Callipodida

Stoev, Pavel, Sierwald, Petra & Billey, Amber, 2008, An annotated world catalogue of the millipede order Callipodida (Arthropoda: Diplopoda) *, Zootaxa 1706, pp. 1-50 : 2-4

Order Callipodida

The Callipodida are a moderately diverse millipede order, currently comprising 3 suborders, 7 families, 35 valid (sub-)genera and 133 valid (sub-)species. In addition, 10 nominal species, almost all of them described in the 19th century, have not been considered in the recent taxonomic literature, and their status presently remains uncertain. Two of the suborders, Sinocallipodidea and Callipodidea, are known from only 2 and 6 species respectively; the third suborder, Schizopetalidea, is more diverse and exceeds 120 species currently considered valid.

Callipodidans are helminthomorphous millipedes with an elongated, cylindrical body composed of 40-75 pleurotergites, moderately long legs and antennae, and a telson bearing a pair of spinnerets ( Fig. 1 ). Their body size varies from about 15 to more than 100 mm ( Hoffman 1982). Traditionally, the order is placed together with the orders Chordeumatida Pocock, 1894 and Stemmiulida Cook, 1895 in the superorder Nematophora Verhoeff, 1913, although the phylogenetic relationships within the Diplopoda are not resolved yet. Putative apomorphies for Callipodida are the divided hypoproct and anal valves; the extrusable vulvae, and also the specific shape of the male gonopods, which are carried withdrawn deep in a body pouch ( Sierwald & Bond 2007).

Members of the order occur in the Northern and Eastern Mediterranean region, central and SE Asia, and central and southern North America ( Fig. 2 ). They are unknown in Africa, South America, Australia and Oceania. The greatest diversity exists in the Balkan Peninsula, Asia Minor and southwestern parts of the USA, although the still unexplored fauna of SE Asia is expected to be even richer ( Shear et al. 2003). Most callipodidans inhabit caves or other rocky biotopes such as stony debris and rock crevices. As a whole the group can be considered petrophilic. While most of the Mediterranean species are cave-dwellers, only a few of the Paracortinidae and Sinocallipodidae occurring in China and Vietnam, and only a single genus ( Tetracion ) in North America are reported from caves. Although completely blind species have not been discovered yet, species like Bollmania beroni and Sinocallipus simplipodicus , show certain traits of troglomorphism. Another example of cave adaptation, i.e. guanophily, was observed in Balkanopetalum rhodopinum , which was found buried inside a heap of fresh bat guano in the Yubileina Cave, Bulgaria (P. Stoev observ.). Callipodidans also inhabit relatively dry habitats like the semi-deserts in Iran and Afghanistan. In respect to altitude, they usually occur in lowlands up to 1500–1700 m in the mountains. There are, however, some exceptions, e.g. tentatively new species of Bollmania have been reported from 3030 m in Sabz Tchachmeh, Afghanistan (cf. Stoev & Enghoff 2005).

Millipedes are traditionally considered subsisting on decomposing plant tissue, although there are also several examples of carnivory. A significant share of documented cases of carnivory refer to species of the Callipodida . Verhoeff (1900d), Strasser (1935), Manton (1958) and Hoffman & Payne (1969) documented carnivory and even cannibalism in Apfelbeckia lindenfeldii , Callipus foetidissimus , and Abacion magnum , etc. They were observed feeding on worms, flies, spiders, and juvenile millipedes.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Eurygyrus rufolineatus C. L. Koch, 1847 from Turkey (ZMUC).

FIGURE 2. World distribution of the Callipodida (redrawn with modifications from Shear et al. 2003).