The discovery of a new pill millipede species was announced on May 20. The species, published in the international taxonomic journal ZooKeys, has been named Rhopalomeris dinghushan after its type locality, Dinghushan National Nature Reserve in Zhaoqing City, Guangdong Province. It marks the first record of the genus Rhopalomeris in China.
The study was conducted by a joint research team from the South China Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, South China Agricultural University, and Sun Yat-sen University.
The species was first spotted in the early hours of September 14, 2025, during a biodiversity survey led by senior engineer Fan Zongji. Hidden beneath leaf litter at an altitude of 708 m in an evergreen broad-leaved forest, researchers encountered a large, striking millipede with a dark brown body adorned with yellowish-brown marble patterns. Measuring 15.0 to 21.0 mm, its unique morphology was later confirmed as a new species through genetic distance and phylogenetic analysis.
The newly discovered Rhopalomeris dinghushan was first spotted in the early hours of September 14, 2025. (Photo: Fan Zongji)
A phylogenetic tree of pill millipedes. (Photo courtesy of Liu Weixin)
Pill millipedes are important soil invertebrates that play a key role in nutrient cycling and soil formation within forest ecosystems. With weak dispersal abilities and a strong dependence on intact forest habitats, they serve as excellent indicator organisms for environmental change.
This discovery highlights the conservation value of Dinghushan National Nature Reserve as a critical biodiversity hotspot and shows that Guangdong's ancient forests still hold many of nature's best-kept secrets.
Author: Dong Han
Video editor: Dong Han
The video was filmed and provided by Fan Zongji from Dinghushan Nature Reserve.
