Platydesmida
Cook, 1895
Feather Millipedes
Platydesmida is an order of containing two (Andrognathidae and Platydesmidae) and over 60 described . Members are characterized by a strongly flattened body with lateral extensions (paranota) on each segment. The order is notable for containing some of the few documented examples of paternal care in , with males of certain species coiling around and guarding and young. The only known fossil record consists of a specimen from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (~100 Ma) belonging to the extant Andrognathus.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Platydesmida: //ˌplætɪˈdɛzmɪdə//
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Identification
Distinguished from other orders by the combination of a strongly flattened body with prominent lateral paranota, complete absence of , and membership in the Colobognatha. The flattened with lateral extensions is particularly distinctive. Identification to level requires examination of male genitalia, which are morphologically conserved and difficult to observe without magnification; scanning electron microscopy has revealed previously unknown variation in these structures.
Images
Appearance
Strongly flattened body with lateral extensions (paranota) on each segment. Eyeless. Body length up to 60 mm. Segment count ranges from 30 to 110. Thin-bodied overall .
Habitat
Deciduous forests, where members inhabit decaying wood. Some exhibit relict distributions with small-range . The Mediterranean Dolistenus has been described as microendemic.
Distribution
North America, Central America, Mediterranean region of Europe, Japan, China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and Indonesia. Specific regional records include: Caucasus region (Azerbaijan, NW Iran along Caspian Sea coast), Taiwan, and New Mexico (USA).
Diet
May be specialized to feed on fungi, though this requires further confirmation. This contrasts with most that feed on dead or decomposing leaf litter.
Behavior
Paternal care has been documented in males of some , who coil around and young. This has been observed in Brachycybe species from North America and Japan, and in Yamasinaium from Japan (all Andrognathidae). This represents a rare example of paternal care among .
Similar Taxa
- Other Colobognatha orders (Polyzoniida, Siphonocryptida)Share membership but differ in body form; Platydesmida is distinguished by strongly flattened body with paranota
- Other millipede ordersDistinguished by combination of flattened body with lateral paranota and absence of
More Details
Fossil record
The only described fossil of the order is from mid-Cretaceous (~100 Ma) Burmese amber, belonging to the extant Andrognathus. Several undescribed specimens from the same deposit are known.
Taxonomic composition
Order contains two : Andrognathidae (16 including Andrognathus, Brachycybe, Yamasinaium) and Platydesmidae (2 genera: Desmethus, Platydesmus).
Molecular research
First COI barcode sequences for European representatives were published in 2019, contributing to genetic characterization of the order.
Sources and further reading
- BugGuide
- Wikipedia
- GBIF taxonomy match
- iNaturalist taxon
- Catalogue of Life
- Colobognatha millipedes in the Caucasus (Diplopoda: Polyzoniida, Platydesmida, Siphonocryptida)
- A new Mediterranean species of Dolistenus (Diplopoda, Platydesmida, Andrognathidae), with an updated key for the genus and the first contribution for a barcode database of European Platydesmida
- The millipede order Platydesmida (Diplopoda) in Taiwan, with descriptions of two new species
- Cryptic diversity in Andrognathus corticarius Cope, 1869 and description of a new Andrognathus species from New Mexico (Diplopoda, Platydesmida, Andrognathidae)