Rhachodesmidae

Medial (left) and lateral views of gonopods of Neoleptodesmus geniculatus, from Kraus (1954).

Belongs within: Polydesmida.

The Rhachodesmidae are a family of diverse and often brightly-coloured millipedes found in Mexico and Central America.

See also: Stunning Central American millipedes.

Characters (from Loomis 1964): Body incapable of being tightly rolled; segments 20; segment 1 narrower than head; pores opening from thickened outer rim of keels; gonopods with definite elongate or oval cavity in mesal face containing many setae; last segment conical at apex.

<==Rhachodesmidae
    |--Aceratophallus dux Chamberlin 1914 K54
    |--Pararchistes Pocock 1909 K54
    |--Elcarmenia Kraus 1954 K54
    |    `--*E. engelhardi Kraus 1954 K54
    |--Pammicrophallus Pocock 1909 K54
    |    |--P. ornatus K54
    |    `--P. pasaquinae Kraus 1954 K54
    |--Neoleptodesmus Carl 1903 K54
    |    |--N. aztecus K54
    |    |--N. elevatus K54
    |    |--N. geniculatus Kraus 1954 K54
    |    |--N. guatemalensis K54
    |    |--N. orizabae K54
    |    |--N. salvadorensis Kraus 1954 K54
    |    |--N. sinuatus Kraus 1954 K54
    |    |--N. sumichrasti K54
    |    |--N. vermiformis K54
    |    |--N. vertebratus K54
    |    `--N. vulcani Kraus 1954 K54
    `--Holistophallus LH62

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[K54] Kraus, O. 1954. Myriapoden aus El Salvador. Senckenbergiana Biologica 35 (5–6): 293–349.

Loomis, H. F. 1964. The millipeds of Panama (Diplopoda). Fieldiana: Zoology 47 (1): 1-136.

[LH62] Loomis, H. F. & R. L. Hoffman. 1962. A remarkable new family of spined polydesmoid Diplopoda, including a species lacking gonopods in the male sex. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 75: 145–158.