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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Myriapods (Myriapoda) » Millipedes (Diplopoda) » Polyzoniida

Order Polyzoniida

Representative Images

Polyzoniid Millipede - Petaserpes Polyzoniid Millipede - Petaserpes Polyzoniid Millipedes clustered - Petaserpes A Hirudisomatid? - Octoglena bivirgata Platydesmid? - Octoglena anura Polyzoniid millipede - Octoglena Millipede Pink-orange millipede - Bdellozonium - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Myriapoda (Myriapods)
Class Diplopoda (Millipedes)
Order Polyzoniida

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Ommatophora Brandt 1840, Orthozonia Verhoeff 1840

Explanation of Names

Polyzoniida Cook 1895

Numbers

2 native families in NA + one introduced (Siphonotidae)(1), ~130 spp. in 28 genera total(2)

Identification

Leech-shaped body: back domed or arched, ventral side flat. Small, cone-shaped head. Few ocelli. Dorsal groove absent. Paranota absent. Similar to Platydesmida (flat with tiny heads and from 30 to 192 body rings) but smooth and without dorsal groove. Body usually cream(3)

Range

In our area, BC to southern Sierra Nevada and central California coast; QC‒GA(1)

Habitat

Moist soil and leaf litter

Food

plant material

Works Cited

1.Centipedes and Millipedes, with an Emphasis on North American Fauna
Rowland M. Shelley. 1999. Emporia State University.
2.Sierwald P., Spelda J. (2023) MilliBase
3.Spiders and Their Kin: A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press
Herbert W. Levi, Lorna R. Levi, Nicholas Strekalovsky. 2001. St. Martin's Press.
Contributed by Lynette Elliott on 16 April, 2005 - 7:22pm
Additional contributions by v belov, biosam
Last updated 14 November, 2023 - 5:29pm

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