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Brachoria plecta Keeton 1959

The Natural Bridge Mimic Millipede

Paul Marek
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Containing group: Brachoria

Characteristics

Brachoria plecta individuals are about 44.1 mm long and 10.5 mm wide (females 43.8 X 10.5 mm).  Color: 3-spotted yellow (2.5Y 8/12), medial metatergal spots light pinkish orange (7.5R 6/10).

 

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Brachoria plecta genitalia - left male gonopodal acropodite (with setae removed): (Left) medial view and (Right) magnified apical view. © Paul Marek

Habitat

Brachoria plecta specimens were collected during the day (17:00) in a moist forest comprising hemlock, maple, oak, and birch trees.  Individuals were found beneath layers of decomposing leaf material, predominately oak, about 60 m above (west) Upper Hood Branch.  Other xystodesmids encountered sympatrically at this locality: Rudiloria guyandotta (coloration similar to B. plecta 3-spotted morph) and Apheloria virginiensis corrugata (coloration dissimilar to B. plecta banded yellow).  Note: Individuals of B. plecta may be confused in the field with Rudiloria guyandotta due to similarity in color patterns.

Distribution

Known only from the type locality in Powell Co., Kentucky.  The closest known Brachoria species, B. indianae, occurs about 30 km southwest in Irvine, Estill Co., Kentucky.

Conservation status

Brachoria plecta is threatened by habitat loss due to agriculture (especially growing demand for paper products), coal mining, development, and the invasion of exotic species.

References

Marek P.E. 2010. A revision of the Appalachian millipede genus Brachoria Chamberlin, 1939 (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae: Apheloriini). Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 159: 817-889.

Hoffman R.L. 1999. Checklist of the millipeds of North and Middle America. Virginia Museum of Natural History Special Publication. No. 8. Martinsville: Virginia Museum of Natural History.

Keeton W.T. 1959. A revision of the millipede genus Brachoria (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae) Proc. US Nat. Mus. 109: 1-58.

Title Illustrations
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Scientific Name Brachoria plecta
Location USA, Kentucky, Powell Co.
Reference Marek P.E. 2010. A revision of the Appalachian millipede genus Brachoria Chamberlin, 1939 (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae: Apheloriini). Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 159: 817-889.
Specimen Condition Live Specimen
Sex m
Life Cycle Stage adult
View dorsal
Collection FMNH
Collector Paul Marek
Image Use creative commons This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0.
Copyright © Paul Marek
About This Page
Work on the millipede Tree of Life pages was supported by a U.S. National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant to Paul Marek and Jason Bond (DEB 0607996) and a Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy Grant to Petra Sierwald, Jason Bond, and William Shear (DEB 0529715).

Paul Marek
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Paul Marek at

Page: Tree of Life Brachoria plecta Keeton 1959. The Natural Bridge Mimic Millipede. Authored by Paul Marek. The TEXT of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0. Note that images and other media featured on this page are each governed by their own license, and they may or may not be available for reuse. Click on an image or a media link to access the media data window, which provides the relevant licensing information. For the general terms and conditions of ToL material reuse and redistribution, please see the Tree of Life Copyright Policies.

Citing this page:

Marek, Paul. 2010. Brachoria plecta Keeton 1959. The Natural Bridge Mimic Millipede. Version 16 September 2010 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Brachoria_plecta/144231/2010.09.16 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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