Apheloria tigana

Apheloria tigana, Yellow-and-black Flat Millipede, is a large North American flat-backed millipede in the family Xystodesmidae. It is reported to secrete cyanide compounds as a defense. It is recommended that one wash hands after handling this organism as the toxic compounds it secretes are poisonous and can cause extreme irritation if rubbed in the eyes.

Apheloria tigana
Mating pair in captivity
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Myriapoda
Class:
Diplopoda
Order:
Polydesmida
Family:
Xystodesmidae
Genus:
Apheloria
Species:
A. tigana
Binomial name
Apheloria tigana
Synonyms[1]

Apheloria aspila Chamberlin, 1939
Apheloria waccamana Chamberlin, 1940

Characteristics include yellow paranota (lateral segmental expansions on the dorsa), a yellow mid-dorsal spot on the anterior margin of the collum or 1st segment, and yellow mid-dorsal spots on the caudal-most 3-5 segments. South of the Cape Fear River basin there is an undescribed Apheloria species with yellow middorsal marks on most segments.[2]

A. tigana occurs in the Eastern United States, from southeastern North Carolina northward throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains.[1]

References
  1. Hoffman, Richard L. 1999. Checklist of the millipeds of North and Middle America. Virginia Museum of Natural History Special Publications 8, p. 294
  2. "Genus or species? - Apheloria tigana". Iowa State University Department of Entomology. Retrieved 20 April 2015.


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