Choneiulus palmatus

Distinguished from similar julid millipedes by the single row of ocelli parallel to the ventral head margin (rather than scattered or multiple rows), the dense long setae on metazonite dorsal margins, and the distinctive funnel-shaped posterior gonopods with fringed edges in males. The combination of small size, spotted coloration, and synanthropic tendency in northern populations aids field recognition.

Greyish-brown body with dark spots along the lateral sides. Males reach 15 mm, females 12 mm. Possesses up to 58 body rings. Ocelli arranged in a single row paralleling the ventral margin of the head capsule. Metazonites bear 14–20 long setae on dorsal and dorsolateral margins. Posterior gonopods terminate in a funnel with fringed margins.

Native populations occur in soil, under bark, and in dead wood of old trees, often on basic and calcareous bedrock; also recorded from caves and ant or mole nests in Europe. In Britain and Ireland, strongly associated with buildings and urban sites in northern England and Scotland; in southern areas occurs in leaf litter and under bark in deciduous woodland, plus synanthropic sites such as waste ground, churchyards, and cultivated areas. Collected to 1,230 m elevation in the Alps.

Native to the Atlantic zone of northwest Europe. Synanthropic and introduced populations extend across western, central, and northern Europe (southernmost France to northern Sweden), plus Madeira, the Azores, North America, and Tasmania. Widespread but uncommon in Britain and Ireland.

Adults collected February–June and September–November in the British and Irish Isles. Postembryonic development studied over multiple years in a Finnish population, suggesting extended developmental period.

Postembryonic development occurs over multiple years, documented from a Finnish population. Adult activity bimodal in Britain and Ireland, with spring and autumn peaks.

Strongly synanthropic in northern parts of range, readily colonizing buildings and urban environments. Occasionally reported as agricultural pest.

Synanthropic populations indicate adaptation to human-altered environments. Occasional minor agricultural pest status reported. Genome sequenced as representative of Julida for comparative studies.

• Other BlaniulidaeShare general julid morphology but differ in ocellar arrangement, setation patterns, and gonopod structure; precise identification requires examination of these characters.
• Other Choneiulus speciesGenus-level characters overlap; species distinction relies on fine details of gonopod morphology and geographic distribution.

• millipede
• synanthropic
• genome sequenced
• European native
• introduced species

• BugGuide
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• The genome sequence of the millipede, Choneiulus palmatus (Nĕmec, 1895) (Julida: Blaniulidae).