@article {1771, title = {A previously unknown feeding mode in millipedes and the convergence of fluid feeding across arthropods}, journal = {Science Advances}, volume = {8}, year = {2022}, month = {16/02/2022}, pages = {1-9}, abstract = {

We report fluid feeding with a sucking pump in the arthropod class Diplopoda, using a combination of synchrotron tomography, histology, electron microscopy, and three-dimensional reconstructions. Within the head of nine species of the enigmatic Colobognatha, we found a pumping chamber, which acts as positive displacement pump and is notably similar to that of insects, showing even fine structural convergences. The sucking pump of these millipedes works together with protractible mouthparts and externally secreted saliva for the acquisition of liquid food. Fluid feeding is one of the great evolutionary innovations of terrestrial arthropods, and our study suggests that it evolved with similar biomechanical solutions convergent across all major arthropod taxa. While fluid-feeding insects are megadiverse today, it remains unclear why other lineages, such as Colobognatha, are comparably species poor.

}, issn = {2375-2548}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abm0577}, url = {https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abm0577}, author = {Moritz, Leif and Borisova, Elena and Hammel, J{\"o}rg U. and Blanke, Alexander and Wesener, Thomas} } @article {reboleira2021penetrative, title = {Penetrative and non-penetrative interaction between Laboulbeniales fungi and their arthropod hosts}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {12/11/2021}, pages = {1{\textendash}7}, abstract = {

Laboulbeniales are a highly specialized group of fungi living only on arthropods. They have high host specificity and spend their entire life-cycle on an arthropod host. Taxonomic characters of Laboulbeniales are based on the architecture of the cells of the parenchymal thallus, i.e. the visible part of the fungus outside the host. The extent of the fungus spreading inside the host\—the haustorium\—remains largely unknown. The attachment to the arthropod host is fundamental to understand the fungus-animal interaction, but how this truly occurs is unclear. Recent evidences question the strictly parasitic life-style of Laboulbeniales. We used micro-computed tomography (\µCT) and 3D reconstructions to visualize, for the first time, the complete structure of Laboulbeniales species in situ on their hosts. We compared the haustoriate species, Arthrorhynchus nycteribiae on an insect host to the non-haustoriate species, Rickia gigas on a millipede host. Our results confirm that some Laboulbeniales species are ectoparasitic and have a haustorial structure that penetrates the host\’s cuticle, while others are ectobionts and are only firmly attached to the host\’s cuticle without penetrating it. The presence and the morphology of the haustorium are important traits for Laboulbeniales evolution, and key factors for future understanding of host dependence and specificity.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01729-x}, url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-01729-x}, author = {Reboleira, Ana Sofia PS and Moritz, Leif and Santamar{\'\i}a, Sergi and Enghoff, Henrik} } @article {moritz2021tarsal, title = {A tarsal spinning organ in glomeridesmid millipedes (Diplopoda: Pentazonia: Glomeridesmida)}, journal = {Arthropod Systematics \& Phylogeny}, volume = {79}, year = {2021}, month = {18/10/2021}, pages = {555-567}, abstract = {

The production of sticky threads from spinnerets is known from various myriapod groups including some representatives of the millipedes (Diplopoda). In Diplopoda the thread-producing glands are mostly seta-like and positioned terminally on the telson, and the secretion product is typically used to build molting chambers or egg sacs. So far, no such secretions or organs have been documented for the subgroup Pentazonia. Here we describe thread-producing glands from the species-poor Glomeridesmida. These putative spinning organs are single circular fields of small pores (spinning fields) positioned on the outer side of the tarsi of all walking legs of mature and juvenile individuals of both sexes. These pores are the openings of cuticular tubuli (conducting canals), which extend from the tarsus to an aggregation of cells, a putative gland, within the femur. In several specimens thin threads were observed to be extruded from the pores. The tarsal spinning fields are present in all 21 investigated Glomeridesmida morphospecies, including Termitodesmidae and Glomeridesmidae from South East Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Oceania, and South and Central America. These organs might constitute an apomorphic character of the Glomeridesmida, as similar organs are absent in other Myriapoda. The function of the extruded threads in Glomeridesmida remains speculative, because observations of living specimens of the group are almost non-existing. We suggest that the secretion might be used for defense, to build molting chambers or to secure tunnels burrowed in the substrate.

}, keywords = {exocrine gland, Glomeridesmus, leg, Limacomorpha, Scanning electron microscopy, silk, spinnerets, Termitodesmus}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.3897/asp.79.e70002}, url = {https://arthropod-systematics.arphahub.com/article/70002/list/8/}, author = {Moritz, Leif and Wesener, Thomas} } @article {1416, title = {Integrative description of new giant pill-millipedes from southern Thailand (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Zephroniidae)}, journal = {European Journal of Taxonomy}, volume = {762}, year = {2021}, month = {11/08/2021}, pages = {108-132}, abstract = {

Two new species of giant pill-millipedes, Zephronia viridisoma Rosenmejer \& Wesener sp. nov. and Sphaerobelum aesculus Rosenmejer \& Wesener sp. nov., are described based on museum samples from southern Thailand. Zephronia viridisoma sp.\ nov. comes from Khao Lak, while the type locality of S. aesculus sp.\ nov. is on Phuket Island. Both species are described integratively, combining light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, multi-layer photography, micro-CT scans and genetic barcoding. Genetic barcoding was successfully conducted for holotypes of both new species, which could be added to a dataset of all published sequences of the family Zephroniidae, including all described species from Thailand, Laos and Cambodia up to 2020. Genetic barcoding of the COI gene revealed another female of S. aesculus sp.\ nov., 160 km east of the type locality. Both new species are genetically distant from all other Zephroniidae from Thailand and surrounding countries, showing uncorrected p-distances of 16.8\–23.1\%. A virtual cybertype of a paratype of Z. viridisoma sp.\ nov. was created and made publically accessible.

}, keywords = {biodiversity, CT scan, cybertype, DNA barcoding, Soil fauna}, issn = {2118-9773}, doi = {10.5852/ejt.2021.762.1457}, url = {https://europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/view/1457}, author = {Rosenmejer, Trine and Enghoff, Henrik and Moritz, Leif and Wesener, Thomas} } @article {1414, title = {Electrocambalidae fam.~nov., a new family of Cambalidea from Cretaceous Burmese amber (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida)}, journal = {European Journal of Taxonomy}, volume = {755}, year = {2021}, month = {17/06/2021}, pages = {22-46}, abstract = {

A new family, Electrocambalidae fam.\ nov. of the suborder Cambalidea is described from Cretaceous Burmese amber based on two new genera, Electrocambala gen.\ nov. and Kachincambala gen.\ nov. with four new species, Electrocambala ornata gen. et sp.\ nov., E.\ cretacea gen. et sp.\ nov., Kachincambala muelleri gen. et sp.\ nov. and K.\ distorta gen. et sp.\ nov. The specimens are described combining classical light microscopy with drawings and photography, and modern micro-computed tomography (\μCT). Morphological characters otherwise obscured are examined and visualized by creating volume renderings and 3D-segmentations from \μCT data. Electrocambalidae fam.\ nov. is characterized by the following character combination: (1) a forward shift of leg pair 3, resulting in an apparently legless 3rd body ring, (2) presence of metazonital setae, and (3) extensive pilosity on the head. Although some of these characters are shared with other Juliformia they are unique in this combination. The described fossils are the oldest and first Mesozoic Spirostreptida and Cambalidea known and ca 70 million years older than previous records of the group.

}, keywords = {Evolution, fossil, gonopods, micro-CT, Myanmar}, issn = {2118-9773}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2021.755.1397}, url = {https://europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/view/1397}, author = {Moritz, Leif and Wesener, Thomas} } @article {1065, title = {Description of the first species of Glomeridesmida from Thailand (Diplopoda, Glomeridesmida, Glomeridesmidae)}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {1024}, year = {2021}, month = {16/03/2021}, pages = {137-156}, abstract = {

With three genera and 35 previously known species from India, SE Asia, Central and South America, Glomeridesmida are one of the least diverse Diplopoda groups. Here we describe Glomeridesmus siamensis sp. nov., the first species of the order Glomeridesmida from Thailand. The geographically nearest confamiliar species have been described from southern India, Sumatra and Java. The species is described combining photographs, light- and scanning electron microscopy of mature and younger males, females and juveniles. Several characters are illustrated for the first time for an Asian representative of the family Glomeridesmidae. In addition to the type locality of G. siamensis sp. nov. from Krabi province, locality data of unidentified Glomeridesmus from Thailand are also given. These data are providing further evidence that the Glomeridesmida are not uncommon, but overlooked as they are small and difficult to collect. The unusual telopods and other morphological characters of G. siamensis sp. nov. differ considerably from the few Glomeridesmus males described from Central and South America as well as from India, but the unclear status of two generic names available for species from Indonesia prevents us from adding another generic name to this small and understudied order.

}, keywords = {biodiversity, Krabi, limestone hill, soil arthropod, Southeast Asia}, issn = {1313-2989}, doi = {10.3897/zookeys.1024.63678}, url = {https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/63678/}, author = {Wesener, Thomas and Wongthamwanich, Nattarin and Moritz, Leif} } @article {1049, title = {First steps toward suctorial feeding in millipedes: Comparative morphology of the head of the Platydesmida (Diplopoda: Colobognatha)}, journal = {Invertebrate Biology}, year = {2021}, month = {04/02/2021}, pages = {1-21}, abstract = {

Although most millipedes (Diplopoda) show a biting\–chewing feeding mode, representatives of the so-called Colobognatha (Platydesmida, Polyzoniida, Siphonocryptida, Siphonophorida), with their more or less reduced mouthparts, are assumed to have evolved a suctorial feeding mode, which enables them to exploit food sources like algal film and fungi hyphae. The Platydesmida are viewed as the key taxon for the understanding of mouthpart adaptations in Colobognatha, as their mouthpart elements still closely resemble those of biting\–chewing millipedes. Studies of the skeletomuscular system of the Platydesmida are rare, impeding further understanding of the mouthpart evolution in millipedes. To overcome this impediment in the understanding of millipede evolution, we study the internal morphology of the head in specimens from four genera of Platydesmida: Brachycybe lecontii, Dolistenus spp., Gosodesmus claremontus, and Pseudodesmus spp. Although all Platydesmida show similarly structured skeletal elements and accompanying musculature, they are distinct from all other Diplopoda. Their head lacks eyes and organs of T\öm\ösv\áry, and is pyriform and posteriorly bulging, overlapping the collum. The narrow mandibles are hidden underneath the broad genae. A previously described gnathochilarial postmentum is absent. Muscle attachment sites, such as the transverse mandibular tendon and the median septum, are reduced. The strong modifications of the head capsule, mandibles, and musculature limit the movability of the mandible for biting\–chewing motions based on simulations of possible gape angles. Platydesmida likely show a scraping and slurping feeding mode, which is facilitated by the comparably well-developed pharyngeal dilator muscles. We suggest that the Platydesmida show an intermediate state between the biting\–chewing millipedes and the other suctorially feeding Colobognatha.

}, keywords = {Functional morphology, mandible, micro-CT, musculature, tentorium}, issn = {1077-8306}, doi = {10.1111/ivb.12312}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ivb.12312}, author = {Moritz, Leif and Blanke, Alexander and Hammel, J{\"o}rg U. and Wesener, Thomas} } @article {863, title = {The millipedes and centipedes (Diplopoda, Chilopoda) of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin in Brandenburg (Germany)}, journal = {Schubartiana}, volume = {9}, year = {2020}, month = {29/12/2020}, pages = {13-37}, abstract = {

Abstract. In October 2019, an excursion of the Working Group of German-speaking Myriapodologists to the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin took place with the aim to record its myriapod fauna and thus to increase the knowledge on distribution, habitat requirements and current stage of population development of the myriapod species in this selected area in the federal state of Brandenburg. At 24 locations from 9 biotope types 1,062 specimens from 28 millipede and 16 centipede species were recorded. Thus, together with known published data, a total of 31 millipede and 19 centipede species are now known from the Biosphere Reserve. Remarks on rare and noteworthy species are given.
Zusammenfassung. Die Doppel-und Hundertf\ü\ßer (Diplopoda, Chilopoda) des UNESCO Biosph\ärenreservats Schorfheide-Chorin in Brandenburg (Deutschland). Im Oktober 2019 fand eine Exkursion der Arbeitsgruppe deutschsprachiger Myriapodologen in das UNESCO-Biosph\ärenreservat Schorfheide-Chorin mit dem Ziel statt, dessen Myriapoden-Fauna zu erfassen und damit das Wissen \über Verbreitung, Habitatanspr\üche und Bestandssituation der Arten in diesem ausgew\ählten Gebiet Brandenburgs zu erweitern. An 24 Standorten aus 9 Biotoptypen wurden insgesamt 1.062 Individuen aus 28 Doppelf\ü\ßerund 16 Hundertf\ü\ßerarten erfasst und damit das Artenspektrum des Gebietes auf 31 bzw. 19 Arten erweitert. Anmerkungen zu in Deutschland seltenen und bemerkenswerten Arten werden gegeben.

}, keywords = {Biotope types, Collembola, Hechtdiebel, Myriapoda, Nature reserve, Plagefenn}, issn = {2568-5570}, url = {https://www.schubartiana.de/issues/pdf/vol9/voigtlaender-2020-millipedes_and_centipedes_of_the_UNESCO_Biosphere_Reserve_Schorfheide-Chorin.pdf}, author = {Voigtl{\"a}nder, Karin and Barndt, Dieter and Burkhardt, Ulrich and Dannenfeld, Tim and Heynen, Sebastian and Lindner, E Norman and Moritz, Leif and Naumann, Benjamin and Orsakowsky, Reinhard and Sombke, Andy and Reip, Hans S.} } @article {441, title = {An apparently non-swinging tentorium in the Diplopoda (Myriapoda): comparative morphology of the tentorial complex in giant pill-millipedes (Sphaerotheriida)}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {741}, year = {2018}, pages = {77-91}, abstract = {

The presence of a swinging tentorium is a key apomorphy of Myriapoda, but this character has been studied in detail in only few species. Here the tentorium, i.e., the peristomatic skeleton of the preoral chamber, is comparatively studied in three species of the millipede order Sphaerotheriida Brandt, 1833. Since dissections of the fragile tentorial components proved to be difficult, despite the large head size, they were analysed mainly in situ via micro-computed tomography. Our results confirm previous observations of large differences in the tentorial construction in the giant pill-millipedes compared to chilognathan diplopods. The tentorium of Sphaerotheriida consists of a curved, plate-like epipharyngeal bar with distal projections, an elongate and thin hypopharyngeal bar, and a plate-like triangular posterior process; a transverse bar is absent. Only seven muscles attach at the tentorium in giant pill-millipedes, including two antennal muscles and two muscles of the gnathochilarium. Within the order Sphaerotheriida, the composition of the tentorium and its muscular equipment seems to be conserved, except for some variability in the shape of the epipharyngeal bar. As the transverse bar has been considered essential for the mobility of the tentorium in myriapods, its absence in Sphaerotheriida may indicate that their tentorium is not capable of performing a swing. Loss of tentorial mobility may also pertain to the order Glomerida Brandt, 1833, inferred here from the absence of a posterior process. An apparently immobile tentorium in Glomerida and Sphaerotheriida can straightforwardly be correlated with transformations of the head related to their ability of volvation. The different transformations of the tentorium, here hypothesised to cause immobility, may support current assumptions that the ability of volvation evolved convergently in Glomerida and Sphaerotheriida. This conclusion, however, still requires more detailed studies of the head anatomy in Glomerida and Glomeridesmida Cook, 1895.

}, keywords = {3D-reconstruction, Arthrosphaeridae, micro-CT, swinging tentorium, volvation}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.741.21909}, author = {Moritz, Leif and Wesener, Thomas and Koch, Markus} } @article {440, title = {The first record of the dwarf pill millipede Geoglomeris subterranea Verhoeff, 1908 in western Germany (Diplopoda, Glomerida) and the associated Myriapoda fauna of the Quirrenbach (Siebengebirge, NRW)}, journal = {Bulletin of the British Myriapod \& Isopod Group}, volume = {31}, year = {2019}, pages = {9-15}, abstract = {

The Quirrenbach, a forest site at the eastern edge of the Siebengebirge nature region in the southern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, is covered by an alluvial forest with slopes upwards towards a street. From 2011 to 2017 the site was subject to yearly spring excursions by the arthropod class taught at the Museum Koenig, Bonn, where myriapods were hand-collected and soil samples were extracted via the Berlese method. The site yielded specimens of all classes of the Myriapoda: Symphyla, Pauropoda, Chilopoda and Diplopoda, with one species of Pauropoda, 16 species of Chilopoda and 15 species of Diplopoda being determined to species-level in 2017. In addition to the presence of the pauropod Trachypauropus cordatus (Scheller, 1974) in the state, the mainly parthenogenetic dwarf pill millipede Geoglomeris subterranea Verhoeff, 1908 was recorded in Berlese samples for the first time. In Germany, less than a handful of old records of the species exist outside of southern Germany. Here we record G. subterranea for the first time from Germany\&$\#$39;s second largest and most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia. Micro-CT scans were taken to illustrate the species. The small size, cryptic habits, and special collection methods needed to record Geoglomeris makes it highly likely that the species is much wider distributed than previously thought.

}, url = {https://www.bmig.org.uk/sites/www.bmig.org.uk/files/bulletin/BullBMIG31\%282019\%2909-15_Wesener-etal_Geoglomeris.pdf}, author = {Wesener, Thomas and Moritz, Leif and Behr, Nils} } @article {438, title = {Checklist of the Myriapoda in Cretaceous Burmese amber and a correction of the Myriapoda identified by Zhang (2017)}, journal = {Check List}, volume = {14}, year = {2018}, month = {12/2020}, pages = {1131-1140}, abstract = {

An inventory of the Myriapoda (Diplopoda, Chilopoda, Symphyla) from Cretaceous Burmese amber, Myanmar, is presented, including the oldest and/or first fossil record for numerous orders. For millipedes (Diplopoda) 527 records, including 460 new specimens determined by us, belonging to 13 of 16 recent orders are listed: Polyxenida, Glomeridesmida, Glomerida, Siphonophorida, Polyzoniida, Platydesmida, Siphoniulida, Chordeumatida, Polydesmida, Stemmiulida, Callipodida, Spirostreptida and Spirobolida. For centipedes, 33 records for 4 of the 5 recent orders are listed: Scutigeromorpha, Lithobiomorpha, Scolopendromorpha and Geophilomorpha. For Symphyla, three records for both families, Scutigerellidae and Scolopendrellidae, are listed. The majority of Diplopoda records (30.5\%) are Polydesmida. The record of the Polyzoniida includes first instar octopod juveniles. The checklist includes the first fossil representatives known of the Platydesmida, as well as the oldest known fossils of the Polyxenida, Glomeridesmida, Glomerida, Siphonophorida, Polyzoniida, Siphoniulida, Spirostreptida, as well as both Symphyla families. Misidentifications by Zhang (2017) are corrected; while most Chilopoda in that list are correct, almost all Diplopoda are misidentified.

}, keywords = {Chilopoda, Cretaceous, Diplopoda, fossil, Myanmar, Symphyla}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.15560/14.6.1131}, url = {https://checklist.pensoft.net/article/30320/}, author = {Wesener, Thomas and Moritz, Leif} } @article {439, title = {The first known fossils of the Platydesmida{\textemdash}an extant American genus in Cretaceous amber from Myanmar (Diplopoda: Platydesmida: Andrognathidae)}, journal = {Organisms Diversity and Evolution}, volume = {19}, year = {2019}, month = {01/09/2019}, pages = {423-433}, abstract = {

Millipedes have been inhabiting the earth for more than 400 my and show a great diversity regarding their morphology and ecology. For a better understanding of the timing and pattern of millipede evolution, Burmese amber offers a unique window into the Cretaceous period, ca. 99 Ma. Here, we describe the first known fossil of the colobognathan order Platydesmida, the species Andrognathus burmiticus n. sp. based on 15 specimens from Cretaceous Burmese amber. We combine classical light-microscopy and modern micro-computer tomography (\μCT) with computer aided 3D-reconstructions. These non-invasive techniques allow us to describe the fossil millipedes as detailed as is general practice for extant species, and to grant the scientific community open access to the deposited \“Cybertypes\”. Based on the combination of unique morphological characters such as surface structures, body type, the unique size and shape of tergite 5, the absence of a hypoproct at the anal segment, and detailed gonopod characteristics, the studied fossils can be placed in the family Andrognathidae and the extant genus Andrognathus, which nowadays is restricted to the eastern USA and Mexico with three extant species. Therefore, the minimum age of the genus Andrognathus is pushed to the Cenomanian, 99 Ma. It can be assumed that the genus was much more diverse and wider distributed in the past and migrated between Asia and America via one of the once existing land bridges. These unique fossils prove the unusual relictual distribution of Andrognathus and can serve as key-fossils for the dating of the diplopod phylogeny.

}, keywords = {Burmese amber, Migration, Southeast Asia, Virtual paleontology, μCT}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s13127-019-00408-0 }, author = {Moritz, Leif and Wesener, Thomas} } @article {437, title = {Symphylella patrickmuelleri sp. nov. (Myriapoda: Symphyla): The oldest known Symphyla and first fossil record of Scolopendrellidae from Cretaceous Burmese amber}, journal = {Creatceous Research}, volume = {84}, year = {2017}, month = {22/12/2017}, pages = {258-263}, abstract = {

Symphyla are one of the least known of the four classes of the Myriapoda. While Symphyla are dated to have split from the other myriapods at about 430\–593 Ma, there are no fossil specimens known aside from seven specimens of the family Scutigerellidae preserved in Dominican and Baltic amber, with a maximum age of ca. 54 Ma. Here we describe the first fossil representative of the second Symphyla family, the Scolopendrellidae, Symphylella patrickmuelleri sp. nov., from Burmese amber (ca. 99 Ma). Utilizing micro-computed tomography (mCT) technology, as well as light microscopy and multi-layer photography, our specimen, despite being juvenile, can be assigned to the genus Symphylella Silvestri, 1902, a species-rich Recent genus that has an almost worldwide distribution. The specimen is preserved after ejecting long threads of silk from its large spinnerets. Our findings show that the recent genera and families of the Symphyla diverged already before the end of the Mesozoic

}, keywords = {Burmese amber, Cretaceous, CT scan, Mesozoic, soil arthropod}, issn = {0195-6671}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2017.11.018}, author = {Moritz, Leif and Wesener, Thomas} } @article {436, title = {Integrative description of two new species of Malagasy chirping giant pill-millipedes, genus Sphaeromimus (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida: Arthrosphaeridae)}, journal = {European Journal of Taxonomy}, volume = {381}, year = {2017}, month = {15/12/2017}, pages = {1-25}, abstract = {

The species-rich giant pill-millipedes (Sphaerotheriida) often represent a microendemic component of Madagascar\’s mega-invertebrate fauna. Of the chirping genus Sphaeromimus de Saussure \& Zehntner, 1902, ten species have been described. Here, we describe two new species of Sphaeromimus integratively, combining light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, DNA barcoding and micro-CT technology for the first time in a taxonomic description of a giant pill-millipede. S. kalambatritra sp. nov. and S. midongy sp. nov. are the first giant pill-millipedes collected and described from the mountainous rainforests of Kalambatritra and Midongy. Both species show island gigantism compared to their congeners. Our analysis of the mitochondrial COI gene shows that the two species are related to one another with a moderate genetic distance (9.4\%), while they are more closely related to an undetermined specimen from the forest of Vevembe (6.3\% and 8.4\%). They stand in a basal position with S. ivohibe Wesener, 2014 and S. musicus (de Saussure \& Zehntner, 1897). The four aforementioned species share a high number of stridulation ribs on the male harp. Our micro-CT analysis provides a look into the head of S. kalambatritra sp. nov. and shows that non-destructive CT methods are a useful tool for studying the inner morphology of giant pill-millipedes.

}, keywords = {biodiversity, COI, island gigantism, Kalambatritra, Midongy}, issn = {2118-9773}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2017.381}, url = {https://europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/view/506}, author = {Moritz, Leif and Wesener, Thomas} } @article {291, title = {No T{\"o}m{\"o}sv{\'a}ry organ in flat backed millipedes (Diplopoda, Polydesmida)}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {930}, year = {2020}, month = {28/04/2020}, pages = {103-115}, abstract = {

The T\öm\ösv\áry organ is a sensory structure of the head in myriapods and some other terrestrial arthropods. Due to its variable shape, size, and position in millipedes (Diplopoda) the T\öm\ösv\áry organ is commonly used as diagnostic character in taxonomic descriptions and often included in phylogenetic analyses. For the Polydesmida, the largest millipede order, the T\öm\ösv\áry organ is inconsistently stated as being either absent or present as a pear-shaped pit covered by a membrane or cuticular disc. In order to resolve this inconsistency, we investigated the morphology of the presumable T\öm\ösv\áry organ in four polydesmidan species based on paraffin-histology, semi-thin sections and micro-computed tomography. Our results unambiguously favor the view that the articulation of the cephalic tentorium with the head capsule was misidentified as the T\öm\ösv\áry organ in previous studies, and thus that the T\öm\ösv\áry organ indeed is absent in the Polydesmida. The pear-shaped pit proved to represent the distal roundish expansion of the incisura lateralis, to which \– similarly as in julidan millipedes \– the tentorial transverse bar is articulated. The absence of the T\öm\ösv\áry organ in the Polydesmida does not affect the topology of the interrelationships among the millipede orders retrieved in previous cladistic analyses based on morphology. As a character shared by Colobognatha and Juliformia, however, absence of a T\öm\ösv\áry organ in Polydesmida favors the optimization of its presence in nematophoran millipedes as a reversal. Further studies are needed to clarify whether among chilognathan millipedes a T\öm\ösv\áry organ really exists in taxa such as Stemmiulida, and whether the T\öm\ösv\áry organs are homologous across millipedes.

}, keywords = {anatomy, Histology, Micro-Computed Tomography, morphology, tentorium}, issn = {1313-2989}, doi = {10.3897/zookeys.930.48438}, url = {https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/48438/}, author = {Moritz, Leif and Koch, Markus} } @article {112, title = {Dwarfs under dinosaur legs: a new millipede of the order Callipodida (Diplopoda) from Cretaceous amber of Burma}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {841}, year = {2019}, month = {02/05/2019}, pages = {79 - 96}, abstract = {

The entire Mesozoic Era is rather poor in millipede (class Diplopoda) fossils, with less than a dozen species being taxonomically described. Here, we describe the first fossil millipede of the order Callipodida, Burmanopetalum inexpectatum gen. nov. et sp. nov., found in early Cenomanian amber of Burma, 98.79\±0.62 Mya. The species possesses a number of morphological traits that exclude it from all extant suborders, and Burmanopetalidea suborder nov. and Burmanopetalidae fam. nov. are here erected to accommodate it. The new suborder can be recognized by the following unique characters: pleurotergal setae absent; telson with a specific spatulate shape twice the size of the penultimate body ring; hypoproct devoid of setae; and eyes composed of five well-separated ommatidia. While the callipodidan habitus seems to have remained generally unchanged for at least 99 million years, pleurotergal and hypoproctal setation, as well as the complexity of eyes in ground-dwelling forms may have evolved recently in the order. As B. inexpectatum gen. nov. et sp. nov. is the first true callipodidan in the fossil record, the minimum age of Callipodida is thus at least 99 Mya.

}, keywords = {Burmanopetalidae fam. nov., Burmanopetalidea suborder nov., Burmanopetalum inexpectatum gen. nov. et sp. nov., Cenomanian, Mesozoic}, issn = {1313-2989}, doi = {10.3897/zookeys.841.34991}, url = {https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/34991/}, author = {Stoev, Pavel and Moritz, Leif and Wesener, Thomas} }