Desmoxytes
Desmoxytes, whose species are commonly known as the dragon millipedes, is a genus of millipede of the family Paradoxosomatidae found in southeast Asia. The genus was described by Ralph Vary Chamberlin in 1923 and reviewed by Sergei Golovatch and Henrik Enghoff in 1994.[1] At least twenty-nine species are known from southeastern China to Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.[2] One species, D. planata, has also been observed in Sri Lanka, the Andaman Islands, Seychelles, Java, Great Coco Island, and Fiji; however, this species has expanded its range by being transported through human activity.[1][3] Several species have only recently been discovered and some have yet to be officially described.[3]
| Desmoxytes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Two Desmoxytes species from China | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | Desmoxytes Chamberlin, 1923 |
| Species | |
|
c. 30, see text | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Hylomus Cook & Loomis, 1924 | |
Generally, species in this genus are striking in coloration and spiny,[3] although several species are cave-dwelling, and show troglomorphic characters such as pale brownish coloration and long, narrow spines.[4] This genus is unique for its sculptured, ornamented dorsum, and elaborate paranota.[5] The maximum length for a species in this genus is around 3 centimeters (1.2 inches).[3] Species in this genus also have the ability to produce hydrogen cyanide to ward off predators, which can give the dragon millipedes an almondlike smell.[3]
Species
Other than D. planata, each species of dragon millipede is known primarily from only one or a few locations in their country of origin.[3] Additionally, there is one species from Australia, Desmoxytoides hasenpuschorum, which is extremely similar to Desmoxytes but has been split into its own monotypic genus; there is speculation, even by the genus authority for Desmoxytoides, that this split is not necessary.[3] Five species of Desmoxytes, including D. aspera, D. cervaria, D. draco, D. pilosa, and D. spectabilis, were originally placed in the separate genus Hylomus before it was lumped into Desmoxytes.[5][6]
| Binomial names | Authority | Year | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desmoxytes acantherpestes | Golovatch & Enghoff | 1994 |  |
| Desmoxytes aspera | Attems | 1937 |  |
| Desmoxytes breviverpa | Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha | 2016 | |
| Desmoxytes cattienensis | Nguyen Duc Anh et al. | 2005 | |
| Desmoxytes cervaria | Attems | 1953 | |
| Desmoxytes cervina | Pocock | 1895 |  |
| Desmoxytes cornuta | Zhang & Li | 1982 |  |
| Desmoxytes delfae | Jeekel | 1964 | |
| Desmoxytes des | Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha | 2016 | |
| Desmoxytes draco | Cook & Loomis | 1924 | |
| Desmoxytes enghoffi | Nguyen Duc Anh et al. | 2005 | |
| Desmoxytes eupterygota | Golovatch et al. | 2012 | |
| Desmoxytes getuhensis | Liu, Golovatch & Tian | 2014 | |
| Desmoxytes gigas | Golovatch & Enghoff | 1994 | |
| Desmoxytes hostilis | Golovatch & Enghoff | 1994 | |
| Desmoxytes jeekeli | Golovatch & Enghoff | 1994 | |
| Desmoxytes lingulata | Liu, Golovatch & Tian | 2014 | |
| Desmoxytes longispina | Loksa | 1960 | |
| Desmoxytes lui | Golovatch et al. | 2012 | |
| Desmoxytes minutuberculata | Zhang | 1986 | |
| Desmoxytes nodulosa | Liu, Golovatch & Tian | 2014 | |
| Desmoxytes parvula | Liu, Golovatch & Tian | 2014 | |
| Desmoxytes pilosa | Attems | 1937 | |
| Desmoxytes pinnasquali | Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha | 2016 | |
| Desmoxytes planata | Pocock | 1895 | widespread |
| Desmoxytes proxima | Nguyen Duc Anh et al. | 2005 | |
| Desmoxytes pterygota | Golovatch & Enghoff | 1994 | |
| Desmoxytes purpurosea | Enghoff, Sutcharit & Panha | 2007 | |
| Desmoxytes rhinoceros | Likhitrakarn, Golovatch & Panha | 2015 |  |
| Desmoxytes rhinoparva | Likhitrakarn, Golovatch & Panha | 2015 | |
| Desmoxytes rubra | Golovatch & Enghoff | 1994 | |
| Desmoxytes scolopendroides | Golovatch et al. | 2010 | |
| Desmoxytes scutigeroides | Golovatch et al. | 2010 | |
| Desmoxytes specialis | Nguyen Duc Anh et al. | 2005 | |
| Desmoxytes spectabilis | Attems | 1937 | |
| Desmoxytes spinissima | Golovatch et al. | 2012 | |
| Desmoxytes takensis | Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha | 2016 | |
| Desmoxytes taurina | Pocock | 1895 | |
| Desmoxytes terae | Jeekel | 1964 |  |
References
- Enghoff, Henrik (November 2005). "The millipedes of Thailand (Diplopoda)". Steenstrupia. Copenhagen. 29 (1): 87–103. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- Thompson, Christian (2008-12-15). "First Contact in the Greater Mekong" (pdf). World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- Enghoff, Henrik; Sutcharit, Chirasak; Panha, Somsak (2007). "The shocking pink dragon millipede, Desmoxytes purpurosea, a colourful new species from Thailand" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1563: 31–36. ISSN 1175-5326. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- Golovatch, Sergei; Li, Youbang; Liu, Weixin; Geoffroy, Jean-Jacques (2012). "Three new cavernicolous species of dragon millipedes, genus Desmoxytes Chamberlin, 1923, from southern China, with notes on a formal congener from the Philippines (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae)". ZooKeys. 185 (0): 1–17. doi:10.3897/zookeys.185.3082. PMC 3345791. PMID 22577310.
- Shelley, Rowland; Selena Bauer (1998). "The Milliped Family Paradoxosomatidae in the Hawaiian Islands (Diplopoda: Polydesmida)" (PDF). Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 56: 48–49. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
- "Zoo 111". Universität Ulm & Ruhr-Universität Bochum. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2008-12-17.