Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Myriapods (Myriapoda) » Millipedes (Diplopoda) » Flat-backed Millipedes (Polydesmida) » Paradoxosomatidae » Oxidus » Greenhouse Millipede (Oxidus gracilis)

Species Oxidus gracilis - Greenhouse Millipede

unidentified Diplopoda - Oxidus gracilis

third millipede in Sundale Neighborhood 2022 June 26 - Oxidus gracilis

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Myriapoda (Myriapods)

Class Diplopoda (Millipedes)

Order Polydesmida (Flat-backed Millipedes)

Family Paradoxosomatidae

Genus Oxidus

Species gracilis (Greenhouse Millipede)

Other Common Names

Hothouse millipede, Short-flange millipede, Garden millipede

Explanation of Names

Oxidus gracilis (C.L. Koch 1847)

Size

16‒21 mm

Identification

Body color chestnut to reddish black with amber-colored legs and paranota. Mid-body paranota are rather blunt and rounded (not extending past posterior segment margin), but increase in length and sharpness towards the tail. A transverse groove is present on each body segment, a trait shared with other Paradoxosomatids. (1)

Range

Native to Asia, now cosmopolitan; in our area: e.NA, w.US

Season

year round

Life Cycle

Lays clutches of 40‒150 eggs in all months of the year, reaches maturity in 5‒6 months(1)

See Also

Asiomorpha coarctata has sharper paranota, body a bit darker, and longer gonopods reaching 5th segment legs (short to 6th segment legs in O. gracilis) ‒ compare

Internet References

Fact sheet (Cook Is. Biodiversity Database) • Species page(2)

Works Cited

1.	Millipedes: Keys and notes for the identification of the species J. Gordon Blower. 1985. E.J. Brill/Dr. W. Backhuys.

2.	British Myriapod & Isopod Group

Contributed by Tony DiTerlizzi on 1 August, 2005 - 8:27am
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn, Vox Sciurorum, v belov, biosam
Last updated 1 November, 2023 - 7:58pm

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