Haplodesmidae

Species in this family are small, usually less than 10 mm in length. The ozopores appear on the dorsal surface of the paranota. The sterna are so narrow that the walking legs are contiguous where they emerge from the body. The gonopods emerge from an aperture that is relatively modest in size and shaped like a transverse oval. Species in this family hold their gonopods parallel to the main axis of the body in a considerable hollow in the middle of the ventral surface. The gonopods do not cross, even at the distal end. == Segmentation ==

This family includes some species that feature unusual deviations from the 20 segments (including the telson) normally observed in the order Polydesmida. For example, some species exhibit sexual dimorphism in segments number, including not only Prosopodesmus panporus and Eutrichodesmus peculiaris (adult females with the usual 20 segments, but adult males with only 19) but also Doratodesmus pholeter (adults females with 19 segments, adult males with 18). This family also includes two species notable for being among the few species in Polydesmida to feature only 18 segments in adults (both sexes in D. hispidus and males only in D. pholeter). == Genera ==

The family Haplodesmidae includes the following genera: • Agathodesmus • Cylindrodesmus • Doratodesmus • Eutrichodesmus • Helodesmus • Hypsiloporus • Inodesmus • Koponenius • Nanocondylodesmus • Prosopodesmus == References ==