Brachydesmus
Brachydesmus is a genus of millipedes belonging to the family Polydesmidae. The Czech zoologist Camill Heller first described this genus to contain the type species B. subterraneus. This genus now includes about 75 described species.
Distribution
This genus has a Paleactic distribution, with about 70 species in Europe and nearly 80 percent of these European species found in the Balkans. A few species are native to the Caucasus region, Anatolia, Hyrcania, and the Levant. The common species B. superus is especially widespread, found throughout Europe and introduced to the United States, Cape Verde, Madeira, the Azores, and the Canaries.Description
This genus includes both small and medium-sized polydesmid millipedes. Species in this genus feature little pigmentation or lack pigment altogether. The head features abundant bristles and long antennae and is broader than the collum. The paranota are well developed. The posterior corners of the anterior segments are rectangular or truncated, but these corners become more acute on the middle and posterior segments. Species may be identified as members of this genus based on the form of their gonopods.Species in this genus have only 19 segments as adults, one fewer than found in most polydesmid species. Accordingly, adults in this genus have two fewer pairs of legs than most polydesmid adults have: Females have only 29 pairs of legs, and males have only 28 pairs of walking legs. Species in this genus arrive at these lower numbers of legs and segments by going through the first seven stages of teloanamorphosis observed in other polydesmids but reaching maturity one molt earlier, in the seventh stage rather than in an eighth stage, and then mating and dying without another molt.
Species
Species within this genus include: Brachydesmus absoloniBrachydesmus amblyotropisBrachydesmus apfelbeckiBrachydesmus assimilisBrachydesmus attemsiBrachydesmus attemsiiBrachydesmus attenuatusBrachydesmus avalaeBrachydesmus bebekensisBrachydesmus bidentatusBrachydesmus bosniensisBrachydesmus cameraniBrachydesmus carniolensisBrachydesmus cernagoranusBrachydesmus chyzeriBrachydesmus cornuatusBrachydesmus cristoferBrachydesmus croaticusBrachydesmus dadayiBrachydesmus dadayiiBrachydesmus dalmaticusBrachydesmus doboiensisBrachydesmus dolinensisBrachydesmus dorsolucidusBrachydesmus exiguusBrachydesmus ferrugineusBrachydesmus filiformisBrachydesmus frangipanusBrachydesmus frondicolaBrachydesmus furcatusBrachydesmus glabrimarginalisBrachydesmus hastatusBrachydesmus henrikenghoffiBrachydesmus herzegowinensisBrachydesmus histricusBrachydesmus incisusBrachydesmus inferusBrachydesmus insculptusBrachydesmus institorBrachydesmus istanbulensisBrachydesmus jalziciBrachydesmus jeanelliBrachydesmus jubatusBrachydesmus kalischewskyiBrachydesmus karawajewiBrachydesmus langhofferiBrachydesmus lapadensisBrachydesmus lapidivagusBrachydesmus latzeliiBrachydesmus likanusBrachydesmus ljubetensisBrachydesmus lobiferBrachydesmus macedonicusBrachydesmus magnusBrachydesmus margaritatusBrachydesmus mitisBrachydesmus nemilanusBrachydesmus novakiBrachydesmus parallelusBrachydesmus pereliaeBrachydesmus perfidusBrachydesmus peristerensisBrachydesmus pigmentatusBrachydesmus polydesmoidesBrachydesmus proximusBrachydesmus radewiBrachydesmus reversusBrachydesmus silvanusBrachydesmus spinosusBrachydesmus splitensisBrachydesmus strasseriBrachydesmus stygivagusBrachydesmus styricusBrachydesmus subterraneusBrachydesmus superusBrachydesmus talyschanusBrachydesmus televensisBrachydesmus tetevensisBrachydesmus topaliBrachydesmus troglobiusBrachydesmus umbraticusBrachydesmus velebiticusBrachydesmus vermosanus- ''Brachydesmus yosemitensis''