Haplodesmidae Cook, 1895

Golovatch, Sergei, Geoffroy, Jean-Jacques, Mauriès, Jean-Paul & VandenSpiegel, Didier, 2009, Review of the millipede family Haplodesmidae Cook, 1895, with descriptions of some new or poorly-known species (Diplopoda, Polydesmida), ZooKeys 7 (7), pp. 1-53 : 42-43

Family Haplodesmidae Cook, 1895

Type genus: Haplodesmus Cook, 1895 (replacement name for the preoccupied Haplosoma Verhoeff, 1894).

= Haplosomidae Silvestri, 1895 . Type genus: Haplosoma Verhoeff, 1894 .

= Doratodesmidae Cook, 1896 , n. syn. Type genus: Doratodesmus Cook in Cook & Collins, 1895 (replacement name for the preoccupied Doratonotus Pocock, 1894 ).

Diagnosis. A family of Polydesmoidea with gonopod aperture relatively modest in size, transverse-ovoid; gonocoxae subquadrate, non-globose, enlarged laterally, often densely setose; telopodites usually rather simple, uni-, bi- or triramous, usually with evidence of torsion near end of femorite, rather stout (about as high as coxae) to very slender, always held parallel to main axis, not crossing each other even distally, but hinging into a considerable hollow formed by ventromedian parts of coxae; seminal groove and coxal cannula usually present, solenomere only seldom being a separate branch (occasionally long and flagelliform), usually taking up much to most of telopodite distad of a more or less evident, lateral process, lobe or outgrowth near end of femorite, latter enlarged or slender; acropodite varying from very conspicuous to nearly absent.

Body shape ranging from vermiform/subcylindrical or “pyrgodesmid-like” (see Key below) (neither capable of volvation) to “doratodesmid” (capable of volvation). Paraterga, if present, always declivous, hence the dorsum is invariably very convex. Metaterga clothed with a cerotegumental crust, usually with 2-4 transverse rows of tubercles/bosses, sometimes with mid-dorsal projections. Pore formula usually normal, porosteles sometimes present. Tergal pubescence often with bisegmented setae. Walking leg coxae mostly contiguous medially, due to very narrow sterna. Head usually slightly transverse, only rarely elongated; antennae usually stout, antennomere 6 usually longest.

Only six recognizable genera are contained in this small family.