The Millipeds (Diplopoda) of Louisiana
Matthew L. Gimmel
Louisiana State Arthropod Museum
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA 70803
phalacrid(AT)gmail.com (replace "AT" with "@")
last updated: 13 May 2008
Recorded from Louisiana:
9 orders
17 families
24 genera
44 species and subspecies (including 8 endemics and 5 introduced through human activity)
Suspected to occur in Louisiana:
1 family, 5 genera, and 7 species
Order Polyxenida
Family POLYXENIDAE
Polyxenus fasciculatus (Say, 1821)
Condé (1996: 130): state record only
Order Polyzoniida
Family SIPHONOTIDAE
Rhinotus purpureus (Pocock, 1894)
Hoffman (1999: 34): introduced; state record only
Order Spirobolida
Family SPIROBOLIDAE
Narceus americanus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1817)
Keeton (1960: 92): Jefferson, Natchitoches, Orleans, Rapides, Red River, Saint Charles
Order Spirostreptida
Family CAMBALIDAE
Cambala minor Bollman, 1888
Shelley (1979: 562): Lincoln, Natchitoches, Tangipahoa
Hoffman (1999: 106): state record only
Cambala ochra Chamberlin, 1942
Shelley (1979: ): Beauregard, Saint Helena
Order Julida
Family BLANIULIDAE
[Blaniulus guttulatus (Fabricius, 1798)]
Hoffman (1999: 136): "Introduced with plant material into many parts of the world, including urbanized and cultivated areas in North America where established and nearly ubiquitous"
Virgoiulus minutus (Brandt, 1841)
Hoffman (1999: 138): state record only
Family PARAJULIDAE
Ethojulus amphelictus Chamberlin, 1918
Hoffman (1999: 150): Saint Tammany
Ethojulus robustior (Chamberlin, 1918) [endemic]
Hoffman (1999: 150): Lincoln, Natchitoches
Okliulus foliatus Loomis, 1968 [endemic]
Hoffman (1999: 156): Bossier
Oriulus venustus (Wood, 1864)
Shelley (2002: 106): Calcasieu, Caldwell, Catahoula, Claiborne, East Baton Rouge, Evangeline, Lafourche, Madison, Orleans, Plaquemines, Terrebonne
[Ptyoiulus impressus (Say, 1821)]
Hoffman (1999: 159): "certainly widespread in eastern United States"
Family JULIDAE
[Brachyiulus pusillus (Leach, 1815)]
Hoffman (1999: 169): introduced; "probably widespread in much of North America"
[Cylindroiulus caeruleocinctus (Wood, 1864)]
Hoffman (1999: 171): "introduced into and now widespread in North America"
[Cylindroiulus latestriatus (Curtis, 1845)]
Hoffman (1999: 172): "introduced by commerce into North America where now acclimatized in urban areas from New England to California and Washington"
Order Platydesmida
Family ANDROGNATHIDAE
Brachycybe lecontii Wood, 1864
Gardner (1975: 52): West Feliciana? (map only)
Hoffman (1999: 181): state record only
LSAM (det. M. Gimmel): West Feliciana
Order Callipodida
Family ABACIONIDAE
Abacion tesselatum Rafinesque, 1820
Shelley (1984: 986): Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, Saint Helena, Saint Tammany, Washington, West Feliciana
Hoffman (1999: 192): state record only
Abacion texensis (Loomis, 1937)
Shelley (1984: 986): Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Iberia, Jefferson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Rapides, Saint Landry, Saint Tammany, Tensas, Terrebonne, Vernon, Winn
Order Chordeumatida
Family CLEIDOGONIDAE
Cleidogona laminata Cook & Collins, 1895
Causey (1954: 65): Lincoln (as Cleidogona aspera Causey)
Shear (1972: 238): Jackson
Hoffman (1999: 211): Jackson
Cleidogona sublettei Causey, 1954
Causey (1954: 66): Natchitoches
Shear (1972: 235): Natchitoches
Tiganogona alia (Causey, 1951)
Shear (1972: 242): Lincoln
Hoffman (1999: 224): Lincoln
Order Polydesmida
Family EURYMERODESMIDAE
Eurymerodesmus amplus Causey, 1952
Shelley (1989: 52): Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Calcasieu, Cameron, DeSoto, Evangeline, Iberia, Jefferson Davis, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine, Vernon
Hoffman (1999: 282): state record only
Eurymerodesmus angularis Causey, 1951
Shelley (1989: 35): Caddo, Caldwell, Catahoula, Franklin, Morehouse, Ouachita
Hoffman (1999: 283): state record only
Eurymerodesmus birdi birdi Chamberlin, 1931
Shelley (1989: 76): Avoyelles, Caddo, Concordia, East Baton Rouge, Evangeline, Jefferson, Natchitoches, Rapides, Saint Landry, West Feliciana
Hoffman (1999: 283): state record only
Eurymerodesmus birdi planus Causey, 1950
Shelley (1989: 78): Orleans, Saint Tammany
Hoffman (1999: 283): state record only
Eurymerodesmus crassatus Shelley, 1989 [endemic]
Shelley (1989: 66): Grant
Hoffman (1999: 284): Grant
Eurymerodesmus dubius Chamberlin, 1943
Shelley (1989: 40): Catahoula
Hoffman (1999: 284): state record only
Eurymerodesmus paroicus (Chamberlin, 1942) [endemic]
Shelley (1989: 66): Lincoln
Hoffman (1999: 286): Lincoln
Eurymerodesmus simplex Chamberlin, 1920 [endemic]
Shelley (1989: 62): Evangeline, Rapides
Hoffman (1999: 287): Evangeline, Rapides
Eurymerodesmus varius christianus Chamberlin, 1946
Shelley (1989: 46): Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Livingston, Saint Helena, Saint Tammany, Tangipahoa, Washington
Hoffman (1999: 287): state record only
Eurymerodesmus varius louisianae Chamberlin, 1942
Shelley (1989: 48): Avoyelles, Catahoula, Natchitoches, Rapides, Vernon
Hoffman (1999: 288): state record only
Family EURYURIDAE
Auturus louisianus louisianus (Chamberlin, 1918)
Shelley (1982: 3257): Caddo, Caldwell, Catahola, LaSalle, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Winn (intergrade w/ A. l. phanus from Evangeline)
Hoffman (1999: 289): Natchitoches
Auturus louisianus phanus Chamberlin, 1942
Shelley (1982: 3259): Jefferson, Livingston, Saint Helena, Saint Tammany, Washington, West Feliciana (intergrade w/ A. l. louisianus from Evangeline)
Hoffman (1999: 290): state record only
Family XYSTODESMIDAE
[Dicellarius bimaculatus (McNeill, 1887)]
Shelley (1984: 485): not reported from Louisiana, but known from Lamar, Forrest, Stone, and Harrison cos., Mississippi
Pachydesmus clarus (Chamberlin, 1918)
Hoffman (1958: 195): Grant, LaSalle, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Rapides
Hoffman (1999: 355): state record only
Pachydesmus crassicutis (Wood, 1864)
Hoffman (1958: 205): Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Orleans
Hoffman (1999: 356): state record only
LSAM (det. M. Gimmel): Tangipahoa
Pleuroloma flavipes Rafinesque, 1820
Shelley (1980: 148): East Carroll, Madison, Ouachita, Richland, West Carroll
Hoffman (1999: 327): state record only
Shelley et al. (2003: 4): Lafayette
Thrinaxoria lampra (Chamberlin, 1918)
Shelley (1984: 506): Caddo, DeSoto, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine
Hoffman (1999: 358): state record only
Family SPHAERIODESMIDAE
Desmonus austrus Causey, 1958
Causey (1958: 178): Claiborne, Lincoln
Hoffman (1999: 384): state record only
Family PARADOXOSOMATIDAE
Asiomorpha coarctata (DeSaussure, 1860)
Hoffman (1999: 415): introduced; state record only
Oxidus gracilis (Koch, 1847)
Hoffman (1999: 417): introduced; "continent wide in North America"
LSAM (det. M. Gimmel): East Baton Rouge
Family POLYDESMIDAE
Polydesmus angustus Latzel, 1884
Hoffman (1999: 420): introduced, state record only
Pseudopolydesmus caddo Chamberlin, 1949
Hoffman (1999: 422): Allen, Caddo
[Pseudopolydesmus canadensis (Newport, 1814)]
Hoffman (1999: 423): “Southern Ontario south through Michigan and New York to northern Florida and the Gulf Coast”; a definite record from Harrison Co., Mississippi.
Pseudopolydesmus natchitoches (Chamberlin, 1942) [endemic]
Hoffman (1999: 424): Natchitoches
Pseudopolydesmus neoterus Chamberlin, 1942 [endemic]
Hoffman (1999: 424): Orleans
Pseudopolydesmus paroicus (Chamberlin, 1942) [endemic]
Hoffman (1999: 425): Jackson
Pseudopolydesmus pinetorum (Bollman, 1888)
Hoffman (1999: 425): state record only
Family HAPLODESMIDAE
Prosopodesmus jacobsoni Silvestri, 1910
Shelley & Golovatch (2000: 49): introduced; Orleans
Family PYRGODESMIDAE
Myrmecodesmus digitatus (Loomis, 1959)
Hoffman (1999: 469): state record only
Myrmecodesmus formicarius Silvestri, 1910
Loomis (1944: 175): Plaquemines (as Ilyma cajuni Loomis)
Hoffman (1999: 470): introduced?; state record only
Causey, N.B. 1954. Three new species and new records of southern millipeds. Tulane Studies in Zoology, 2: 63–68.
Causey, N.B. 1958. Pill millipeds (Desmonidae, Polydesmida) in the United States. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 71: 173–178.
Condé, B. 1996. Une approche des Diplopoda Penicillata de l’Amérique du Nord. In: Geoffroy, J.-J., J.-P. Mauries, and M. Nguyen Duy-Jacquemin (eds.). Acta Myriapodologica. Mémoires du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 169: 127–135.
Gardner, M.R. 1975. Revision of the millipede family Andrognathidae in the Nearctic Region. Memoirs of the Pacific Coast Entomological Society, 5[1974]: 1–61.
Hoffman, R.L. 1958. Revision of the milliped genus Pachydesmus (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae). Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 108: 181–218.
Hoffman, R.L. 1999. Checklist of millipeds of North and Middle America. Virginia Museum of Natural History, Special Publications, 8: 584 pp.
Keeton, W.T. 1960. A taxonomic study of the milliped family Spirobolidae (Diplopoda; Spirobolida). Memoirs of the American Entomological Society, 17: 1–146.
Loomis, H.F. 1944. Millipeds principally collected by Professor V. E. Shelford in the eastern and southeastern states. Psyche, 51: 166–177.
Shear, W.A. 1972. Studies in the milliped order Chordeumida (Diplopoda): a revision of the family Cleidogonidae and a reclassification of the order Chordeumida in the New World. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 144: 151–352.
Shelley, R.M. 1979. A synopsis of the milliped genus Cambala, with a description of C. minor Bollman (Spirostreptida: Cambalidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 92: 551–571.
Shelley, R.M. 1980. Revision of the milliped genus Pleuroloma (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 58: 129–158.
Shelley, R.M. 1982. Revision of the milliped genus Auturus (Polydesmida: Platyrhacidae). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 60: 3249–3267.
Shelley, R.M. 1984. A revision of the milliped genus Dicellarius, with a revalidation of the genus Thrinaxoria (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 97: 473–512.
Shelley, R.M. 1984. A synopsis of the milliped genus Abacion Rafinesque (Callipodida: Caspiopetalidae). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 62: 980–988.
Shelley, R.M. 1989. Revision of the milliped family Eurymerodesmidae (Polydesmida: Chelodesmidea). Memoirs of the American Entomological Society, 37: 112 pp.
Shelley, R.M. 2002. The milliped genus Oriulus Chamberlin (Julida: Parajulidae). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 80: 100–109.
Shelley, R.M. and S.I. Golovatch. 2000. The milliped family Haplodesmidae in the Hawaiian Islands, with records of Prosopodesmus jacobsoni from Florida and Louisiana (Diplopoda: Polydesmida). Bishop Museum Occasional Papers, 64: 48–49.
Shelley, R.M., C.T. McAllister, and S.B. Smith. 2003. Discovery of the milliped Pleuroloma flavipes (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae) in Texas, and other records from west of the Mississippi River. Entomological News, 114: 2–6.