Nedyopus swinhoei is an East Asian millipede, about 0.7–1.3 in (17.5–33 mm) long, with a pale yellow to orange band across the rear of each body ring. It often turns up near homes in China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. It has no known records in the United States.
Appearance
- Appearance
- The body has 20 rings. Males are about 0.7–1 in (17.5–25 mm) long and females up to about 1.3 in (33 mm). Each ring has a pale yellow to orange crossband on its rear half, the antennae are dark brown with a white tip, and the legs are pale yellow. Red and white individuals exist, but a genetic comparison found no clear difference between them, so they are treated as color forms of one species.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Near houses
- Forest floor
- Range
- Recorded from central and eastern China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea, with a one-colored described from Indonesia. Not known from North America.
- Preferred conditions
- Often found near human homes; researchers suggest people may have helped it spread.
Name and classification
- About the name
- Formerly called Nedyopus patrioticus. A 2025 study showed that Strongylosoma swinhoei, named in 1895, is this same species, so the older name swinhoei now applies. The larger Chinese millipede long called "Kronopolites swinhoei" turned out to be a different species and is now Kronopolites svenhedini.
- Varieties and forms
- The subspecies N. s. unicolor, from Indonesia, is plain-colored.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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