Arthrosphaeridae Explained

Arthrosphaeridae is a family of giant pill millipedes that are found in Madagascar, the Western Ghats of India, and Sri Lanka. The largest pill-millipede in the world, Zoosphaerium neptunus (Butler 1872) belongs to this family and is known to swarm at certain times of the year.^[1]

Description

The first segment of the anterior telopods have a stridulatory organ known as a "harp" and this has one to ten ribs. The anal plate on the female is enlarged and has 1-12 ribs while the male anal shield has no special sclerotized notch as seen in other families. The segments of the antenna are oval or cylindrical.^[2]

Taxonomy

Within the family Arthrosphaeridae there are four genus formally described:

• Arthrosphaera Pocock, 1895 – India, Sri Lanka
• Microsphaerotherium Wesener & van den Spiegel, 2007 – Madagascar
• Sphaeromimus de Saussure & Zehntner, 1902 – Southeast Madagascar
• Zoosphaerium Pocock, 1895 – Madagascar

Notes and References

1. Swarming behaviour and mass occurrences in the world's largest giant pill-millipede species, Zoosphaerium neptunus, on Madagascar and its implication for conservation efforts (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida). Thomas Wesener. Kai Schütte. amp. 2010. Madagascar Conservation & Development. 5. 2. 89–94. 10.4314/mcd.v5i2.63137. free.
2. Wesener. Thomas. A new phylogenetic analysis of the Sphaerotheriida (Diplopoda) with a revision of the Australian giant pill-millipedes. Invertebrate Systematics. 2014. 28. 2. 196. 10.1071/IS13048.