Sphaerotherium actaeon Zoosphaerium actaeon Jeekel 1999: 10 Enghoff 2003: 20 Zoosphaerium hippocastanum ( Gervais, 1847 ) Sphaerotherium hippocastanum Gervais, 1847: 83 Butler 1873: 17 Lenz 1880: 1 Brolemann 1922: 230 Zoosphaerium hippocastanum Jeekel 1999: 10 Enghoff 2003: 20 The giant pill-millipedes of Madagascar: revision of the genus Zoosphaerium (Myriapoda, Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida) Wesener, Thomas Wägele, Johann-Wolfgang Zoosystema 2008 30 1 5 85 5D7G8 White 1859 [176,420,469,496] Diplopoda Arthrosphaeridae Zoosphaerium Animalia Sphaerotheriida 75 80 Arthropoda species actaeon    Sphaerotherium actaeon– de Saussure & Zehntner 1897: pl. 1, figs 1-1b, pl., fig. 12 (redescription without viewing of holotype); 1902: 40, pl. 1, fig. 11 (redescription without viewing of holotype). — Brolemann 1922(no description or drawing).    Zoosphaerium actaeon–  Jeekel 1999: 10(lists species name). —  Enghoff 2003: 20(lists species name).  MATERIAL EXAMINED. —  Madagascar.Unknown locality, leg. Coquerel, det. H. de Saussure 1902, 1 ♀(broken, premature) ( MNHNCB001). — Nosy Bé, leg. Deyrolle, det. H. de Saussure 1902, 2 ♀♀(damaged) ( MNHNCB002). — Unknown locality, det. H. de Saussure, 1 ♀(broken, with eggs) ( MNHNCB003). — Côte est, leg. Lantz, 1882, det.?, 1 ♀(broken into pieces) ( MNHNCB004). — Unknown locality, coll. M. Lantz (Grandidier), 1903, det.?, 2 ♀♀(dried, 1 immature) ( MNHNCB00).  REMARKS The holotypeof  Z. actaeonis no longer in the collections of the BMNH. The only characters given in the first description is the size, brown coloration and the fact that the surface has an orange-like pattern. The material de Saussure and Zehntner obviously used for their redescriptions includes at least three different species, one of them being  Zoosphaerium neptunus, two others being undescribed. Because all specimens are females, always without precise locality and damaged, it is impossible to select a neotype. Recent collected material of the CAS and FMNH giving precise localities includes seven morphospecies of giant pill-millipedes with characters similar to those of  Z. actaeon, unfortunately all of them only present the female sex.  Zoosphaerium actaeonwas considered synonym of  Sphaerotherium hippocastanumby Butler (1873: 17).    Zoosphaerium hippocastanum( Gervais, 1847)( Fig. 48)     Sphaerotherium hippocastanum Gervais, 1847: 83. —  Butler 1873: 17. —  Lenz 1880: 13 (no drawing). — de Saussure & Zehntner 1897: pl., fig. 1; 1902: 4. —  Brolemann 1922: 230, figs 3-.    Zoosphaerium hippocastanum–  Jeekel 1999: 10(lists species name). —  Enghoff 2003: 20(lists species name).  TYPE MATERIAL. — ♀ holotype(completely fragmented), ( MNHNCB027). TYPE LOCALITY. — Madagascar, Nosy Bé. ADDITIONAL MATERIAL EXAMINED. —  Madagascar.Nossi Bé (1 27), leg. 1884, det. H. de Saussure 3 ♀♀(one broken), ( MNHNCB02). — Leg. Goudot, det. H. de Saussure, 1 ♀(broken), ( MNHNCB028). — Env. de Tanarive, coll. Acad. malgache, leg. Broelemann nº 2, det. Broelemann, 3 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀( MNHNCB029). — Env. de Tanarive, coll. Acad. malgache, leg. Broelemann nº 2, det. Broelemann, 1 ♂( MNHNCB030).  REMARKS The 1 0-year old holotypeof  Z. hippocastanumis completely fragmented, the only visible characters are the locking carinae of the anal shield ( Fig. 48B) and a groove with sclerotized teeth on the first joint of antenna. Even the endotergum is so strongly covered with irremovable dirt, that it contains only few informations ( Fig. 48A). De Saussure & Zehntner (1902)were obviously the last and only persons, who reviewed the holotype. Nevertheless, the specimens determined by those authors as  Z. hippocastanumand used for illustrations (MNHN CB02 and MNHN CB028) do include more than one species, the specimen used for illustrations represents in fact  Zoosphaerium neptunus, from which  Z. hippocastanumdiffers strongly in the shape of the locking carinae on the anal shield. Then we have the material used for redescription by Broelemann (MNHN CB029 and CB030). This material is also not identical with the holotypeof  Z. hippocastanum, the locking carinae of the anal shield show a complete different position. It is not possible to select a better conserved neotypeamong the existing material. It may be possible to collect additional material from the island of Nosy Bé, if the type locality is really correct.