New Species of Ancient Chirping Giant Pill-Millipedes Discovered in Madagascar

A team of international researchers discovered seven new species of chirping giant pill millipedes in Madagascar.

Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world, is known for its rich diversity. Every year new plant and animal species are discovered in Madagascar. Adding to the list are new species of chirping giant pill-millipedes.

The seven new species  belong to the genus Sphaeromimus which is the Latin word for 'Small ball animal'.  However the members of this genus do not replicate the designated word small as one of the seven new species is almost the size of a ping-pong ball. The researchers also identified another special characteristic of the species, large chirping organs.  These species use the large chirping organs for mating.

One of the new species, Sphaeromimus andrahomana, offers clue to the past ecosystem of Madagascar. The species genetically belongs to rainforest taxon, but was spotted in a cave in Madagascar's southern dry spiny forest region. The presence of lemur skeletons inside the cave further confirmed that a rainforest existed earlier, which eventually turned into a desert like area some 3000-5000 years ago. As the surrounding converted into a desert like area, the new species of millipede took shelter in the humid cave.

Some of the species are microendemic, suggesting they are found in just a tiny fragment of forest. S.lavasoa was found on Lavasoa Mountain that is blanketed by rainforest remnants where large scorpion and dwarf lemur species were recently discovered. Another species S. saintelucei could be the most endangered millipede on Madagascar.  It was found on Sainte Luce littoral rainforest characterized by its laterite soil that is now so small that no lemur or other large vertebrate species can survive in it.

 "Despite their close proximity, both species are not even closely related. Both the fragments where they were found are currently threatened by a huge, billion-dollar titanium ore strip mining project. Although there are intentions to designate and manage conservation zones, the plan is to protect only one large fragment may result in the extinction of some of the species if additional conservation measures aren't undertaken." explains the lead author Dr. Thomas Wesener from the Research Museum Alexander Koenig in Bonn, Germany.

The finding was documented in Zookeys.