Corresponding author: Hsueh-Wen Chang (
Academic editor: Robert Mesibov
The millipede genus
The genus
The present study reviews the millipede genus
New extensive collections of millipedes covering most parts of Taiwan were made between 1989 and 2009, using hand-sorting of the soil and litter. Specimens were preserved in 70% ethanol. External structures were examined and the drawings prepared with a LEICA MZ 16 stereomicroscope, as well as with a HITACHI S2400 scanning electron microscope. Coloration of the specimens is described from alcohol material. This material has been shared between the collections of Department of Life Science, National Chung Hsing University (NCHUL), Taiwan; Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University (NSYSUB), Taiwan; Department of Life Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University (NTNUL), Taiwan; National Museum of Natural Science (NMNS), Taiwan; Taiwan Forestry Research Institute (TFRI), Taiwan; and Zoological Museum of the State University of Moscow (ZMUM), Russia.
Medium- to large-sized
Gonopod coxae long, subcylindrical, setose distodorsally, cannula as usual. Telopodites rather long, their distal parts crossingmedially
1 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 60), Taiwan, Taipei City, BeiTou area (北投區), 101 Jiia county road (101甲縣道), ca 860 m a.s.l., 4 May 2002, leg. S. Y. Wu. 1 ♂ (NCHUL), Taipei County (台北縣), Gongliao Township (貢寮鄉), upstream of Yuanwangkeng Stream (遠望坑溪上游), 6 June, 1998, leg. S. H. Wu. 1 ♂ (NSYSUB-DI 67), Taipei County (台北縣), ULai Township (烏來鄉), TaManShan (塔曼山), in decaying wood, 2,100 m a.s.l., 23 August 2002, same collector. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 59), same township, WuLai (烏來), 1,000–1,200 m a.s.l., March 2002, leg. C. C. Chen & C. S. Iang. 1 ♂, 2 ♀ (TFRI), same township, FuShan Botanical garden (福山植物園), ca 730 m a.s.l., 18–25 May 2001, leg. W. B. Huang. 1 ♂, 3 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 61–64), Taiwan, Taoyuan County (桃園縣), FuSiing Township (復興鄉), HuaLeng Village (華稜村), Northern Cross-Island Highway (北部橫貫公路)/Provincial # 7 Highway (台七線), 53 km, ca 1,030 m a.s.l., 22 April 2003, same collector. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 73), same locality, 58 km, ca 1,110 m a.s.l., 29 May 2003, same collector. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), same locality, 56 km, ca 1,030 m a.s.l., 23 June 2006, same collector. 3 ♂ (NSYSUB-DI 444–446), same township, Baling (巴陵), ca 600 m a.s.l., 3 April 2004, leg. H. D. Zhu. 1 ♀ (NTNUL-My 15), Hsinchu County (新竹縣), Wufeng Township (五峰鄉), GuanU (觀霧), ca 2,000 m a.s.l., 28 June 1993, leg. S. H. Chen. 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), same township, ShihLu old path (石鹿古道), ca 1,600 m a.s.l., 22 September 2005, leg. H. D. Zhu. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), same township, Syueba farm (雪壩農場), DaLu forest path (大鹿林道), ca 1,890 m a.s.l., 1 October 2006, leg. S. Y. Wu. 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (ZMUM), Yilan County (宜蘭縣), Yuanshan Township (員山鄉), Shuanglian Pond (雙連埤), ca 500 m a.s.l., 11 May 2007, same collector. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), Datong Township (大同鄉), Cueifong Lake (翠峰湖), ca 1,900 m a.s.l., 29 July 2004, same collector. 1 ♂ (NSYSUB), same township, Northern Cross-Island Highway (北部橫貫公路)/Provincial # 7 Highway (台七線), MingChih (明池), ca 1,200 m a.s.l., 13 April 2006, same collector. 1 ♂ (NSYSUB), same township, Mt Taiping (太平山), ca 1,930 m a.s.l., 26 February 2007, 24°28'46"N, 119°31'03"E, leg. M. H. Hsu. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), same township, forest path # 100 (100號林道), 21 km, ca 1,600 m a.s.l., 9 September 2009, leg. C. J. Jheng. 1 ♂ (NSYSUB-DI 65.), Taichung County (台中縣), HePing Township (和平鄉), AnMaShan forest amusement zone (鞍馬山森林遊樂園), ca 2,000 m a.s.l., 7 May 2003, leg. S. Y. Wu. 1 ♂ (NCHUL), Nantou County (南投縣), LuGu (鹿谷鄉), SiTou (溪頭), ca 1,140 m a.s.l., 31 October 1997, leg. S. H. Wu. 1 ♀ (NCHUL), same locality, ca 1,160–1,400 m a.s.l., 31 October 1997, leg. S. H. Chen. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 58), same locality, ShenMu walking path (神木步道), under stones, ca 1,200 m a.s.l., 15 November 2002, leg. J. D. Lee. 1 ♀ (JDLee20021114008, deposited at NSYSUB), same locality, TuDiGongLun walking path (土地公崙步道), ca 1,160–1,400 m a.s.l., same date and collector. 2 juveniles (JDLee20021114004, deposited at NSYSUB), same locality, SiTou walking path (溪頭步道), same date and collector. 3 ♀ (NTNUL-My 6–9), same county, ShinYi Township (信義鄉), Zjhong (自忠), ca 2,340 m a.s.l., 1 July 1989, leg. S. H. Chen. 3 ♂ (NTNUL-My 25–28), same locality, date and collector. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), same county, Zhushan Township (竹山鎮), ShanLinSi amusement park (杉林溪遊樂園), ca 1,600 m a.s.l., 7 October 2004, leg. S. Y. Wu. 1 ♂ (NSYSUB), Taiwan, Hualien County (花蓮縣), Xiulin Township (秀林鄉), Mt. JiaLiWan (加禮宛山), ca 1,290 m a.s.l., 29 July 2005, leg. F. S. Jhou. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), same township, Toroko (太魯閣), Lianhua Pond walking path (蓮花池步道), ca 1,060 m a.s.l., 24°13'10"N, 119°28'49"E, 28 February 2007, leg. M. H. Hsu. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), same county, FengBin Township (豐濱鄉), Ruigang Highway (瑞港公路), ca 130 m a.s.l., 23°28'50"N, 119°27'31"E, 7 May 2009, leg. M. H. Hsu. 2 ♂ (NSYSUB-DI 69–70), same county, JhuoSii (卓溪鄉), WaLaMi (瓦拉米), YuShan National Park (玉山國家公園), ca 1,080 m a.s.l., 24 February 2003, leg. H. D. Zhu. 1 ♂, 3 juveniles (NTNUL-My 29–32), Chia-I County (嘉義縣), ALiShan Township (阿里山鄉), ALiShan (阿里山), ca 2,260 m a.s.l., 11 March 1989, leg. S. H. Chen. 1 ♂, 2 ♀ (NTNUL-My 49–51), 2,250 m a.s.l., 3 July 1989, same locality and collector. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 74), same locality, ALiShan amusement park (阿里山遊樂園), under stones on soil, ca 2,280 m a.s.l., 24 June 2003, leg. Y. H. Lin. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 66), Kaohsiung County (高雄縣), TaoYuan (桃源鄉), TengJhih (藤枝), ShihShan forest path (石山林道), 6 km, ca 1,600 m a.s.l., 21 August 1998, collector unknown. 1 ♂ (NSYSUB-DI 66), same locality, 1 August 2001, leg. C. R. Wu. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 72), same locality, ca 1,450 m a.s.l., 14 April 2003, leg. S. Y. Wu. 1 ♂ (NSYSUB), same township, NanSi forest path (楠溪林道), ca 2,000 m a.s.l., 24 September 2002, leg. M. J. Hong & M. J. Wu. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), same township, Southern Cross-Island Highway (南部橫貫公路), DaGuanShan (大關山), YaKou forest path (啞口林道), ca 2,720 m a.s.l., 13 May 2007, leg. Y. C. Chang. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 71), at boundary between MaoLin County (茂林鄉) of Kaohsiung and UTai County (霧臺鄉) of PingTung, YuGuTing (雨谷亭), under stone, ca 2,150 m a.s.l., 28 March 2003, leg. H. W. Chang. 1 ♂ (NSYSUB), Taitung County (台東縣), JinFeng Township (金峰鄉), Yima forest path (依麻林道), ca 1,110 m a.s.l., 2 July 2009, leg. M. H. Hsu. 1 ♀ (NSYSUB), PingTung County (屏東縣), ChunRih Township (春日鄉), DaHan forest path (大漢林道), 20 km, under stone, ca 250 m a.s.l., 9 July 2004, leg. W. J. Lee. 2 ♂ (NSYSUB), same county, Taiwu Township (泰武鄉), entrance to North DaWu Mountain (北大武山登山口), ca 1,400 m a.s.l., 23 January 2004, leg. H. D. Zhu.
Differs from the other
Length 40–55 (♂, n=11) or 47–58 mm (♀, n = 13); width of midbody metazona 10 ca 3.5–5.0 (♂) or 5.0–6.0 mm (♀).
Coloration in alcohol entirely light yellow to dark brown (
Head densely setose in clypeolabral region, vertex nearly bare, epicranial suture distinct. Postcollum constriction faint; in width, segments 2 = 3 = 4 < head = segment 5 = 6 < collum (
Sterna sparsely setose, each cross-impression with neither a transverse sulcus nor an axial groove; a slightly to very slightly notched, setose, ventrally bulging lamina only between ♂ coxae 4 (
Gonopods (
Type material has not been revised, presumably in the collection of the Zoologische Staatssammlung in Munich, Germany.
This species is highly variable in size and coloration, and is the most widespread amongst
Holotype ♂ (TFRI), Taiwan (R. O. C.), Taichung County (台中縣), HePing (和平鄉), Shengguang (勝光), ca 2,200 m a.s.l., 26 March – 25 April, 2003, leg. W. C. Yeh.
Paratype ♂ (NSYSUB-DI 75), Taiwan (R. O. C.), Hsinchu County (新竹縣), Wufeng Township (五峰鄉), GuanU (觀霧), 24.5 km from entrance to national park, ca 2,000 m a.s.l., 13 August 2002, leg. C. C. Chen, Y. H. Lin & J. N. Huang.
To emphasize the close resemblance to the next new species.
Being apparently the most similar to
Length ca 22 mm (♂, n=2); width of pro- and metazona 10 ca 1.8 and 2.0 mm, respectively.
General coloration in alcohol brown to dark brown (
Postcollum constriction evident; in width, segment 2 = 3 < 4 < collum < head = segments 5–15; thereafter body gradually and gently tapering towards telson both in width and height. Antennae (
Sterna sparsely setose; lamina between coxae 4 setose and emarginate (
Gonopods (
This species seems to be local, occurring only rather high (2,000–2,200 m a.s.l.) in the mountains of northern Taiwan (
Holotype ♂ (NSYSUB-DI 76), Taiwan (R. O. C.), Taichung County (台中縣), HePing (和平鄉), Sihyuanyakou (思源啞口), forest path no. 710, 1.5 km from entrance to path, ca 2,050–2,100 m a.s.l., 21 August 2002, leg. C. C. Chen & Y. H. Lin.
Paratypes: 3 ♀ (NSYSUB-DI 77–79), same locality, date, and collectors, together with holotype.
Apparently being the most similar to
Length 15 mm (♂, n=1) and 18 mm (♀, n =3); width of pro- and metazona 10 ca 1.8 and 2.0 (♂) or 1.9–2.0 and 2.0–2.2 mm (♀), respectively.
Coloration in alcohol entirely light brown to brown (
Postcollum constriction clear (♂) or faint (♀), segment 4 < 3 < 2 < collum = segments 5–16 < head (♂), or collum = segments 2–4 < head = segments 5–18 (♀), thereafter body gradually and gently tapering both in width and height towards telson. Antennae (
Sterna sparsely setose; lamina (
Gonopod (
This seems to be a very local high-montane species in central Taiwan (
1 | Midbody legs about twice as long as body height. Gonopod with terminal part of solenophore divided into two slender branches ( |
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– | Midbody legs only up to 1.2 times as long as body height. Gonopod with terminal part of solenophore divided into wide branches | 2 |
2 | Terminal branches of solenophore differing in length and crossing each other, branch |
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– | Terminal branches of solenophore subequal in length and not crossing each other, branch |
Distribution of
The distribution of
Concerning the tribal position of