Nearctodesmidae is a
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
of
flat-backed millipede
Polydesmida (from the Greek language, Greek ''poly'' "many" and ''desmos'' "bond") is the largest order (biology), order of millipedes, with more than 5,000 species, including all the millipedes reported to produce hydrogen cyanide (HCN). This or ...
s in the
order
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
...
Polydesmida
Polydesmida (from the Greek ''poly'' "many" and ''desmos'' "bond") is the largest order of millipedes, with more than 5,000 species, including all the millipedes reported to produce hydrogen cyanide (HCN). This order is also the most diverse of ...
.
[
] These
millipede
Millipedes (originating from the Latin , "thousand", and , "foot") are a group of arthropods that are characterised by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the class Diplopoda, the name derive ...
s are found in northwestern
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
.
This family includes the species ''
Nearctodesmus salix''. The defensive secretion of this
millipede
Millipedes (originating from the Latin , "thousand", and , "foot") are a group of arthropods that are characterised by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the class Diplopoda, the name derive ...
consist of
hydrogen cyanide
Hydrogen cyanide (formerly known as prussic acid) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula, formula HCN and structural formula . It is a highly toxic and flammable liquid that boiling, boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is ...
,
benzaldehyde
Benzaldehyde (C6H5CHO) is an organic compound consisting of a benzene ring with a formyl substituent. It is among the simplest aromatic aldehydes and one of the most industrially useful.
It is a colorless liquid with a characteristic almond-li ...
, 3-
methylbutanoic acid, and 2-methylbutanoic. This evidence confirms that
cyanogenesis
In chemistry, cyanide () is an inorganic chemical compound that contains a functional group. This group, known as the cyano group, consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom.
Ionic cyanides contain the cyanide anion . This an ...
extends to the family Nearctodesmidae.
Taxonomy
Authorities often consider Nearctodesmidae to be a
junior synonym
In taxonomy, the scientific classification of living organisms, a synonym is an alternative scientific name for the accepted scientific name of a taxon. The botanical and zoological codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently.
...
of
Macrosternodesmidae.
Many of these authorities demote Nearctodesmidae and place the
genera
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...
previously assigned to that family in a
subfamily
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...
(Nearctodesminae) in the family Macrosternodesmidae.
Other authorities consider both Nearctodesmidae and Macrosternodesmidae to be junior synonyms of
Trichopolydesmidae
Trichopolydesmidae is a family of millipedes in the order Polydesmida. Some authorities deem this family to include Fuhrmannodesmidae, Mastigonodesmidae, Macrosternodesmidae, and Nearctodesmidae as junior synonyms. Others adopt narrower defin ...
.
Genera
Authorities include at least the following genera in this family:
* ''
Bistolodesmus''
Shelley, 1994
* ''
Ergodesmus''
Chamberlin, 1949
* ''
Kepolydesmus''
Chamberlin, 1910
* ''
Nearctodesmus''
Silvestri, 1910
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
Polydesmida
Millipede families
{{Millipede-stub