Pill millipede
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Armadillomorpha Verhoeff, 1915 |
Pill millipedes make up two orders of millipedes, often grouped together into a single superorder, Oniscomorpha. The name Oniscomorpha refers to the resemblance of pill millipedes to certain woodlice, namely the pillbugs of the family Armadillidiidae, aka "potato bugs," "doodlebugs," or "roly-polies."
Pill millipedes are short compared to other millipedes, with only eleven to thirteen body segments [2], and are capable of rolling into a ball when disturbed. This ability may however have evolved separately in each of the two orders, making it a case of parallel evolution, rather than homology [3]. Pill millipedes are herbivorous, feeding on decomposing plant matter, usually in woodlands [4].
[edit] Orders
The Order Glomerida is found in the Northern Hemisphere and includes species such as Glomeris marginata, the common European pill millipede. The order contains members in Europe, South-east Asia and the Americas from California to Guatemala [5]. Three species are present in the British Isles [6].
The Order Sphaerotheriida is a Gondwana-distribution taxon, with around 100 species in southern Africa, Madagascar, Australasia [7] and south-east Asia [5]. Five species, all in the genus Procyliosoma are present in New Zealand [7], and around thirty species in three or more genera are present in Australia [8].
[edit] References
- ^ Millipedes. myriapoda.org (2005-03-10).
- ^ P. R. Racheboeuf, J. T. Hannibal & J. Vannier (2004). A new species of the diplopod Anymilyspes (Oniscomorpha) from the Stephania lagerstätte of Montceau-les-Mines, France. Journal of Paleontology 78 (1): 221–229. doi:.
- ^ Defining Features of Nominal Clades of Diplopoda. Field Museum of Natural History. Retrieved on 2007-06-24.
- ^ Pill millipedes fact file. Australian Museum. Retrieved on 2007-06-24.
- ^ a b Biogeography of millipede families. Field Museum of Natural History. Retrieved on 2007-06-24.
- ^ Paul Lee (2006-10-11). Checklist of species of millipedes in Britain and Ireland. British Myriapod and Isopod Group.
- ^ a b M. A. Minor & A.W. Robertson (2007-05-07). Diplopoda. Guide to New Zealand soil invertebrates. Massey University.
- ^ Checklist for Sphaerotheriida Brandt, 1833. Australian Faunal Directory. Department of the Environment and Water Resources. Retrieved on 2007-06-24.
