Telodeinopus

This small genus of 13 species ranges across western and central Africa, from the Ivory Coast to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Gabon, with representatives on São Tomé and Príncipe. Currently three species are believed to exist in captive collections; T. aoutii, assiniensis, and bibundinus, with the first two being the most common; the last has only recently been imported from Cameroon.

Orin McMonigle notes in his work Millipeds in Captivity that T. aoutii is sensitive and challenging to raise, but reports from Europe show that captive bred specimens are quite hardy and very prolific; T. assiniensis is similar, seeming to require specific temperatures (between 23-28° Celsius/73-82° Fahrenheit) in order to oviposit, but otherwise is very prolific and hardy when given enough moisture. The few reports of T. bibundinus suggest it is very similar to the other two in terms of prolificness and hardiness. Wild caught adults of all species are more sensitive and prone to random die-offs.

T. aoutii is a greenish color with darker green stripes, with the legs (that are quite long, suggesting this species may be arboreal in the wild) being a base of tan striped with a light green that. T. assiniensis is more polymorphic; as diplopoda.de notes, "The species is quite variable in its coloration. The rear section of the double segments is red-brown to black-brown, often lightened yellow in the flanks. The front section of the double segments (prozonite) changes from red/orange to yellow/beige. Legs beige to slightly pink, antennae mostly darker than legs. Collum red-brown to yellow-brown. Telson and anal valves red-brown in the front area, yellow-brown in the rear area." T. bibundinus has a black body with cherry red legs that are also quite long.

References:

1. Purkart, A. (2021). Telodeinopus assiniensis. Photograph. Permission Granted to Connor Smotzer and The Millipede Enthusiasts Database.