Pauropod
(Redirected from Pauropoda)
Pauropods are a type of myriapod. They form the only order in the class Pauropoda. About 500 species in four families are found worldwide, living in soil and leaf mold.
Pauropoda Temporal range: Eocene to Recent
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Pauropus huxleyi | |
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Class: | Pauropoda Lubbock, 1868
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Order: | Pauropodina
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Description
Pauropoda are tiny soil myriapods, 0.5-1.5mm in length, with 8-11 body segments. The body appears to have fewer segments when viewed from above, because the dorsal shields (tergites) are fused in pairs. The true segments can be seen from the ventral side, each segment bearing a single pair of walking legs. A characteristic feature of pauropods is their branched antennae.
Pauropod Media
Ventral and dorsal views of Pauropus amicus from New South Wales, Australia.