Until now, morphological trait variation has been investigated in several millipede species using geometric morphometrics. The present study is the first attempt to explore sexual shape and size dimorphism (SShD and SSD) of morphological structures in Polydesmida. We here analyse antennal, head, and leg SShD and SSD in Brachydesmus troglobius Daday, 1889. Our results show that SSD exists in all of the analysed structures, while SShD is present only in the legs. In comparison with females, males possess longer and wider legs, as well as longer antennae and a shorter head. Contrary to previous findings in some Julida, in B. troglobiusSSD of the antennae and legs varies more than SShD in these morphological structures.
Keywords: flat-backed millipedes; geometric morphometrics; intersexual morphological differences; polydesmidan millipedes; sexual shape dimorphism.
Vukica Vujić, Luka Lučić, Sofija Pavković-Lučić, Bojan Ilić, Zvezdana Jovanović, Slobodan Makarov, Boris Dudić.