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Issue: Vol. 5701 No. 3: 3 Oct. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-10-03
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5701.3.4
Page range: 315-350
Abstract views: 232
PDF downloaded: 106

Revision of the millipede genus Apheloria Chamberlin, 1921 (Polydesmida, Xystodesmidae, Apheloriini)

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Department of Entomology; Blacksburg; Virginia
Virginia Museum of Natural History; Department of Recent Invertebrates; Martinsville; Virginia
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; Natural Heritage Program
North Carolina Biodiversity Project; North Carolina
Myriapoda Diplopoda Myriapodacyanide gonopod appalachian Mountains mimicry

Abstract

We revise the millipede genus Apheloria Chamberlin, 1921—a colorful and often encountered group of millipedes in eastern North America. With molecular phylogenetics, we estimate the evolutionary history of the genus, and use it in combination with morphology to understand species diversity. We describe a new species, Apheloria uwharrie sp. nov. from North and South Carolina, synonymize Apheloria tigana Chamberlin, 1939 syn. nov. with Apheloria virginiensis (Drury, 1770), and remove Apheloria luminosa (Kenyon, 1893) syn. nov. from the genus and place it in synonymy with Pleuroloma flavipes Rafinesque, 1820. Currently there are six species of Apheloria: Apheloria corrugata (Wood, 1864) stat. nov.; Apheloria montana (Bollman, 1887); Apheloria polychroma Marek, Means & Hennen, 2018; Apheloria uwharrie sp. nov.; Apheloria virginiensis (Drury, 1770); and Apheloria whiteheadi (Shelley, 1986).

 

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How to Cite

Marek, P.E., Means, J.C., Hennen, D.A. & Tingley, C. (2025) Revision of the millipede genus Apheloria Chamberlin, 1921 (Polydesmida, Xystodesmidae, Apheloriini). Zootaxa, 5701 (3), 315–350. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5701.3.4