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Brachoria conta Keeton 1965

The Gregory Hollow Mimic Millipede

Paul Marek
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Containing group: Brachoria

Characteristics

Brachoria conta individuals are about 42.9 mm long and 10.5 mm wide (females 44.7 mm X 11.4 mm).  Color: 3-spotted yellow or 3-spotted yellow (2.5Y 8.5/8) with pink metatergal spots medially (5Y 7/8); and 2-spotted yellow.

 

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

Habitat

Brachoria conta specimens were collected during the day (15:00) in a mixed pine, maple, and birch forest near the road (US-60).  Individuals were found under a carpet of Lycopodium and beneath layers of decaying leaf material, predominately maple and birch.  I observed many more females than males at the site, at a ratio of about 7:1.  Apheloria virginiensis corrugata was encountered sympatrically, but differed in coloration.  Note: Individuals of B. conta may be confused in the field with Rudiloria guyandotta (whose range overlaps with B. conta, but was not found co-occurring) due to similarity in color patterns.

Distribution

Known only from the type locality in Carter Co., Kentucky.  The closest known Brachoria species, B. plecta occurs 83 air km southwest in Powell County, Kentucky.

Conservation status

Brachoria conta 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 WT. 1965. Descriptions of three new species of Brachoria, with notes on established species (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Xystodesmidae). Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 78: 225-240.

Title Illustrations
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Scientific Name Brachoria conta
Location USA, Kentucky, Carter 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 conta Keeton 1965. The Gregory Hollow 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 conta Keeton 1965. The Gregory Hollow Mimic Millipede. Version 16 September 2010 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Brachoria_conta/144212/2010.09.16 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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