Brachydesmus superus

Brachydesmus superus, sometimes called the flat millipede,[2][3] is a species of millipede in the family Polydesmidae.[4][5] Its specific name is from the Latin word for "above, upper,"[6] because it lives in the upper soil layer.[7]

Brachydesmus superus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Myriapoda
Class: Diplopoda
Order: Polydesmida
Family: Polydesmidae
Genus: Brachydesmus
Species:
B. superus
Binomial name
Brachydesmus superus
Latzel, 1884
Synonyms[1]
  • Brachydesmus dux Chamberlin, 1940
  • Brachydesmus gladiolus Williams & Hefner, 1928
  • Brachydesmus insculptus Pocock, 1892
  • Brachydesmus mosellanus Verhoeff, 1891
  • Brachydesmus pallidus Loomis, 1939
  • Brachydesmus peninsulae Attems, 1899
  • Brachydesmus superus superus Latzel, 1884
  • Eubrachydesmus superus (Latzel, 1884)
  • Polydesmus pilidens Koch, 1847
  • Polydesmus superus (Latzel, 1884)
Image of a B. superus millipede, with view of dorsum and gonopod.

Appearance

A light brown or grey flat-backed millipede. Adults are up to 1 cm (0.39 in) long, with 19 segments (including the telson), unlike most other adults in the family Polydesmidae, which usually have 20 segments.[8] Accordingly, adults in this genus have two fewer legs than most polydesmid adults have: Females have only 29 pairs of legs, and males have only 28 pairs of walking legs, excluding one pair of gonopods.[9][10]

Distribution

Native to Europe, also found in New England.[11]

Behaviour

Lives in damp terrestrial habitats.[12] Female lays about 50 eggs in spring or summer in a dome-shaped nest. The first-staged larva has seven segments and three pairs of legs; it moults six times (sometimes seven for males) before reaching adult size.[13]

They are known as a pest in sugar beet fields.[14]

References
  1. "MilliBase - Brachydesmus superus Latzel, 1884". www.millibase.org.
  2. Adams, Charles R.; Early, Michael P.; Bamford, Katherine M. (November 8, 2008). Principles of Horticulture. Routledge. ISBN 9780750686945 – via Google Books.
  3. Adams, Charles; Early, Mike; Brook, Jane; Bamford, Katherine (August 7, 2014). Principles of Horticulture: Level 2. Routledge. ISBN 9781317937777 – via Google Books.
  4. Stephenson, J. W. (May 1, 1960). "The biology of Brachydesmus Superus (Latz.) Diplopoda". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 3 (29): 311–319. doi:10.1080/00222936008655772 – via Taylor and Francis+NEJM.
  5. "The Transactions of the Cave Research Group". Cave Research Group. November 8, 1973 – via Google Books.
  6. Skeat, Walter William (November 8, 1895). "A Concise Etymological Dictionary of the English Language". Harper & Bros. – via Google Books.
  7. L?kke, Hans; Gestel, Cornelis A. M. van (May 5, 1998). Handbook of Soil Invertebrate Toxicity Tests. Wiley. ISBN 9780471971030 – via Google Books.
  8. "Brachydesmus superus Latzel, 1884 | British Myriapod and Isopod Group". www.bmig.org.uk.
  9. Blower, J. Gordon (1985). Millipedes : keys and notes for the identification of the species. Linnean Society of London, Estuarine and Brackish-water Sciences Association. London: Published for the Linnean Society of London and the Estuarine and Brackish-Water Sciences Association by E.J. Brill. ISBN 90-04-07698-0. OCLC 13439686.
  10. Mesibov, Robert. "External Anatomy of Polydesmida: Body plans". myriapodology.org. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  11. "Brachydesmus superus Latzel, 1884". www.gbif.org.
  12. English, Mary (1976). "New Records of Millipedes from Munster, Ireland". The Irish Naturalists' Journal. 18 (12): 341–347. JSTOR 25537965 – via JSTOR.
  13. Gratwick, M. (December 6, 2012). Crop Pests in the UK: Collected edition of MAFF leaflets. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9789401114905 – via Google Books.
  14. Cooke, D. A.; Scott, J. E. (December 6, 2012). The Sugar Beet Crop. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9789400903739 – via Google Books.
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