Spirostreptida | |
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Orthoporus sp. (Spirostreptidae) from North America | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Diplopoda |
Subclass: | Chilognatha |
Infraclass: | Helminthomorpha |
Superorder: | Juliformia |
Order: |
Spirostreptida Brandt, 1833 |
Families | |
10: see text. |
10: see text.
Spirostreptida is an order of long, cylindrical millipedes. There are approximately 1000 described species, making Spirostrepida the second largest order of millipedes after Polydesmida.
Spirostreptida are generally large, long and cylindrical, with 30 to 90 body rings. Eyes are present in most. This order contains the longest millipedes known: the giant African millipedes of the genus Archispirostreptus that may exceed 30 centimetres (12 in).
Spirostrepitda contains mainly tropical species, and occurs in Africa, Southern Asia to Japan, Australia, and the Western Hemisphere from the United States to Argentina.
The order comprises two suborders, Cambalidea and Spirostreptidea, the latter further divided into two superfamilies.
Suborder Cambalidea
Suborder Spirostreptidea