Pyrgodesmidae

The species in this family are found in tropics around the world, including tropical Africa. These millipedes are also found in southern Europe, North Africa, central China, Taiwan, and Japan. Their geographic distribution extends from Texas to Brazil and also includes the West Indies, India, the East Indies, New Caledonia, Hawaii, and many other Pacific islands. == Description ==

Millipedes in this family are small, ranging from 3 mm to 16 mm in length, but mostly between 6 mm and 10 mm. These millipedes are usually uniformly grayish or brownish. The collum mostly or completely covers the head from above and is usually shaped like a fan, with a dorsal surface ornamented with distinct radiating lines or small lobes at the front. The tergites nearly always slope downward and feature conspicuous lobes or tubercles that are usually arranged in rows. The ozopores often open on short columns and usually deviate from the distribution among segments normally observed in the order Polydesmida. The paranota often feature small lobes on the anterior or posterior margins. Millipedes in this family are not capable of volvation. == Notable genera ==

Some species in this family are found only in ant colonies, and are considered obligate myrmecophiles. Millipedes in this family that inhabit ant nests include two Mexican species of the genus Myrmecodesmus. one fewer than normally found in the order Polydesmida. ==References==