Spirobolidae

Bollman, 1893

Spirobolid Millipedes

Genus Guides

5

Spirobolidae is a of large, cylindrical millipedes in the order Spirobolida, distributed across tropical and temperate regions worldwide. The family is divided into two : Spirobolinae and Tylobolinae. Members of this family include well-known such as Narceus in North America, Spirobolus in Asia, and Chicobolus in the southeastern United States. Several serve as intermediate for parasitic acanthocephalans.

Chicobolus spinigerus by (c) meflowers900, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.Narceus by no rights reserved, uploaded by natalie. Used under a CC0 license.Narceus by (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Spirobolidae: /ˌspaɪroʊˈboʊlɪdiː/

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Images

Distribution

Widespread across tropical and temperate regions including North America (eastern United States, Canada, Wisconsin, New England, Florida), East Africa, and Asia. Specific documented localities include: Wisconsin (Wingra Springs region, Clark County, Sauk County), Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Minnesota, and Tanzania.

Host Associations

Life Cycle

In Metiche tanganyciense, and early developmental stages occur in lower soil layers (15 cm depth). Juveniles below 5 cm in length remain in lower layers; individuals reaching 5 cm or greater migrate to surface soil to complete development. occupy both surface and lower soil layers. overlap, with adults and developing stadia present simultaneously in both .

Behavior

Metiche tanganyciense exhibits vertical : become surface-active during March–August for mating, then migrate to lower soil layers during September to oviposit. Spatial distribution shifts from non-aggregated on surface soil to aggregated in lower layers during oviposition period.

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Sources and further reading