Gosodesmus is a genus of platydesmidan millipede, described by Ralph V. Chamberlin in 1922, that is widely distributed in the U.S. state of California. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species, Gosodesmus claremontus, commonly known as the pink feather boa millipede. Individuals vary in color from bright pink to coral, and may possess a black or purple dorsal stripe. Body length ranges from 17 to 27 mm (0.67 to 1.06 in), with up to 81 body segments. Gosodesmus claremontus occurs on the Coast Ranges as well as the Sierra Nevada, and is often found within rotted wood, especially oaks.[2][3] In 2020, chemist Dr. Tappey Jones at Virginia Military Institute and colleagues, discovered a novel natural product and alkaloid in the chemical defense secretion of G. claremontus: (1), 7-(4-methylpent-3-en-1-yl)-1,2,3,5,8,8a-hexahydroindolizine, known as gosodesmine.[4]

Gosodesmus claremontus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Myriapoda
Class: Diplopoda
Order: Platydesmida
Family: Andrognathidae
Genus: Gosodesmus
Chamberlin, 1922
Species:
G. claremontus
Binomial name
Gosodesmus claremontus
Synonyms
  • Eucybe clarus Chamberlin, 1941
  • Eucybe longior Chamberlin, 1950
  • Eucybe auctus Chamberlin, 1954
  • Stenocybe waipea Chamberlin, 1950

References edit

  1. ^ Chamberlin, Ralph V. (1922). "A New Platydesmoid Diplopod from California". Journal of Entomology and Zoology. 14: 10–13.
  2. ^ Buckett, John S.; Michael R. Gardner (1969). "A Review of the Genus Gosodesmus Chamberlin, with the Synonymy of Eucybe Chamberlin (Diplopoda: Platydesmida: Andrognathidae)". Journal of the New York Entomological Society. 77 (1): 40–50. JSTOR 25006146.
  3. ^ Gardner, Michael R. (1975). "Revision of the millipede family Andrognathidae in the Nearctic region (Diplopoda, Platydesmida)". Memoirs of the Pacific Coast Entomological Society. 5: 1–61.
  4. ^ Hassler, Madeline F.; Daniel P. Harrison; Tappey H. Jones; Casey H. Richart; Ralph A. Saporito (2020). "Gosodesmine, a 7-Substituted Hexahydroindolizine from the Millipede Gosodesmus claremontus". Journal of Natural Products. 83 (9): 2764−276. doi:10.1021/acs.jnatprod.0c00722. PMID 32915571. S2CID 221637396.