''Procyliosoma delacyi'' is a species of
giant pill millipede
Sphaerotheriida is an order of millipedes in the infraclass Pentazonia, sometimes known as giant pill millipedes. They inhabit Southern Africa, Madagascar, South and Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Like the Northern Hemisphere pill mi ...
found in New Zealand.
Distribution
''Procyliosoma delacyi'' is found in
Nelson
Nelson may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey
* ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers
* ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
and
Waikato
The Waikato () is a region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipā District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the nort ...
.
Taxonomy
The species was originally named ''Zephronia De Lacyi'', in honour of the discoverer's brother-in-law, one Mr. De Lacy, "a gentleman very fond of natural history, and who studies it in his New Zealand home."
It was described in 1859, and was the first pill millipede described from New Zealand.
The scientist who discovered it,
Adam White, noted that "it is a pretty and very distinct species, the first I have seen from New Zealand".
There are two
subspecies
In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...
, ''Procyliosoma delacyi delacyi'' and ''P. delacyi striolatum''.
Description
''Procyliosoma delacyi'' is a "very highly polished" pill millipede, with a "few scattered punctures on each segment".
Preserved specimens are greyish-green to light brown in colour.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q21299494
Sphaerotheriida
Endemic arthropods of New Zealand