A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede Illacme plenipes, with notes on its natural history and biogeography (Diplopoda, Siphonophorida, Siphonorhinidae)

Abstract

With up to 750 legs, the millipede Illacme plenipes Cook and Loomis, 1928 is the leggiest animal known on Earth. It is endemic to the northwestern foothills of the Gabilan Range in San Benito County, California, where it is the only known species of the family Siphonorhinidae in the Western Hemisphere. Illacme plenipes is only known from 3 localities in a 4.5 km2 area; the 1926 holotype locality is uncertain. Individuals of the species are strictly associated with large arkose sandstone boulders, and are extremely rare, with only 17 specimens known to exist in natural history collections. In contrast with its small size and unassuming outward appearance, the microanatomy of the species is strikingly complex. Here we provide a detailed redescription of the species, natural history notes, DNA barcodes for Illacme plenipes and similar-looking species, and a predictive occurrence map of the species inferred using niche based distribution modeling. Based on functional morphology of related species, the extreme number of legs is hypothesized to be associated with a life spent burrowing deep underground, and clinging to the surface of sandstone boulders.

The chemical defenses of millipedes (diplopoda): Biochemistry, physiology and ecology

“…The secretion of Petaserpes cryptocephalus (¼Polyzonium rosalbum in Meinwald et al, 1975); Polyzoniida, Polyzoniidae) is also sticky, which was attributed by Blum (1981) at least in part to the nitropolyzonimine component. Marek et al (2012) reported sticky material exuded by Illacme plenipes (Siphonophorida, Siphonorhinidae), but it appeared to come from metatergal setae, not the ozopores. In passing, Chamberlin (1923) remarked that another siphonophoridan (Siphonophora pearsi) could also produce sticky threads, but did not specify the source.…”

Cryptic diversity in Andrognathus corticarius Cope, 1869 and description of a new Andrognathus species from New Mexico (Diplopoda, Platydesmida, Andrognathidae)

“…al. 2003) according to the methods described in Marek et al (2012). Amplified DNA was confirmed with electrophoresis on a 10% agarose gel, and raw PCR amplicons were cleaned, quantified, and Sanger-sequenced at the University of Arizona Genomics Core on an ABI 3100 capillary DNA sequencer.…”

Macroecological inferences on soil fauna through comparative niche modeling: The case of Hormogastridae (Annelida, Oligochaeta)

“…It has been implemented in several groups (ground beetles [4], termites [5], millipedes [6]) including earthworms: [7] used MaxEnt to study the effect of large-scale ecological variables in the distribution of Hormogaster elisae, corroborating its high predictive power and the ability to reflect accurately its soil preferences.…”