Our planet sustains a magnificent diversity of life forms. Despite over two centuries of biological research, humans are far from even listing all the species living on Earth, much less comprehending integrative topics like their ecological interactions. Not only are many species in danger of extinction, human expertise is on the brink of extinction. One group that is threatened by both these dangers is the arthropod class Diplopoda. Efficient management and ease of retrieval of existing data will greatly enhance the speed with which we will be able to complete a global inventory of the Earth’s biodiversity.
Comprehensive taxonomic catalogues of organisms are essential management tools for the discovery and analysis of biodiversity. The Nomenclator Generum Diplopodorum, edited by Petra Sierwald and co-authored by C. A. W. Jeekel, R. L. Hoffman, R. M. Shelley, P. Sierwald, S. B. Kiser & S. I. Golovatch, is a complete listing of all genus-group names in the Diplopoda, described between 1758 and 1999, with full bibliographic data.