced a dataset containing information on occurrences on soil invertebrates (Lumbricidae, Chilopoda, Diplopda, Collembola, Elateridae and Staphylinidae) in the European North-East of Russia. The dataset summarises occurrences noted in natural and disturbed forests, tundra and mountain ecosystems.New informationData from 196 geo-referenced localities of European North-East of Russia (tundra, taiga and mountains ecosystems) have been collated. A total of 5412 occurrences are included in the resource. The current project surveys 13 species of earthworms, 20 species of millipedes, 246 species of springtails, 446 species of rove beetles and 60 species of click beetles. The diversity of soil invertebrates in the European North-East of Russia has not been fully explored and further exploration will lead to more taxa.

Hidden in plain sight: six millipede species (Myriapoda: Diplopoda) new for the fauna of Switzerland

Diplopoda are poorly studied in many regions. The last comprehensive work on the millipede fauna of Switzerland was published in 1993 and listed 124 outdoor-living species. Recent sampling efforts have resulted in the discovery of six millipede species of European origin that were not previously known to occur in Switzerland: Cylindroiulus britannicus (Verhoeff, 1891), C. salicivorusVerhoeff, 1908, C. vulnerarius (Berlese, 1888), Heteroiulus intermedius (Brölemann, 1892), Anamastigona pulchella (Silvestri, 1894) and Macrosternodesmus palicolaBrölemann, 1908. None of them is currently invasive in Switzerland, but some are rapidly expanding across Europe and other regions of the world. A species which was previously only known from northern Italy, H. intermedius, was found in a forest close to Bellinzona. It is likely a native Swiss species which has previously been overlooked. The other five species were collected in human-made habitats in the city of Basel and its surroundings, suggesting human-caused introduction. Two species, C. britannicus and M. palicola, likely have an Atlantic origin, while the three remaining species, C. salicivorus, C. vulnerarius and A. pulchella, are originally from Italy. The biogeography of these six species is discussed, and photographs of specimens of each species and their gonopods are presented.

Wild Blonde Capuchins (Sapajus flavius) Perform Anointing Behaviour Using Toxic Secretions of a Millipede (Spirobolida: Rhinocricidae).

Defensive secretions of millipedes are remarkable for containing toxic quinones known to efficiently repell hematophagous arthropods. Here we show that Endangered blonde capuchin monkeys make use of such secretions. We (i) describe the anointing behavior performed by the monkeys (ii) identify the millipede species used in the process (iii) describe the volatile chemical composition of its secretion. The blonde capuchin monkeys selectively searched for millipedes hidden under the ground. We observed three bouts of anointing behavior, performed by 13 individuals of all age classes (from adults to independent infants), both solitarily (1 event) and socially (10 events). The only millipede species used by the monkeys is an undescribed species of the genus Poecilocricus (Spirobolida, Rhinocricidae). The volatile chemical composition of the secretions was predominantly comprised of a mixture of benzoquinones and hydroquinones. The social nature of the behavior and time of the observations (mosquito season), suggest that social bonding and mosquito avoidance is linked to the anointing behavior of the monkeys.

A new green-coloured Lusitanipus Mauriès, 1978 from the Iberian Peninsula (Diplopoda: Callipodida: Dorypetalidae)

Recent samplings in cavities of the Iberian Peninsula led to the discovery of a new millipede species of the order Callipodida in one cave in the region of El Bierzo (León, Spain): Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. In additional samplings (near that cave), more specimens of this new species were discovered in surface habitats. The species has various distinctive characteristics, such as its green colour, but the morphology of the gonopod has several similarities with that of Lusitanipus alternans (Verhoeff, 1893), indicating a close relationship between them. The diagnosis of the genus Lusitanipus Mauriès, 1978 has to be changed to accommodate the new species. The presence of crests in two different sizes is no longer a diagnostic character of the genus Lusitanipus, but of the species L. alternans. Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. is the fourth species of the order Callipodida for the Iberian Peninsula, and the second species for the genus. Lusitanipus xanin sp. nov. seems to be an epigean but troglophile species.

The first representatives of the millipede family Glomeridellidae (Diplopoda, Glomerida) recorded from China and Indochina.

A new species of glomeridellid millipede is described from Guizhou Province, southern China: Tonkinomeris huzhengkunisp. nov. This new epigean species differs very clearly in many structural details, being sufficiently distinct morphologically and disjunct geographically from T. napoensis Nguyen, Sierwald & Marek, 2019, the type and sole species of Tonkinomeris Nguyen, Sierwald & Marek, 2019, which was described recently from northern Vietnam. The genus Tonkinomeris is formally relegated from Glomeridae and assigned to the family Glomeridellidae, which has hitherto been considered strictly Euro-Mediterranean in distribution and is thus new to the diplopod faunas of China and Indochina. Tonkinomeris is re-diagnosed and shown to have perhaps the basalmost position in the family Glomeridellidae. Its relationships are discussed, both morphological and zoogeographical, within and outside the Glomeridellidae, which can now be considered as relict and basically Oriental in origin. Because of the still highly limited array of DNA-barcoding sequences of the COI mitochondrial gene available in the GenBank, the first molecular phylogenetic analysis of Glomerida attempted here shows our phylogram to be too deficient to consider meaningful.

Rice Straw Decomposition by Woodlice (Isopoda, Oniscidea) and Millipedes (Myriapoda, Diplopoda) in the Soils of Kalmykia in a Laboratory Experiment

Rice crop residues are one of the recalcitrant agricultural wastes in arid conditions. A laboratory experiment was conducted to decompose rice straw with woodlice and millipedes living in the dry steppes of Kalmykia in Russia. Five individuals of two species of woodlice (Armadillidium vulgare and Protracheoniscus kryszanovskii) or two species of millipedes (Brachydesmus assimilis and Cylindroiulus sp.) were placed in microcosms with soil and 2.5 g of rice straw. The straw mass significantly decreased for all species, by approximately 50% on average for the 4 months of the experiment. The content of organic matter in the soil before and after the experiment did not change significantly, which suggests that the selected species of woodlice and millipedes can consume and, thus utilize, rice straw, at least under experimental conditions.

An annotated list of the millipede (Diplopoda) species described by Johann Carl

Johann Carl described 390 species or subspecies of millipedes during his long career at the Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Genève, studying specimens collected on his own expeditions and on those of other, mainly Swiss, naturalists. The type specimens deposited in Geneva are enumerated, and the type specimens that could be located in other collections in other museums are reported. Lectotypes are designated for 17 species: Brachyspirobolus aequatorialis (Carl, 1909), Carlopeltis alatus (Carl, 1914), Mastigorhacus alatus (Carl, 1912), Salpidobolus annulipes (Carl, 1912), Erythrhacus arietis (Carl, 1912), Argentocricus bernardinensis (Carl, 1918), Trigoniulus bitaeniatus Carl, 1912, Desmocricus conjunctusCarl, 1918, Polylepis elberti Carl, 1912, Trigoniulus incommodus Carl, 1912, Stenobolus insularisCarl, 1918, Salpidobolus lateralis (Carl, 1912), Dinematocricus lombokensis (Carl, 1912), Prepodesmus longipes (Carl, 1913), Arostrophus mertoni (Carl, 1912), Salpidobolus moenensis (Carl, 1912) and Eucarlia velox (Carl, 1912). Polydesmus carli nom. nov. is introduced as a replacement name for Polydesmus japonicusCarl, 1902, a junior homonym of Polydesmus japonicusPeters, 1864. Odontopyge johanncarli nom. nov. is introduced as a replacement name for Odontopyge fasciataCarl, 1905, a junior homonym of Odontopyge fasciataAttems, 1896.

A First Record of Two Species of Millipedes in Iraq-Baghdad

A First Record of Two Species of Millipedes in Iraq-Baghdad