Diplopod
Guides
Apheloria
cherry millipedes, flat-backed millipedes
Apheloria is a genus of large, chemically defended millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae, distributed across eastern North America. These millipedes are notable for producing hydrogen cyanide and benzaldehyde as defensive secretions, which imparts a characteristic cherry or almond odor. The genus participates in Müllerian mimicry rings in the Appalachian Mountains, with species displaying highly variable aposematic coloration involving black backgrounds with contrasting yellow, orange, red, or white markings. Species-level identification requires examination of male gonopod morphology due to extensive color polymorphism and convergent color patterns among co-occurring species.
Cambala annulata
Violet Ridged Millipede
Cambala annulata is a species of millipede in the family Cambalidae, commonly known as the Violet Ridged Millipede. It is native to North America and was first described by Thomas Say in 1821. The species belongs to the order Spirostreptida, a group of large cylindrical millipedes.
Causeyella
Causeyella is a genus of troglobitic (cave-dwelling) millipedes in the family Trichopetalidae, order Chordeumatida. The genus was established by Shear in 2003 and comprises three species: C. causeyae, C. dendropus, and C. youngsteadtorum. These millipedes are restricted to cave habitats in the southern Ozarks region of the United States.
Cherokia georgiana georgiana
Cherokia georgiana georgiana is a millipede subspecies in the family Xystodesmidae, characterized by its black body with yellow wedge-shaped posterolateral markings and a wrinkled dorsal surface. It belongs to the order Polydesmida, a group distinguished by lateral expansions of dorsal segments into "paranota" that give a flattened appearance. Like other members of its genus and related genera, it produces hydrogen cyanide (HCN) as a chemical defense against predators, with its bright coloration serving as aposematic warning signals.
Choctella cumminsi
Choctella cumminsi is a species of millipede in the family Choctellidae, described by Chamberlin in 1918. It is a member of the order Spirostreptida, a group of large-bodied millipedes commonly known as giant millipedes. The species is known from North America, with confirmed records from Tennessee. As with other members of its family, it is presumed to be a soil-dwelling detritivore, though specific ecological studies are limited.
Choctellidae
Choctellidae is a family of millipedes in the order Spirostreptida, established by Chamberlin & Hoffman in 1950. The family contains at least one genus, Choctella, with at least two described species. These millipedes have been recorded in Alabama and Tennessee in the southeastern United States. The family belongs to the superfamily Cambalidea within the suborder Juliformia.
Cleidogona fustis
Cleidogona fustis is a small millipede species in the family Cleidogonidae, order Chordeumatida. It was described in 1895 by Cook and Collins. The species belongs to a group of short-bodied millipedes commonly known as "snake millipedes" or "bristly millipedes" due to their compact form and setose appearance. Very few observations of this species exist in public databases.
Euryurus erythropygos
Euryurus erythropygos is a North American millipede species in the family Xystodesmidae, first described by Brandt in 1839. It belongs to a genus characterized by broad, flattened bodies and distinctive coloration patterns. The species name 'erythropygos' refers to its red or reddish posterior (pygidium). Like other xystodesmid millipedes, it likely produces defensive secretions containing benzoquinones when disturbed.
Okeanobatidae
Okeanobatidae is a family of millipedes in the order Julida, established by Verhoeff in 1942. The family contains two genera: Okeanobates and Yosidaiulus. Records indicate presence in Japan and the United States, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Onychelus obustus
Onychelus obustus is a millipede species in the family Atopetholidae, described by Cook in 1904. It belongs to the order Spirobolida, a group of large, cylindrical millipedes commonly known as giant millipedes or round-backed millipedes. The species has been documented in North America, particularly in the United States.
Orthoporus flavior
Orthoporus flavior is a large spirostreptid millipede native to the southwestern United States and Mexico. The species is characterized by its cylindrical body form, slow movement, and distinctive yellow-gold banding along the dorsal surface. It belongs to a genus commonly known as desert millipedes, though specific ecological details for this species remain limited in published literature.
Parajulidae
Parajulid Millipedes
Parajulidae is a family of millipedes in the order Julida, distinguished by male genital morphology: males possess greatly enlarged first pairs of legs and externally exposed gonopods. The family occurs predominantly in North America with extensions into Central America and East Asia, representing one of the most widely distributed millipede families in the Western Hemisphere. The genus Oriulus venustus alone covers three-fourths of the continental United States and adjacent southern Canada, making it the most broadly distributed North American diplopod known.
Polydesmida
Flat-backed Millipedes
Polydesmida is the largest order of millipedes, containing over 5,000 described species. Members are commonly known as flat-backed millipedes due to the presence of lateral keels (paranota) on most body segments. This order includes all millipedes known to produce hydrogen cyanide (HCN) as a chemical defense. Polydesmids are found on every continent except Antarctica and exhibit the highest morphological diversity among millipede orders. They are characterized by a unique developmental mode called teloanamorphosis, in which adults reach a fixed number of segments and cease molting.
Polyzoniida
camphor millipedes
Polyzoniida is an order of millipedes in the subterclass Colobognatha, containing three families (Hirudisomatidae, Polyzoniidae, Siphonotidae) and more than 70 described species. These millipedes are commonly known as camphor millipedes due to the strong camphor-like odor of their defensive secretions. They range from 4–50 mm in length, typically 10–15 mm, with a domed dorsal surface and flat ventral side. Their defensive chemistry has ecological significance: poison frogs in South America and Madagascar have been observed to sequester toxins from these millipedes.
Proteroiulus fuscus
Ochre Snake Millipede
Proteroiulus fuscus is a small European millipede in the family Blaniulidae, commonly known as the Ochre Snake Millipede. It exhibits sexual dimorphism in body size, with females notably larger than males. The species has a widespread but patchy distribution across Europe, being absent from several countries in the Balkans and Mediterranean region as well as various European islands.
Pseudopolydesmus serratus
Common Pink Flat-back
Pseudopolydesmus serratus is a species of flat-backed millipede in the family Polydesmidae, commonly known as the Common Pink Flat-back. It was first described by Thomas Say in 1821 and is widely distributed across North America. The species has been the subject of recent morphological research using 3D imaging techniques to study its anatomy and genitalia development.
Sigmoria australis
Sigmoria australis is a flat-backed millipede in the family Xystodesmidae, described by Shelley in 1986. It belongs to the order Polydesmida, a group characterized by their dorsoventrally flattened bodies and distinct lateral extensions (paranota) on each segment. The species is known from North America, with confirmed records from Florida.
Sigmoria nantahalae
Nantahala Cherry Millipede
Sigmoria nantahalae is a species of flat-backed millipede in the family Xystodesmidae, first described by Hoffman in 1958. It is endemic to the southern Appalachian Mountains of North America, with confirmed records from North Carolina. The species belongs to the tribe Apheloriini, a group known for producing hydrogen cyanide as a defensive secretion.
Sigmoria plancus
Sigmoria plancus is a species of flat-backed millipede in the family Xystodesmidae, first described by Loomis in 1944. It belongs to a genus of eastern North American polydesmid millipedes characterized by distinctive color patterns and defensive chemical secretions. The species is part of a taxonomically complex group where species boundaries and distributions remain incompletely documented.
Spirostreptidae
Flatplate Millipedes
Spirostreptidae is a family of large millipedes in the order Spirostreptida, commonly known as flatplate millipedes. The family comprises approximately 100 genera distributed across tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, Africa, Madagascar, Seychelles, and the eastern Mediterranean. Members are characterized by their elongated cylindrical bodies and are primarily soil-dwelling detritivores, though some species exhibit arboreal habits. The family includes both synanthropic species that can become urban pests and species with specialized thermoregulatory and social behaviors.
Watichelus
Watichelus is a genus of millipedes in the family Atopetholidae, order Spirobolida. The genus was established by Chamberlin in 1949. Members of this genus are cylindrical, relatively large-bodied millipedes characteristic of the Spirobolida order. As a genus within Atopetholidae, Watichelus represents part of the diverse juliform millipede fauna of the Americas.