Zoosphaerium neptunus

Zoosphaerium neptunus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Myriapoda
Class: Diplopoda
Order: Sphaerotheriida
Family: Arthrosphaeridae
Genus: Zoosphaerium
Species:
Z. neptunus
Binomial name
Zoosphaerium neptunus
(Butler 1872)
Distribution of Zoosphaerium neptunus
Synonyms
    • Sphaerotherium digitale De Saussure & Zehntner, 1902
    • Sphaerotherium neptunus Butler, 1872
    • Sphaerotherium pygidiale Saussure & Zehntner, 1897
    • Zoosphaerium digitale (De Saussure & Zehntner, 1902)

Zoosphaerium neptunus, also known as the giant emerald pill millipede, is a species of millipede within the family Arthrosphaeridae.[1] Its size is an example of island gigantism,[2] it being the largest known pill-millipede in the world, with some individuals reaching a maximum length of 90 mm (3.5 inches) long.[2] The species is endemic to Madagascar, where it is known to swarm at certain times of the year.[2] Z. neptunus is the only known species within the order Sphaerotheriida that is known to exhibit this mass swarming behaviour.[3]

  1. ^ "Zoosphaerium neptunus (Butler, 1872)". MilliBase (www.millibase.org). 2023-05-18. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  2. ^ a b c Wesener, Thomas; Kai Schütte (2010). "Swarming behaviour and mass occurrences in the world's largest giant pill-millipede species, Zoosphaerium neptunus, on Madagascar and its implication for conservation efforts (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida)". Madagascar Conservation & Development. 5 (2): 89–94.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).