Apheloria Chamberlin, 1921

Genus Apheloria Chamberlin, 1921 View in CoL

Vernacular name: The cherry millipedes

Apheloria Chamberlin, 1921: 232 View in CoL . Type species: Fontaria montana Bollman, 1887 View in CoL , by original designation. Detailed taxonomic history in Appendix 1.

Six species:

Apheloria corrugata ( Wood, 1864) View in CoL ;

Apheloria montana ( Bollman, 1887) View in CoL ;

Apheloria polychroma Marek, Means & Hennen, 2018 View in CoL ;

Apheloria uwharrie sp. nov.;

Apheloria virginiensis ( Drury, 1770) View in CoL ,

Apheloria whiteheadi ( Shelley, 1986) View in CoL .

Genus diagnosis: Apheloria is distinct from other apheloriine genera based on the following combination of characters: Color. Tergites with 2–4 spots or stripes. Spot, stripe hues variable; usually yellow stripes, often with red spots on paranota ( Fig. 2)—never with purple as in some species of Sigmoria . Those with yellow stripes often show a brick-red tinge on the inside margin of the paranotal spots. Gonopods. Gonopodal acropodite circular ( Figs 3, 4A)—not smoothly oval-shaped (0-shaped), as in Rudiloria , nor D-shaped as in Sigmoria . Acropodite narrow, about one-half width of tibia on leg pair 9; of uniform width throughout. Acropodite gradually tapered to curved J- or L-shaped acuminate apex ( Fig. 4B). Acropodite shaft without cingulum nor preapical teeth nor projections as in Appalachioria , Brachoria . Prefemur with a scythe-like prefemoral process located medially ( Fig. 4B, pfp)— not absent, rounded, nor located marginally as in Appalachioria , Brachoria . Acropodite bent 90° posteroventrally at prefemur ( Fig. 4B); prostatic groove bent 90° from cannula to acropodite base. With acute angle or distinct protuberance on corner of bend, “bend tubercle” ( Fig. 4B, bt).

Genus diagnosis notes: The genus diagnosis applies solely to the species of Apheloria besides A. whiteheadi , a geographically isolated species with very different looking acropodites. See diagnosis of A. whiteheadi below.

Genus etymology: Chamberlin did not provide an etymology of the genus name Apheloria when he named it in 1921. It is presumed that the name is from the Greek apo ( ἀπό) meaning away or off, and the Greek helios, meaning sun ( ἥΛΙΟΣ) ( Brown 1954). Chamberlin may have selected the name because millipedes in the genus Apheloria , and most members of the family Xystodesmidae , flee from the sun to avoid desiccation. Similarly, the genus name appears similar to the word aphelion, which means a point on a circular orbit that is farthest from the sun. A circular orbit appears similar to the circular gonopods of the genus Apheloria . The circular acropodite is the basis of the single sentence description of the genus by Chamberlin (1921:232), “Erected for a group of species…in which the telopodite of the gonopod of male is a simple, coiled blade with a small spur at base.” This latter explanation would be consistent with other genus names in the tribe Apheloriini Hoffman, 1980 by Chamberlin based on shape of the telopodite, such as Brachoria Chamberlin, 1939 and Sigmoria Chamberlin, 1939 ; and Rudiloria Causey, 1955 .