Three New Species of Dragon Millipedes Discovered in China
Posted on October 30, 2014
Three new species of dragon millipedes have been discovered in southern China. They were discovered by speleobiologists from the South China Agriculture University and the Russian Academy of Sciences. Two of the new species are thought to be cave dwelling millipedes.
The millipedes belong to the Desmoxytes genus. They all have spiky bodies and are noted for a dragon-like appearance. The new species are named Desmoxytes eupterygota, Desmoxytes spinissima and Desmoxytes lui. A male and female Desmoxytes nodulosa is pictured above.
The study also formally removed a centipede from the Desmoxytes genus. The researchers say Desmoxytes are less common in caves compared to other species of millipedes. They also usually present in small populations when found in caves.
China has the most diverse Desmoxytes populations. The researchers expect many more species of millipedes are waiting to be discovered in China. A research paper on the new species can be found here in the journal ZooKeys.