Trans-segmental serial colour patterns in millipedes and their developmental interpretation (Diplopoda)

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Abstract

Trans-segmental serial colour patterns, i.e., colour patterns consisting of repeated elements, each of which covers several diplosegments / body rings, are described from several millipede taxa: Centrobolus vastus (Attems, 1934) var. sexfasciatus Lawrence, 1967 (Spirobolida: Pachybolidae), Sagmatostreptus strongylopygus (Attems, 1950) (Spirostreptida, Spirostreptidae), and several groups of the order Platydesmida. The occurrence of similar patterns in Siphonocryptus zigzag Enghoff, 2010 (Siphonocryptida, Siphonocryptidae) and unidentified species of the order Chordeumatida is recorded. The patterns are shown in most cases to correlate with postembryonic growth, anamorphosis, i.e., each pattern elements corresponds to a set of diplosegments added during a moult.

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Most cited references 15

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Anamorphosis in millipedes (Diplopoda)-the present state of knowledge with some developmental and phylogenetic considerations

HENRIK ENGHOFF, WOLFGANG DOHLE, J. GORDON BLOWER (1993)

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A Müllerian mimicry ring in Appalachian millipedes.

Catherine E Bond, Paul Marek (2009)

Few biological phenomena provide such an elegant and straightforward example of evolution by natural selection as color mimicry among unrelated organisms. By mimicking the appearance of a heavily defended aposematic species, members of a second species gain protection from predators and, potentially, enhanced fitness. Mimicking a preexisting warning advertisement is economical because a potentially costly novel one can be avoided; simultaneously, the addition of more aposematic individuals enhances the overall warning effect. The better-known mimetic systems comprise tropical taxa, but here, we show a remarkable example of color mimicry in 7 species of blind, cyanide-generating millipedes endemic to the Appalachian Mountains of temperate North America. Because these millipedes lack eyes, there is no sexual selection or intraspecific signaling for coloration, providing an ideal system for mimicry studies. We document a Müllerian symbiosis where unrelated species vary in color and pattern over geographical space but appear identical where they co-occur. By using spectral color data, estimations of evolutionary history, and detailed field observations of species abundance, we test 4 predictions of Müllerian mimicry theory and begin to unravel the story of an elaborate mimetic diversification in the forests of Appalachia.

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Phylogenetic systematics of the colorful, cyanide-producing millipedes of Appalachia (Polydesmida, Xystodesmidae, Apheloriini) using a total evidence Bayesian approach.

Catherine E Bond, Paul Marek (2006)

Here, we provide an exemplar-approach phylogeny of the xystodesmid millipede tribe Apheloriini with a focus on genus-group relationships-particularly of the genus Brachoria. Exemplars for the phylogenetic analysis were chosen to represent the maximum breadth of morphological diversity within all nominal genera in the tribe Apheloriini, and to broadly sample the genus Brachoria. In addition, three closely related tribes were used (Rhysodesmini, Nannariini, and Pachydesmini). Morphological and DNA sequence data were scored for Bayesian inference of phylogeny. Phylogenetic analysis resulted in polyphyletic genera Brachoria and Sigmoria, a monophyletic Apheloriini, and a "southern clade" that contains most of the tribal species diversity. We used this phylogeny to track morphological character histories and reconstruct ancestral states using stochastic character mapping. Based on the findings from the character mapping study, the diagnostic feature of the genus Brachoria, the cingulum, evolved independently in two lineages. We compared our phylogeny against prior classifications using Bayes factor hypothesis-testing and found that our phylogenetic hypothesis is inconsistent with the previous hypotheses underlying the most recent classification. With our preferred total-evidence phylogeny as a framework for taxonomic modifications, we describe a new genus, Appalachioria; supply phylogenetic diagnoses of monophyletic taxa; and provide a phylogeny-based classification for the tribe Apheloriini.