Biology:Desmoxytes purpurosea
| Desmoxytes purpurosea | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Myriapoda |
| Class: | Diplopoda |
| Order: | Polydesmida |
| Family: | Paradoxosomatidae |
| Subfamily: | Paradoxosomatinae |
| Tribe: | Orthomorphini |
| Genus: | Desmoxytes |
| Species: | D. purpurosea
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| Binomial name | |
| Desmoxytes purpurosea Enghoff, Sutcharit, & Panha, 2007
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Desmoxytes purpurosea (shocking pink dragon millipede) also known as dragon millipede, is a spiny and toxic millipede named for its vivid pink color. It was formally described in 2007 from a specimen collected at the Hup Pa Tard limestone cavern in the Uthai Thani Province of Thailand.[1] Among the largest species of its genus, the adult millipede is approximately 3 cm (1.2 in) long. It lives in the open on leaf litter. Large numbers of them occur after rain showers.[1] The millipede has glands that produce hydrogen cyanide to protect it from predators, which causes it to smell like almonds. Its toxicity is advertised by its aposematic color.[2]
The shocking pink dragon millipede was named third in the top ten new species list of 2008 by the International Institute for Species Exploration.[3]
Other species of genus Desmoxytes can be brightly colored, sometimes in shades of red, as in Desmoxytes rubra.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Enghoff, Henrik; Sutcharit, Chirasak; Panha, Somsak (2007). "The shocking pink dragon millipede, Desmoxytes purpurosea, a colourful new species from Thailand". Zootaxa 1563: 31–36. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1563.1.3. ISSN 1175-5326. http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2007f/zt01563p036.pdf.
- ↑ "Cyanide Millipede, Huge Spider Among New Species". National Geographic Society. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/photogalleries/greater-mekong-new-species-photos/photo2.html.
- ↑ "Top 10 New Species - 2008". International Institute for Species Exploration. http://www.esf.edu/top10/2008/.
External links
Wikidata ☰ Q3241113 entry
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