Apheloria tigana: Difference between revisions

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””’Apheloria tigana””’, also known as the ”’yellow and black flat millipede”’, is a large North American [[flat-backed millipede]] in the family [[Xystodesmidae]].<ref name=”:0″>{{Cite web |title=Yellow and Black Flat Millipede {{!}} NC State Extension Publications |url=https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/yellow-spotted-millipede |access-date=2025-10-30 |website=content.ces.ncsu.edu |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=MilliBase – Apheloria tigana Chamberlin, 1939 |url=https://www.millibase.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=943106 |access-date=2025-10-31 |website=www.millibase.org}}</ref> This millipede secretes [[cyanide]] compounds as a defense.<ref name=”:0″ /> It is recommended that one wash hands after handling this organism as the toxic compounds it secretes are poisonous and can cause extreme irritation if rubbed in the eyes.

””’Apheloria tigana””’, also known as the ”’yellow and black flat millipede”’, is a large North American [[flat-backed millipede]] in the family [[Xystodesmidae]].<ref name=”:0″>{{Cite web |title=Yellow and Black Flat Millipede {{!}} NC State Extension Publications |url=https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/yellow-spotted-millipede |access-date=2025-10-30 |website=content.ces.ncsu.edu |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=MilliBase – Apheloria tigana Chamberlin, 1939 |url=https://www.millibase.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=943106 |access-date=2025-10-31 |website=www.millibase.org}}</ref> This millipede secretes [[cyanide]] compounds as a defense.<ref name=”:0″ /> hands after handling as compounds are and can cause irritation if rubbed in the eyes.

Characteristics include yellow [[Polydesmida|paranota]] (lateral segmental expansions on the dorsa), a yellow mid-dorsal spot on the anterior margin of the collum or 1st segment, and yellow mid-dorsal spots on the caudal-most 3-5 segments. South of the Cape Fear River basin there is an undescribed ”Apheloria” species with yellow middorsal marks on most segments.<ref name=”bugguide”>{{cite web|url=http://bugguide.net/node/view/17151 |title=Genus or species? – Apheloria tigana |publisher=Iowa State University Department of Entomology |accessdate=20 April 2015}}</ref>

Characteristics include yellow [[Polydesmida|paranota]] (lateral segmental expansions on the dorsa), a yellow mid-dorsal spot on the anterior margin of the collum or 1st segment, and yellow mid-dorsal spots on the caudal-most 3-5 segments. South of the Cape Fear River basin there is an undescribed ”Apheloria” species with yellow middorsal marks on most segments.<ref name=”bugguide”>{{cite web|url=http://bugguide.net/node/view/17151 |title=Genus or species? – Apheloria tigana |publisher=Iowa State University Department of Entomology |accessdate=20 April 2015}}</ref>


Revision as of 11:52, 1 November 2025

Species of millipede

Apheloria tigana, also known as the yellow and black flat millipede, is a large North American flat-backed millipede in the family Xystodesmidae.[1][2] This millipede secretes cyanide compounds as a defense.[1] Authorities recommend washing hands after handling these millipedes as these secreted compounds are toxic and can cause irritation if rubbed in the eyes.[3]

Characteristics include yellow paranota (lateral segmental expansions on the dorsa), a yellow mid-dorsal spot on the anterior margin of the collum or 1st segment, and yellow mid-dorsal spots on the caudal-most 3-5 segments. South of the Cape Fear River basin there is an undescribed Apheloria species with yellow middorsal marks on most segments.[4]

This millipede is found from coastal southeastern North Carolina to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Franklin and Floyd counties in Virginia.[5]

Although A. tigana was once accepted as a valid species,[5] in 2017, authorities deemed A. tigana to be a junior synonym of another species of Apheloria, A. virginiensis.[6] In 2025, a phylogenetic analysis of the genus Apheloria using molecular data confirmed this proposed synonymy, finding A. tigana to be the same species as A. virginiensis.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b “Yellow and Black Flat Millipede | NC State Extension Publications”. content.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  2. ^ “MilliBase – Apheloria tigana Chamberlin, 1939”. www.millibase.org. Retrieved 2025-10-31.
  3. ^ Henen, Derek; Brown, Jeff. Millipedes of Ohio (PDF). Ohio Division of Wildlife. p. 13.
  4. ^ “Genus or species? – Apheloria tigana”. Iowa State University Department of Entomology. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  5. ^ a b Hoffman, Richard L. (1999). Checklist of the millipeds of north and middle America. Martinsville, VA: Virginia Museum of Natural History. p. 306. ISBN 978-1-884549-12-0.
  6. ^ Shelley, Rowland; Phillips, Gary; Smith, Jamie (2017-08-25). “A contribution on the neglected milliped genus Apheloria Chamberlin 1921 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae/-inae: Apheloriini): Neotype designation and description of Julus virginiensis Drury 1770”. Insecta Mundi. 0571: 1–12.
  7. ^ Marek, Paul E.; Means, Jackson C.; Hennen, Derek A.; Tingley, Carol (2025-10-03). “Revision of the millipede genus Apheloria Chamberlin, 1921 (Polydesmida, Xystodesmidae, Apheloriini)”. Zootaxa. 5701 (3): 315–350. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5701.3.4. ISSN 1175-5334.

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