''Mammamia profuga'' is a species of cave-dwelling

millipede Millipedes (originating from the Latin , "thousand", and , "foot") 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 derive ...

in the family

Julidae Julidae is a family of millipedes in the order Julida, containing more than 600 species in around 20 genera. Its members are largely confined to the Western Palaearctic, with only a few species extending into the Oriental and Afrotropical realm ...

. The only known species of the genus ''Mammamia'', it was described in 2011 from a specimen discovered in a cave in Italy.

Description

''Mammamia profuga'' measures about 26 mm (1 inch) long, and 1.5 mm wide, consisting of around 50 body segments, the last two without legs. The body and legs are pale yellow in color, without markings, and the walking legs are about 2.25 mm long, except for the first pair in males, which are small and hook-like, as in other julidan millipedes. The species completely lacks

eyes An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...

ocelli A simple eye or ocellus (sometimes called a pigment pit) is a form of eye or an optical arrangement which has a single lens without the sort of elaborate retina that occurs in most vertebrates. These eyes are called "simple" to distinguish the ...

. Like all members of the order Julida, mature males have two pairs of highly modified legs, the

gonopod Gonopods are specialized appendages of various arthropods used in reproduction or egg-laying. In males, they facilitate the transfer of sperm from male to female during mating, and thus are a type of intromittent organ. In crustaceans and millipe ...

s, consisting of the 8th and 9th pair, and in ''Mammamia'' the anterior (forward-most) gonopods are slightly longer than the posterior gonopods.

Discovery

''Mammamia profuga'' was described from a single male specimen collected from a cave in Taranto Province, Italy in 1964. It was described as a new genus and species in 2011 by a team of Danish and Bulgarian scientists.

Etymology

The genus name ''Mammamia'' derives from the Italian expression "Mamma mia!" in reference to the "astonishing" features, including eyelessness and unique feature of the gonopods. The species name ''profuga'' is Latin for "homeless" or "refugee", a reference to the fact that the cave the species was discovered in was subsequently destroyed.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q18351982 Julida Endemic fauna of Italy Millipedes of Europe Cave millipedes Animals described in 2011 Monotypic myriapod genera Species known from a single specimen

Description

Discovery

Etymology

See also

References