Behavioral ecology of Centrobolus (Diplopoda, Spirobolida, Pachybolidae) in Southern Africa

Abstract

Forty-two studies on fire millipedes are reviewed to elucidate the mechanisms of selection; sperm competition and cryptic female choice were studied. Approaches to: (1) quantify size dimorphism and find the selection pressures operating on the sexes, (2) determine the functional significance of male and female genitalia, (3) understand why there should be a conflict of sexual interests in prolonged copulations, and (4) resolve the mechanisms of sperm competition and cryptic female choice in comparing male mating strategies to female mating strategies and sperm usage were included. The sexual differences between male and female body plans which are observable in millipedes may be biologically significant.