Five new species of the pill millipede genus Rhopalomeris Verhoeff, 1906 (Diplopoda, Glomerida) from Thailand
Issued Date
2026-02-01
Resource Type
ISSN
13834517
eISSN
18759866
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105037802551
Journal Title
Contributions to Zoology
Volume
95
Issue
1
Start Page
52
End Page
102
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Contributions to Zoology Vol.95 No.1 (2026) , 52-102
Suggested Citation
Sapparojpattana P., Jeratthitikul E., Siriwut W., Srisonchai R., Wesener T., Sutcharit C., Likhitrakarn N. Five new species of the pill millipede genus Rhopalomeris Verhoeff, 1906 (Diplopoda, Glomerida) from Thailand. Contributions to Zoology Vol.95 No.1 (2026) , 52-102. 102. doi:10.1163/18759866-bja10090 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/116663
Title
Five new species of the pill millipede genus Rhopalomeris Verhoeff, 1906 (Diplopoda, Glomerida) from Thailand
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
An integrative approach based on morphological characteristics and DNA data from the mitochondrial COI gene has revealed five new species of the pill millipede genus Rhopalomeris Verhoeff, 1906 from Thailand: R. muka Sapparojpattana & Likhitrakarn, sp. nov., R. lentiginosa Sapparojpattana & Likhitrakarn, sp. nov., R. dulcia Sapparojpattana & Likhitrakarn, sp. nov., R. punctata Sapparojpattana & Likhitrakarn, sp. nov., and R. verhoeffi Sapparojpattana & Likhitrakarn, sp. nov. The five new species are distinguishable from their congeners by distinctive color patterns and telopod structure. The interspecific genetic divergences between the new species and other Rhopalomeris species ranged from 7.86 to 13.71%. Intraspecific genetic divergences within these five species ranged from 0 to 4.53%, with the highest divergences found in R. carnifex and R. verhoeffi sp. nov. This is consistent with both the wide distribution range and the significant intraspecific morphological variations observed in these latter two species. Furthermore, the taxonomic scope of R. carnifex in Thailand is reviewed, and intraspecific morphological variations within R. carnifex and R. verhoeffi sp. nov. are discussed. A distribution map, morphological illustrations from SEM, and an updated key to all known Rhopalomeris species are also provided.