Family BALLOPHILIDAE
Introduction
The Ballophilidae, a family closely related to the Schendylidae, vary in size (Schendylidae are larger), colour, construction of the antennae and the visibility of the prehensors. Ballophilids generally do not exceed a length of 30 mm, and have up to 83 body segments. They can be yellow, black, brown, or violet in colour. The only known Australian species, Ballophilus australiae, is blue, with dark blue spots on the sternum. The antennae are distinctively club-shaped distally. Unlike the other families of the Geophilomorpha, the cephalic plate of the Ballophilidae is large enough to hide the prehensors completely when viewed from above (Hoffmann 1982: 686). The last legs have just one or two large coxal pores each.
The family comprises 30 species divided between 12 genera, and these have been recorded from Africa, Madagascar, the Caribbean, northern South America, Mexico, Fiji, New Caledonia, Australia, South-east Asia, the Philippines and Kenya (Hoffmann 1982: 686). One species is known from Australia.
General References
Hoffmann, R.L. 1982. Chilopoda. pp. 681-688 in Parker, S. (ed.). Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms. New York : McGraw-Hill Vol. 2.
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-Feb-2010 | (import) |