Into the Darkness: Unveiling Unexpected Records of the Nonnative Millipede Prosopodesmus jacobsoni Silvestri, 1910 (Polydesmida: Haplodesmidae) in Brazilian Caves

ABSTRACT This study expands the known distribution of the nonnative millipede Prosopodesmus jacobsoni in Brazil and reports its presence in cave environments for the first time in the country. Based on recently collected material and historical records, the species is shown to maintain stable populations in subterranean systems in the states of Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro. Possible mechanisms that may have facilitated the colonization of Brazilian caves are proposed, including processes associated with human activities and landscape transformation. Ecological observations on its occurrence in subterranean habitats are presented, along with descriptive notes supported by scanning electron micrographs (SEM) and a distribution map of the species occurrence in southeastern Brazil, complemented by photographic evidence from caves.