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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Myriapods (Myriapoda) » Millipedes (Diplopoda) » Bristly Millipedes (Polyxenida)

Order Polyxenida - Bristly Millipedes

Mother-lode of tufted millipedes - Polyxenus lagurus Mother-lode of tufted millipedes - Polyxenus lagurus Bristly millipede - Polyxenus bug with lots of setae - Polyxenus Polyxenida - Polyxenus Millipedes - Polyxenus mystery class of arthropoda; collembola-like but with 4 or 5 leg pairs - Polyxenus Unknown myriapod (?) - Polyxenus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Myriapoda (Myriapods)
Class Diplopoda (Millipedes)
Order Polyxenida (Bristly Millipedes)
Other Common Names
Pincushion millipedes, bristle millipedes, fuzzy millipedes
Pronunciation
pol-ee-ZEE-nid-uh
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Ancyrotricha Cook, 1895
Numbers
4 families worldwide,
1 family in North America (but see comments below)
Size
Up to 4mm
Identification
Unique body shape: soft-bodied with distinctive tufts of setae. Never more than 17 leg pairs. 1-3 small ocelli.
Range
Worldwide. In Western Hemisphere occurs from southern Canada to Brazil. (1)
Polyxenidae, represented by Polyxenus, occurs throughout the United States. A second family, Lophoproctidae, has been recorded in the Florida Keys and Mexico and may occur in southern Texas. (2)
See Also
May be confused with dermestid beetle larvae
Print References
Eisner, T., Eisner, M. and Deyrup, M. 1996. Millipede defense: use of detachable bristles to entangle ants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 93: 10848-19851. (PDF)
Internet References
nadiplochilo.org Polyxenida page
Taxonomy
Works Cited
1.Centipedes and Millipedes, with an Emphasis on North American Fauna
Rowland M. Shelley. 1999. Emporia State University.
2.Checklist of the millipeds of North and Middle America
Richard L. Hoffman. 1999. Virginia Museum of Natural History Special Publications.
Contributed by Lynette Elliott on 3 June, 2005 - 9:05pm
Additional contributions by john and jane balaban, smccann27, Chuck Entz, biosam
Last updated 12 October, 2013 - 6:40pm

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