| Desmoxytes purpurosea | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Myriapoda |
| Class: | Diplopoda |
| Order: | Polydesmida |
| Family: | Paradoxosomatidae |
| Subfamily: | Paradoxosomatinae |
| Tribe: | Orthomorphini |
| Genus: | Desmoxytes |
| Species: | D. purpurosea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Desmoxytes purpurosea | |
Desmoxytes purpurosea, commonly known as the shocking pink dragon millipede or dragon millipede, is a spiny and toxic millipede named for its vivid pink color. It was formally described in 2007 from a specimen collected at the Hup Pa Tard limestone cavern in the Uthai Thani Province of Thailand.[1] Among the largest species of its genus, the adult millipede is approximately 3 cm (1.2 in) long. It lives in the open on leaf litter. Large numbers of them occur after rain showers.[1] The millipede has glands that produce hydrogen cyanide to protect it from predators, which causes it to smell like almonds. Its toxicity is advertised by its aposematic color.[2]
The shocking pink dragon millipede was named third in the top ten new species list of 2008 by the International Institute for Species Exploration.[3]
Other species of genus Desmoxytes can be brightly colored, sometimes in shades of red, as in Desmoxytes rubra.[1]
- ^ a b c Enghoff, Henrik; Sutcharit, Chirasak; Panha, Somsak (2007). "The shocking pink dragon millipede, Desmoxytes purpurosea, a colourful new species from Thailand" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1563: 31–36. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1563.1.3. ISSN 1175-5326.
- ^ "Cyanide Millipede, Huge Spider Among New Species". National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 12 Dec 2009.
- ^ "Top 10 New Species - 2008". International Institute for Species Exploration. Archived from the original on 2015-06-23. Retrieved 2016-02-01.