Order SPIROBOLIDA Cook, 1895

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Introduction

Spirobolidans are smooth, cylindrical millipedes with 35-60 body segments in adults (Hoffman 1982). They can be distinguished from similar-looking spirostreptidans by counting legs: spirobolidans have one pair on each of the first five body segments, two pairs on succeeding segments. In Australia, spirobolidans are mainly tropical and sub-tropical but extend to Victoria along the eastern coast. They are sometimes brightly coloured and patterned and can be seen wandering during rainy periods (Harvey & Yen 1989). The defensive secretions of many spirobolidans include benzoquinones (Huth 2000). Other millipedes (and other arthropods) should always be preserved separately from spirobolidans, as benzoquinones can harden alcohol-preserved specimens and stain them a dark red. This checklist uses the high-level classification of Shelley (2003).

General References

Harvey, M.S. & Yen, A.L. 1989. Worms to Wasps: An Illustrated Guide to Australia's Terrestrial Invertebrates. Melbourne : Oxford University Press/Museum of Victoria 203 pp.

Hoffman, R.L. 1982. Diplopoda. pp. 689-724 in Parker, S.P. (ed.). Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms. Vol. 2. New York : McGraw-Hill.

Huth, A. 2000. Defensive secretions of millipedes: more than just a product of melting point decrease? pp. 191-200 in Wytwer, J. & Golovatch, S. Progress in Studies on Myriapoda and Onychophora. Fragmenta Faunistica (Warsaw) 43(Supplement 2000): i-xiii, 1-395

Shelley, R.M. 2003. A revised, annotated family-level classification of the Diplopoda. Arthropoda Selecta 11: 187-207 [Date published 37811]

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