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Creators/Authors contains: "Shear, William"

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  1. A third species of the macrosternodesmid millipede genus Nevadesmus Shear, 2009 is described from a cave in Tonto National Forest, Pinal Co., southern Arizona, USA. This new species, Nevadesmus superstitiona Shear, Pape & Marek, sp. nov. occurs significantly distant from the localities of the two other species, which occur in Nevada. The epigean and hypogean settings of the cave site and remarks on its natural history are provided. Thirty-two animal taxa are present in the cave, including the new millipede. Four other endemic troglobiotic species are present: a scorpion (Pseudouroctonus sp.: Vaejovidae), a terrestrial isopod (Brackenridgia sp.: Trichoniscidae), a silverfish (Speleonycta sp.: Nicoletiidae) and a thread-legged bug (Gardena cf. elkinsi: Reduviidae). A resident population of the tailless whip scorpion (Paraphrynus tokdod: Amblypygi: Phrynidae) is the first record of this family in an Arizona Cave. Tonto National Forest Cave #34 is the second most species diverse cave currently known in Arizona. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available November 20, 2026
  2. The millipede genus Apterourus Loomis, 1966, the only genus of the family Apterouridae Loomis, 1966 (Diplopoda: Chordeumatida: Striarioidea), contains two species and is rarely collected. We add a third species from Mt. Palomar, San Diego County, California, USA, Apterourus palomar Shear, Richart and Marek, new species. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available November 28, 2026
  3. The genus Benlomondia Shear & Marek, gen. nov., and two new species, Benlomondia benlomondensis Shear & Marek, sp. nov., and Benlomondia mateo Shear & Marek, sp. nov., are described from Santa Cruz and San Mateo Counties, California, respectively. The new genus is similar to, but distinct from, Opiona Chamberlin, 1951. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available July 4, 2026
  4. Paropiona Shear & Marek, gen. nov. is described from northwestern and central Washington State, USA. It includes two new species, Paropiona gardneri Shear & Marek, sp. nov. from Pacific and Cowlitz Counties, and Paropiona aenigma Shear & Marek, sp. nov. from Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Thurston and Wahakiakum Counties. Opionoides Shear & Marek, gen. nov. is monotypic with only Opionoides cataracta Shear & Marek, sp. nov. from Coos Co. Oregon. The new genera are related to, but distinct from the genus Opiona Chamberlin, 1951. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available May 5, 2026
  5. The identity of Striaria californica Cook, described in 1899 from a single female, is established on the basis of additional specimens collected by Cook in 1929 and determined to be that species by Loomis (1936) as well as specimens from the San Francisco Bay region, likely to be from near the original collection locality. We propose Amplaria californica (Cook, 1899) new combination. A new genus, Bayaria Shear & Marek n. gen., is established for Striaria nana Loomis, 1936 Bayaria nana (Loomis, 1936) new combination. Striaria carmela Chamberlin, 1947, is a junior synonym of Bayaria nana. A key to the 16 genera of Striariidae and an annotated checklist of the 52 species are provided. 
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  6. We describe three new genera and four new species of small, litter-dwelling millipedes from the states of Oregon and Washington, USA: Miniaria ramifera, n. gen., n. sp., Miniaria richarti, n. gen., n. sp., Tigraria oregonensis, n. gen., n. sp., and Kingaria prattensis, n. gen., n. sp. Some of the unusual characters of these species are discussed, including a new type of sensory array on the third tarsus of males and a newly observed mandibular gland. 
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  7. The following new genera and species of Striariidae are described from the states of California, Oregon and Washington: Nototrisaria ornata n. gen., n. sp., Maraplia napa n. gen., n. sp., Maraplia chico n. gen., n. sp., Maraplia schusteri n. gen., n. sp., Lamparia curryensis n. gen., n. sp., Lamparia bentonensis n. gen., n. sp., Lamparia pratensis n. gen., n. sp., Lamparia millicoma n. gen., n. sp., Rampalia cheathamensis n. gen., n. sp., Plaramia arcata n. gen., n. sp., Plaramia johnsonae n. gen., n. sp., Ralampia complexa n. gen., n. sp., and Ralampia filamentosa n. gen., n. sp.. The new species are all very small millipedes, 5.5 mm or less in length and with two or three ommatidia on each side of the head or blind. The majority have the sixth metazonital crest larger than the other crests and extended horizontally, so that the animals have the general appearance of having paranota. A new key to striariid genera is presented. 
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  8. The millipede fauna inhabiting deep soil are poorly known. They are small and threadlike, slow moving, lacking pigmentation, and rarely encountered due to their obscure underground way of life. One family, the Siphonorhinidae, encompasses four genera and 12 species in a fragmentary distribution in California, southern Africa, Madagascar, the Malay Archipelago, and Indo-Burma. The family is represented in the Western Hemisphere by a single genus, Illacme Cook & Loomis, 1928 from California, with its closest known relative, Nematozonium filum Verhoeff, 1939, from southern Africa. A new species of this family is documented from soil microhabitats in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, Illacme socal Marek & Shear, sp. nov. Based on this discovery and the recent documentation of other endogean millipede species, we show that these grossly understudied subterranean fauna represent the next frontier of discovery. However, they are threatened by encroaching human settlement and habitat loss, and conservation of this species and other subterranean fauna is of high importance. 
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  9. Petra sierwaldae, n. gen., n. sp. is described from males and females collected at four localities in Kootenai County, Idaho, USA. The new genus is defined by its unique gonopod and ninth leg anatomy, a notched collum and single ommatidium on each side of the head, and lacking third coxal flasks as well as having modified fifth coxae. 
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