The holotype and three immature male paratypes of Zoosphaerium darthvaderi were collected via pitfall traps in an area of disturbed transitional mossy forest at an elevation of 1,450 m (4,760 ft).

They coined the specific epithet darthvaderi after Darth Vader, a character from the movie franchise Star Wars.

The name was attributed to the millipede's anal shield, which has a "pronounced bell shape" that the researchers considered to strongly resemble Vader's helmet in the films.

Fragmented forest habitats, already endangered, are shrinking as a result of slash-and-burn agriculture and fire clearing for the creation of pasture land.

Consequently, the population of this millipede is likewise fragmented, and with no known individuals being bred in captivity the species's risk of extinction is extreme.