Buotidae is a family of

millipede Millipedes are a group of arthropods that are characterised by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the class Diplopoda, the name derived from this feature. Each double-legged segment is a resu ...

s belonging to the order

Chordeumatida Chordeumatida (from the Greek word for "sausage") is a large order of millipedes containing some 1200 species with a nearly worldwide distribution. Also known as "sausage millipedes," they possess around 30 body segments behind the head (includi ...

. This family contains a single species, ''Buotus carolinus'', which exhibits

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

in segment number: the adult female has 28 segments, but the adult male has only 26, both fewer than the 30 usually found in this order (counting the collum as the first segment and the

telson The telson () is the posterior-most division of the body of an arthropod. Depending on the definition, the telson is either considered to be the final segment of the arthropod body, or an additional division that is not a true segment on accou ...

as the last). These millipedes are very small (no more than 4 mm in length) and have been found in the mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Genera: * '' Buotus'' Chamberlin, 1940

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q21065055 Chordeumatida Millipede families