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ZooKeys 241: 77–112 (2012)
A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede Illacme plenipes, with notes...
doi: 10.3897/zookeys.241.3831
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A redescription of the leggiest animal,
the millipede Illacme plenipes, with notes
on its natural history and biogeography
(Diplopoda, Siphonophorida, Siphonorhinidae)
Paul E. Marek1, William A. Shear2, Jason E. Bond3
1 University of Arizona, Department of Entomology, Forbes Building, Tucson, Arizona, USA 2 HampdenSydney College, Department of Biology, Gilmer Hall, Hampden-Sydney, Virginia, USA 3 Auburn University,
Department of Biological Sciences, Funchess Hall, Auburn, Alabama, USA
Corresponding author: Paul E. Marek (paulemarek@gmail.com)
Academic editor: Pavel Stoev | Received 14 August 2012 | Accepted 29 October 2012 | Published 14 November 2012
Citation: Marek PE, Shear WA, Bond JE (2012) A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede Illacme plenipes,
with notes on its natural history and biogeography (Diplopoda, Siphonophorida, Siphonorhinidae). ZooKeys 241:
77–112. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.241.3831
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 I. 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.
Keywords
California Floristic Province, paleoendemic, endemic, silk, San Benito County, Silicon Valley, Salinas Valley, sandstone, burrowing, conservation, Gabilan Range
Copyright Paul E. Marek et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0
(CC-BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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Paul E. Marek et al. / ZooKeys 241: 77–112 (2012)
introduction
he millipede Illacme plenipes has more legs than any other known organism, with one
female individual possessing 750 legs on 192 body segments. he Siphonophorida, the
order in which I. plenipes is placed, comprises a diversity of taxa that have fascinating anatomical features, biogeographical patterns, and very intriguing biology. Siphonophoridan
species are mainly Pantropical in distribution with a few outlying taxa in the Himalayas,
New Zealand, South Africa and California (Shelley and Golovatch 2011). Despite their
interesting biological and life history characteristics and a relictual distribution pattern,
the group has been deemed a “taxonomist’s nightmare” and is among the least popular
taxa in Diplopoda (Hofman 1980; Jeekel 2001; Read and Enghof 2009). At present,
two families are recognized in the order: Siphonophoridae and Siphonorhinidae. Among
these families, there are three genera of Siphonophorida in the United States: Siphonophora, Siphonacme and Illacme. he irst two are classiied as Siphonophoridae, while
Illacme is the only known Western Hemisphere representative of Siphonorhinidae.
Like many other colobognath millipedes, the Siphonophorida often occur in
cryptic subterranean habitats, shun light, are infrequently encountered, and therefore are rare in natural history collections. All known taxa are eyeless and have relatively large antennae. Species of the family Siphonophoridae have the front of the
head drawn out into a long, narrow extension that is paralleled by a similar extension
of the gnathochilarium, forming a tube that encloses reduced, stylet-like mandibles.
Fungivory, the consumption of soft fungal tissues and spores, may be linked to this
suite of adaptations. Siphonorhinids, in contrast, do not have this “beak” and the
head is not strongly modiied. he siphonorhinid gnathochilarium has all of its elements indistinguishably fused and is tightly appressed to the ventral surface of the
head, leaving only a small opening anteriorly, which may be homologous to the
labral indentation in eugnathan millipedes.
he cuticle of I. plenipes is adorned with a surprising diversity of peculiarly shaped
spines, teeth, setae, sensilla, and other phaneres. Numerous setae clothing the dorsum of
the millipede appear to secrete a viscous silk-like substance. he posterior one-third of its
gut (the metenteron) is spiraled and visible through its translucent exoskeleton.
Illacme plenipes was described by O.F. Cook and H.F. Loomis in 1928 from seven
individuals collected from a site located “a short distance after crossing the divide between Salinas and San Juan Bautista…in a small valley of a northern slope wooded
with oaks, under a rather large stone” (Cook and Loomis 1928: 12). Cook and Loomis
described the species (and genus) without an illustration or image and provided a short
diferential diagnosis distinguishing it from the other U.S. Siphonophorida species,
Siphonophora and Siphonacme. Based on specimens examined from the type series, Shelley (1996b) provided the irst illustrations of the genus and species, and reviewed the
current knowledge of the order Siphonophorida in North America some seventy years
later. To our knowledge, the species was not seen again in the wild for almost 80 years.
In 2005 and 2007, new specimens were collected from near the type locality (Marek
and Bond 2006), as described below. he rediscovery of the species was detailed by
A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede Illacme plenipes, with notes...
79
Marek and Bond (2006) and included irst-ever live video of the species, natural history observations and scanning electron micrographs of the external anatomy. hese
recent specimens, and previously collected material conserved in various museums,
form the basis of the detailed redescription provided here.
Fieldwork
Following the locality description of Cook and Loomis (1928), oak valleys in San Benito and Monterey counties were searched for populations of I. plenipes by P.E.M. and
J.E.B in 2005. We focused collecting beside roads connecting the cities of Salinas and
San Juan Bautista in the northwestern half of the Gabilan Range, from Fremont Peak
northwest to Pinecate Peak and U.S. Highway 101. We thoroughly covered areas on the
north slopes of the Gabilan Range closer to San Juan Bautista because the type locality
speciically mentions the city, and moister conditions exist on the north-facing slopes.
We also (in 2006) searched nine localities in a 67.5 km radius around the site where we
rediscovered populations of I. plenipes in 2005. We visited the following localities: Frank
Raines Park, Henry Coe State Park, Fremont Peak State Park, Pinnacles National Monument, Mount Madonna County Park, Alum Rock, Joseph D. Grant County Park, El
Rancho Cienega del Gabilan and a private ranch near San Juan Bautista. Google Maps
(Mountainview, CA), USGS geological maps, and topomaps in ACME Mapper 2.0
(Acme Labs, Berkeley, CA) were examined for suitable localities to search for populations of I. plenipes. hese localities were chosen prior to estimating I. plenipes’ ecological
niche (see methods below). We focused on valleys and oak woodlands because they
too are moister. he underside of decaying oak logs and stones were examined for millipedes. When an individual was encountered, featherweight forceps were used to gently lift the millipede and place it into a collecting vial. Geographical coordinates were
recorded, and signiicant biotic and abiotic features were documented. Specimens were
each given unique numbers and maintained alive in collecting vials for between 2 – 10
days to photograph, record video footage and observe behavior and locomotion.
Ecological niche modeling
As an approach to understanding species ecology and geography, a niche-based distribution model (DM) was constructed for I. plenipes. Niche-based DMs provide estimates for
the probability of inding a species at a particular location and general area on a landscape
given a known set of coincident ecological and climatic parameters for the species. Locality
coordinates for each species were imported into ArcMap (ESRI, Redlands, CA) and converted into shape iles. Following the procedure outlined in Bond and Stockman (2008)
and Walker et al. (2009), DMs were constructed using environmental layers thought to
“likely inluence the suitability of the environment” (Phillips et al. 2006) based on previous
analyses of other California-distributed taxa (see Stockman and Bond 2007, for further
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justiication of layer choice). Seven climatic layers were obtained from the WORLDCLIM
data set (Hijmans et al. 2005): annual precipitation, precipitation seasonality, annual maximum temperature, annual minimum temperature, temperature seasonality, and mean
precipitation during the driest and wettest quarters. A seventh layer, elevation, was constructed from a mosaic of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) derived from the National
Elevation Dataset (USGS). DEMs were converted to raster format in ArcMap and resampled from 30-m resolution to 1-km resolution using bilinear interpolation. All seven layers
were clipped to the same extent, cell size, and projection. Niche-based DMs were created
using the computer program Maxent (Phillips et al. 2006). Maxent employs a maximum
likelihood method that estimates a species’ distribution with maximum entropy subject to
the constraint that the environmental variables for the predicted distribution must match
the empirical average (Elith et al. 2006; Phillips et al. 2006). Parameters for all Maxent
analyses used the default values: convergence threshold = 10−5, maximum iterations =
500, regularization multiplier = 1, and auto features selected. Additional larger values of
the regularization multiplier were used to ensure that models were not overitting the data.
Specimen preservation
Specimens from which DNA was not extracted (typically longer females possessing
more than 170 segments) were directly preserved in 80% ethanol. he posterior seven
segments of two specimens (# SPC000924 and SPC001187) were dissected from live
individuals with lame-sterilized forceps and stored in RNAlater (Qiagen Inc., Valencia,
CA) at 10°C for 24h, and subsequently at -80°C for long-term preservation and archival storage of DNA and RNA. he enteron was removed from the segments to prevent
contamination due to the DNA or RNA of the millipede’s gut contents. Specimens
from which DNA was extracted were subsequently preserved in 70% isopropanol.
DNA barcoding
Genomic DNA was extracted from frozen tissue preserved in RNAlater using standard
DNeasy tissue extraction protocol (Qiagen Inc., California). Extracted DNA was puriied from a fragment of the millipede (specimen #SPC001187) approximately four segments in length, with remaining tissue archived at -80°C in RNAlater. Genomic DNA is
archived in Qiagen AE bufer at -20°C and stored in the cryo-collections at the University of Arizona and Auburn University. A region of DNA from the cytochrome c oxidase
I gene (COI), was ampliied using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the universal
DNA barcoding primers of Folmer et al. (1994): LCO1490 (5’-GGT CAA CAA ATC
ATA AAG ATA TTGG-3’) and HCO2198 (5’-TAA ACT TCA GGG TGA CCA AAA
AAT CA-3’). his region corresponds to the Drosophila COI region: 1057 – 1500.
PCR ampliications were cleaned, quantiied and sequenced at Auburn University (AU
Genomics and Sequencing Laboratory, Auburn, AL) on an ABI 3100 capillary DNA
A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede Illacme plenipes, with notes...
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sequencer. For diagnostic identiication purposes, COI barcoding DNA from commonly encountered colobognathan millipedes that co-occur with I. plenipes in the western
U.S. (Gosodesmus claremontus, Brachycybe producta, Brachycybe rosea, and Siphonacme
lyttoni) and may be confused with the species, was extracted, ampliied and sequenced
in an identical manner to provide a database of sequences against which unknown query
sequences can be compared. Sense and antisense COI sequence chromatograms were
processed using Phred and Phrap in the Mesquite ver. 2.75 module Chromaseq (ver.
1.0), which includes matching contiguous regions and base call quality scoring (Ewing
and Green 1998; Maddison and Maddison 2011a; Maddison and Maddison 2011b).
Sequences were aligned, inspected for length variation, and percent sequence diference
among taxa calculated in PAUP ver. 4.0b10 (Swoford 2002). Finally, sequences were
annotated and uploaded to GenBank at the NCBI website (www.ncbi.nih.gov).
Descriptive taxonomy
Illacme plenipes is represented in natural history museum collections by 17 known specimens, which includes type and non-type material. hese specimens were borrowed from
the following repositories: Florida State Collection of Arthropods (FSCA), Smithsonian
Institution (USNM), and Virginia Museum of Natural History (VMNH). Newly collected material, compared with historical type specimens to conirm species identity, was
subsequently georeferenced and databased. he precise locations of recently collected
specimens are not plotted on the distribution map; instead, a circle around the coordinates is shown to preserve the conidentiality of sensitive habitat (Fig. 1). Type specimens
collected by Cook in 1926 are from an imprecise location on “San Juan grade above Salinas, San Juan Bautista, Calif. Nov. 27, 1926”. However, based on the description, it probably lies on the north side of the Gabilan Range on San Juan Grade Road or Old Stage
Road in a radius of 4 km around the coordinates 36.831371°N, -121.562808°W. Due
to sensitivity of the habitat and extreme rarity of individuals, locality coordinates from
georeferenced material is available upon request from the corresponding author. All of the
material (including types and non-type material) was measured, examined in detail and
is listed in the “Material examined” section. Specimens were measured at 18 locations on
the exoskeleton to summarize continuous morphological variation: (1) body length from
anterior margin of labrum to posterior margin of paraprocts, BL; (2) head width, HW; (3)
head length, HL; (4) interantennal socket width, ISW; (5) antennomere 6 width, AW; (6)
collum width, CW; (7) metazonite width at 1/4 length of body, W1; (8) metazonite width
at mid-length of body, W2; (9) metazonite width at 3/4 length of body, W3; (10) metazonite length at 1/4 length of body, L1; (11) metazonite length at mid-length of body, L2;
(12) metazonite length at 3/4 length of body, L3; (13) metazonite height at 1/4 length of
body, H1; (14) metazonite height at mid-length of body, H2; (15) metazonite height at
3/4 length of body, H3; (16) irst apodous metazonite width, AS1; (17) anterior gonopod
article 5 width, A5W; and (18) posterior gonopod article 5 width, P5W. Body length
was measured from digital photographs of specimens captured through the eyepieces of
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Figure 1. Niche-based distribution model inferred in Maxent. he model indicates predicted habitat
suitability for Illacme plenipes based on climatic variables extracted from known geographical coordinates
of the species. High levels of habitat suitability are denoted in blue and low levels in red (reverse heat
map). Coordinates of recently collected specimens are indicated by a circle around the locations (northwest of the Gabilan Range) to preserve the conidentiality of sensitive habitat. Localities surveyed for
additional populations of I. plenipes: 1 Frank Raines Park 2 Henry Coe State Park 3 Fremont Peak State
Park 4 Pinnacles National Monument 5 Mount Madonna County Park 6 Alum Rock 7 Joseph D. Grant
County Park 8 El Rancho Cienega del Gabilan.
a Leica M125 stereomicroscope (Wetzlar, Germany) with an iPhone 4 (Apple, Cupertino, CA) using the segmented line measurement tool in ImageJ64 (Rasband 2011). All
measurements are recorded in millimeters and these units are omitted throughout the
paper. Anatomical measurements in the variation section are given with the following
four summary statistics in the following order and format: maximum-minimum (mean/
standard deviation). he mean of measurements 7–9 (average body width across three
metazonites) is given as “WM”; mean of 10–12 is “LM” (average metazonite length); and
mean of 13–15 is “HM” (average body height). he number of segments were counted
and number of legs (l) then calculated according to the following formula: l = ((p + a) x
4) – (a x 4) – (10), where p is the number of podous tergites (each with four legs), a is the
number of apodous tergites (each without legs), and 10 is the number to be subtracted because the irst tergite (or the collum) is legless and the second through fourth tergites (the
millipede “thorax”) have only two legs apiece. he gonopods, modiied leg pairs 9 and 10
A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede Illacme plenipes, with notes...
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are included in the leg count, albeit non-ambulatory. he telson, which is not a segment
and does not bear legs (posterior to the proliferation zone), is not included in the formula
(Enghof et al. 1993). Segment architecture for the specimens is denoted by the shorthand
p + a + T, where T is the telson and always 1, however always included in the notation
(following Enghof et al. 1993) to indicate that it is never incorporated in the segment
tally. Live material was observed through the eyepieces of a Leica 12.5 stereomicroscope
to document I. plenipes motion, silk production and live habit. Videos were recorded
with a Nikon Coolpix 995 digital camera through a C-mounted phototube according
to methods described by Marek and Bond (2006). he antennal sensilla nomenclature
follows that of Nguyen Duy-Jacquemin (1974) and Chung and Moon (2006). All of the
measured material is composed of adult males and females. Because of their rarity, and
presumed sensitivity of the species to over-collection, juvenile specimens were not targeted
for collection, and are therefore not included in the measurements (one juvenile specimen,
listed in the materials examined, was inadvertently collected). Juveniles were identiied in
the ield by a lack of gonopods, small length (≤ 10 mm) and weakly calciied cuticle. Adult
males were easily identiied by the presence of gonopods, and adult females tentatively by
the combination of a lack of gonopods and lengths ≥ 30 mm.
Data resources
he data underpinning the analysis reported in this paper are deposited in the Dryad Data Repository at http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.3b3h8 and in the National
Center for Biotechnology Information’s genetic sequence database GenBank under the
accession numbers: JX962721 – JX962725 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).
Results
Fieldwork
Individuals of I. plenipes were found at three localities, geographically separated by a
maximum of 4.5 aerial km. he irst collecting event was on 29 November 2005, the
second on 8 December 2005, and the third 16 December 2007. One survey, at which
time specimens were found but not collected, occurred 27 January 2006. Each locality
is in the northwestern Gabilan foothills no more than 4.5 aerial km from the mission
at San Juan Bautista and 3.2 aerial km southwest of the San Andreas Fault. Illacme
plenipes were not found in any of the other sites investigated. Individuals were found in
moist oak-wooded valleys beneath large arkose sandstone boulders (approximate mean
mass = 40 kg), clinging to the surface usually about 10 – 15 cm below the top of the
soil. Illacme plenipes specimens were always found on these boulders and underground,
either on the stone surface, in the lacuna between the stone and the soil, or partially
imbedded in the soil horizon. Specimens were never found directly on the normally
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dry bottom of the stones, or on fallen logs or any other decaying organic matter or
detritus. Illacme plenipes were consistently discovered by closely examining the stone
surface (approximately 10–15 cm below soil) and the edge of the crater after removing
the stone. Nine additional specimens, comprising 4 males, 4 females, and a juvenile
were found throughout 2005–2007 in three localities (increasing the total number of
specimens for I. plenipes, which includes the type series, to 17 total: 6 males, 10 females, and a juvenile). Illacme plenipes were uncommon at every locality and individuals were only found after one hour of two persons surveying a suitable-appearing site.
Individuals were typically encountered beneath the stones singularly; no more than
two individuals were ever found simultaneously.
Ecological niche modeling
he niche-based distribution model for I. plenipes indicates the highest probability of
occurrence, representing ecological suitability for the species, in the terrestrial areas
on the periphery of Monterey Bay extending just past the gap between the Santa Cruz
Mountains and Gabilan Range and throughout the Salinas Valley (Fig. 1). Areas of
medium to high probability extend from Monterey Bay along a thin region on the
coast northward to San Gregorio and southward to Point Lobos. here are other areas
of medium to high probability, also restricted to the coast, between San Simeon in the
north and the western boundary between Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties.
DNA barcoding
Polymerase chain reaction of the COI barcoding region, when electrophoresed and
visualized on a 12% agarose gel, recovered single bands of uniform lengths in all
species. Sanger sequencing resulted in sense/antisense chromatograms reads of ~600
bp in length when contiguous fragments were assembled in Mesquite. Mean Phred
quality scores of individual contigs are between 73–80. When aligned and ragged
ends trimmed, sequence length is invariant between species. Mean nucleotide percent sequence diference between species is 25% and between amino acid sequences
(total diference), 17%. he NCBI GenBank accession numbers are as follows: I.
plenipes (JX962724), G. claremontus (JX962723), B. producta (JX962721), B. rosea
(JX962722), and S. lyttoni (JX962725). he COI barcodes of the Siphonophorida
species (I. plenipes and S. lyttoni) and the Platydesmida species (G. claremontus, B.
producta, and B. rosea) are hitherto the only that exist for these two orders; there is
only one other DNA barcode for the entire subterclass Colobognatha. he following
species are listed in order of increasing percent nucleotide diference from I. plenipes,
indicated in parentheses (mean percent diference of amino acids proceeds after the
“/”): G. claremontus (28.7% / 23.8%), B. producta (29.7% / 24.4%), S. lyttoni (29.9%
/ 22.3%), and B. rosea (30.6% / 24.4%).
A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede Illacme plenipes, with notes...
85
taxonomy
Class Diplopoda de Blainville in Gervais, 1844
Subclass Chilognatha Latreille, 1802/1803
Infraclass Helminthomorpha Pocock, 1887
Subterclass Colobognatha Brandt, 1834
Order Siphonophorida Hofman, 1980
Family Siphonorhinidae Cook, 1895
Genus Illacme Cook & Loomis, 1928
http://species-id.net/wiki/Illacme
Cook and Loomis 1928: 12; Chamberlin and Hofman 1958: 189; Buckett 1964: 29;
Jeekel 1971: 39; Hofman 1980: 116; Shelley 1996b: 23; Shelley 1996a: 1808; Hofman 1999: 195; Jeekel 2001: 46; Marek and Bond 2006: 707; Shelley 2010: 45.
Type species. I. plenipes Cook and Loomis 1928: 12; by original designation.
Family placement. Illacme is placed with other taxa in the family Siphonorhinidae based on the following characters: Head pear-shaped (♂) or triangular (♀), not
elongate or bird beak-shaped, as in the Siphonophoridae (Fig. 2, Morphbank 805574,
Appendix I). Antennae elbowed between antennomeres 3, 4 (Fig. 3, Mb-805578).
Antennomeres 5, 6 with apical dorsal cluster of 7 or 8 basiconic sensilla (Bs2) in slight
depression, not deep-set into circular pits, as in the Siphonophoridae (Fig. 4, Mb805575). Posterior gonopods with distal podomere divided into 2 or 3 branches (Fig.
5, Mb-805576, Fig. 6c). See also diagnoses of Illacme in Shelley (1996b, p. 23) and of
Siphonorhinidae in Shelley and Hofman (2004, p. 218).
Diagnosis. Adults of Illacme are distinct from other siphonorhinid genera (and
commonly-encountered millipedes co-occurring with I. plenipes) based on the combination of – Exoskeleton: Body light cream-colored, thread-like, extremely narrow and
long (max. width: ♂ 0.55, ♀ 0.64; max. length: ♂ 28.16, ♀ 40.40). Adult individuals with 84 – 192 segments, and with 318 – 750 legs (VMNH paratype ♀ with 192
segments and 750 legs, more than any other organism known on Earth). Body with
hirsute vestiture, appearing velvety (Fig. 2, Mb-805577). Antennae elbowed between
antennomeres 3, 4 (Figs 2, 3, Mb-805578). Antennomeres 5, 6 enlarged, appearing oversized relative to other millipedes (Figs 2, 3, Mb-805579). Head pear-shaped
(♂) or triangular/chevron-shaped (♀), eyeless (Figs 2, 3, Mb-805574, Appendix I).
Mouthparts (gnathochilarium, mandibles) and labrum tightly appressed, tapered anteriorly to rounded apex, not bird beak-shaped, as in the Siphonophoridae (Fig. 3,
Mb-805586). Labrum with triangular tooth-lined oriice (Fig. 7a, b; Mb-805580).
Denticulate shelf-like carina, projecting dorsally from labrum-epistome margin (Fig.
8a, b; Mb-805588). Internal anatomy. Posterior one-quarter length of enteron loosely
spiraled; when alive, visible through translucent cuticle (Fig. 9, Mb-805582). Male
gonopods. 9th and 10th leg pairs modiied into gonopods, each comprising 6 podomeres
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Figure 2–5. 2 Lateral (right) view of head and segments 1–5 (♂). a Lateral opening apparent between
gnathochilarium and head capsule; gnathochilarium, mandible and head capsule noticeably separate at
base, 1/3 head length distally from mandibular joint b Collum not covering head, with straight cephalic
edge, gradually tapering laterally. Scale bar 0.5 mm. 3 Ventral view of head, antennae and segments 1 – 5
(♂). Scale bar 0.3 mm. 4 Lateral (right) view of antennomeres 5, 6 (♂). Arrow, small basiconic sensilla
(Bs2) in cluster of 7 or 8 oriented apical dorsally (retrolaterally) in slight depression on antennomeres 5, 6.
Scale bar 0.05 mm. 5 Oblique (right) view of right posterior gonopod (♂). Posterior gonopodal podomere
6 divided, comprising a bundle of 3 stylus-shaped articles. Scale bar 0.05 mm.
(Fig. 6a, b). Anterior gonopod thick, more robust than posterior gonopod (Fig. 10,
Mb-805583, Fig. 6b). Anterior gonopodal apex (podomere 6, Fig. 6a, A6) shovelshaped; in repose, cupped sheath-like around lagelliform posterior gonopodal apex
(podomere 6, Fig. 11, Mb-805584, Fig. 6b, P6). Posterior gonopodal podomere 6
divided, comprising a bundle of 3 stylus-shaped articles (Fig. 5, Mb-805627, Fig. 6a,
P6); remaining siphonorhinid taxa have 2 stylus-shaped articles with a small spine
(Nematozonium ilum) or 2 articles without a spine (Siphonorhinus Pocock, 1894
species and Kleruchus olivaceus Attems, 1938). 2 dorsal-most, longest articles of P6
laminate distally and recurved laterally, with denticulate posterior margins appearing claw-like (Fig. 12, Mb-805585, Fig. 6a, P6). Ventral-most, shortest article of P6
A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede Illacme plenipes, with notes...
87
Figure 6. Illustration of anterior and posterior gonopods (♂). a Posterior gonopod with podomeres labeled P1-6 b Anterior gonopod with podomeres labeled A1-6 c 3 stylus-shaped articles. Scale bar 0.05 mm.
acuminate distally, spike-like. Habit in life. Movement very slow, nearly imperceptible
(Appendix II, III). Antennae movement rapid, independent. Terminal antennomeres
held lat and rapidly tap substrate and surroundings (Appendix IV).
Illacme plenipes Cook & Loomis, 1928
http://species-id.net/wiki/Illacme_plenipes
Cook and Loomis 1928: 12. Chamberlin and Hofman 1958: 189; Buckett 1964: 29;
Shelley 1996b: 23; Shelley 1996a: 1808; Hofman 1999: 195; Jeekel 2001: 46;
Shelley and Hofman 2004: 221; Marek and Bond 2006: 707; Read and Enghof
2009: 554; Shelley 2010: 45; Shelley and Golovatch 2011: 26.
Material examined. Type specimens: ♂ holotype (USNM), 1♂, 3♀ paratypes (FSCA)
and 3♀ paratypes (VMNH)—from United States, California, San Benito County,
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Figure 7. Dorsal view of anterior region of head and labrum (♂). a Scanning electron micrograph: arrow, labrum with triangular tooth-lined oriice b Line drawing: shaded area, triangular tooth-line oriice;
arrow, gnathochilarium. Scale bar 0.02 mm.
from “near divide between Salinas and San Juan Bautista” [an imprecise location probably on the north side of the Gabilan Range on San Juan Grade Road or Old Stage
Road in a radius of 4 km around the coordinates 36.831371°N, -121.562808°W],
27.xi.1926 (Coll. O.F. Cook). Non-type specimens: California, San Benito County: 1♂
(SPC000924), 2♀ (SPC000930, -931), Gabilan Range, San Juan Bautista, 29.xi.2005
(Colls: P. and R. Marek); 3♂ (SPC000932, -933, -934), 1 juvenile (SPC000935), loc.
ibid., 8.xii.2005, (Coll: J. Bond). 2♀ (SPC001187, MIL0020), Gabilan Range, San
Juan Bautista, 16.xii.2007, 13:00 (Colls: P. and R. Marek).
Diagnosis. (See generic diagnosis.)
Description of holotype (♂) USNM TYPE NO. 976 – Counts and measurements:
p = 143. a = 2. l = 562. (143 + 2 + T). HW = 0.30. HL = 0.34. ISW = 0.20. AW =
[antennae missing]. CW = 0.42. W1 = 0.53. W2 = 0.55. W3 = 0.55. L1 = 0.20. L2 =
0.20. L3 = 0.18. H1 = 0.31. H2 = 0.30. H3 = 0.33. AS1 = 0.45. A5W = 0.05. P5W
A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede Illacme plenipes, with notes...
89
= 0.04. BL = 28.16. Head pear-shaped, tapered anteriorly to round point at a 160°
angle anterior from antennal sockets; occipital area posterior from antennal sockets
gradually curved medially towards neck (Figs 2, 3, Mb-805574—note: all SEMs herein
are images of specimen #SPC000932, not the holotype). Head pilose, covered with
long, slender setae (Fig. 2, Mb-805577). Mouthparts (gnathochilarium, mandibles)
and labrum tightly appressed, tapered anteriorly to round point (Fig. 3, Mb-805586).
Gnathochilarium elements (stipes, promentum, etc.) indistinguishably fused, tightly
appressed to the ventral surface of the head, leaving a small opening anteriorly. Lateral
opening apparent between gnathochilarium and head capsule (Fig. 2a, Mb-805587).
Mandibles thin, stylet-like, with heavily calciied apices (viewed dorsally through translucent head capsule at 400× with a compound microscope). Labrum with triangular
tooth-lined oriice (Fig. 7a, b; Mb-805580). Denticulate shelf-like carina, projecting
dorsally from labrum-epistome margin (Fig. 8a, b; Mb-805588). Gnathochilarium,
mandible and head capsule noticeably separate at base, 1/3 head length distally from
mandibular joint (Fig. 2a, Mb-805589). Antennae sub-geniculate, elbowed between
antennomeres 3, 4, comprising 7 antennomeres (Fig. 3, Mb-805578). Antennae massive distally; antennomeres 5, 6 enlarged (Fig. 3, Mb-805579). Five sensillum types: 4
apical cones (AS) oriented in a trapezoidal cluster on 7th antennomere, with longitudinally grooved outer surface and apical circular invagination (Fig. 13, Mb-805590).
Chaetiform sensilla (CS) widely spaced on antennomeres 1-7, each sensillum with 2 or
3 barbules (Fig. 14a, Mb-805591). Trichoid sensilla (TS) oriented apically encircling
antennomeres 1–7, lacking barbules (Fig. 14b, Mb-805592). Small basiconic sensilla
(Bs2) in clusters of 7 or 8; in slight depressions oriented apical dorsally (retrolaterally)
on antennomeres 5 and 6; smooth, inger-shaped, 1/2 length of chaetiform sensillum
(Fig. 4, Mb-805593). Spiniform basiconic sensilla (Bs3) in cluster of 5, oriented apical dorsally on 7th antennomere; tips facing apical cones (on longitudinal axis with
Bs2 on antennomeres 5, 6); each sensillum with 2 barbules (Fig. 13b, Mb-805594).
Antennae extend posteriorly to middle of 3rd tergite. Relative antennomere lengths
6>2>5>3>4>1>7. Segments: Collum not covering head, with straight cephalic edge,
gradually tapering laterally (Fig. 2b, Mb-805595). Collum with carina present on anterolateral margin, appearing scaly (Fig. 15, Mb-805596). Carina repeated serially on
lateral tergal and pleural margins (absent from telson). Lateral tergal and pleural carinae
jagged, pronounced on midbody segments (Fig. 16a, Mb-805597). Lateral margin of
collum round. Tergites: Metazonites rectangular, 3× wider than long, slightly convex
(Fig. 17, Mb-805598). Paranota absent. Metazonite dorsal surface pilose, covered with
long, slender setae (Fig. 2, Mb-805599). Tergal setae hollow, cavity diameter 1/8 that of
setae diameter; tipped with silk-like exudate, tangled, appearing adhered to neighboring
setae (Fig. 18, Mb-805600). (NB: Tergal silk-like exudate observed in scanning electron
micrographs, and by the observation of ine strands issuing from the metaterga of live
individuals, viewed while magniied at 80× with a stereomicroscope. Silk stickiness was
indicated by increased adherence of soil particles after handling and live observation of
the millipede’s coiled body becoming stuck together.) Metazonite posterior margin (limbus) lined with posteriorly projecting anchor-shaped spikes and a row of conical spikes
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Figure 8. Lateral (right) view of antennal and cephalic apices (♂). a Scanning electron micrograph: arrow, denticulate shelf-like carina, projecting dorsally from labrum-epistome margin. Scale bar 0.1 mm
b Line drawing: top arrow, shelf-like carina; middle arrow, triangular tooth-lined oriice; bottom arrow,
gnathochilarium. Scale bar 0.01 mm.
Figure 9. Illacme plenipes ♀ with 170 segments and 662 legs (specimen # SPC000931). Top inset, 2×
magniied view of posterior segments with corkscrew-shaped metenteron visible through cuticle; bottom
inset, 3× magniied illustration of corkscrew-shaped metenteron. Scale bar 1 mm.
A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede Illacme plenipes, with notes...
91
Figures 10–15. 10 Ventral in situ view of gonopods (♂). Arrow, anterior gonopod thick, more robust
than posterior gonopod. Scale bar 0.1 mm 11 Medial view of right gonopods (♂). Arrow, Anterior gonopodal apex (podomere 6) shovel-shaped; in repose cupped sheath-like around lagelliform posterior
gonopodal apex (podomere 6). Scale bar 0.05 mm. 12 Oblique (right) view of right posterior gonopodal
apex (♂). 2 dorsal-most, longest articles laminate distally and recurved laterally, with denticulate posterior
margins appearing claw-like. Scale bar 0.02 mm. 13 Antennomere 7 apex (♂). a Four apical cones (AS)
oriented in a trapezoidal cluster on 7th antennomere, with longitudinally grooved outer surface and apical
circular invagination b Spiniform basiconic sensilla (Bs3) in cluster of 5, oriented apical dorsally on 7th antennomere; tips facing apical cones (on longitudinal axis with Bs2 on antennomeres 5, 6); each sensillum
with 2 barbules. Scale bar 0.02 mm.14 Lateral (right) view of right antenna (♂). a Chaetiform sensilla
(CS) widely spaced on antennomeres 1-7, each sensillum with 2 or 3 barbules b Trichoid sensilla (TS) oriented apically encircling antennomeres 1–7, lacking barbules. Scale bar 0.1 mm. 15 Lateral (right) view of
head, collum and segments 2, 3 (♂). Arrow, collum with carina present on anterolateral margin, appearing
scaly. Carina repeated serially on lateral tergal and pleural margins (absent from telson). Scale bar 0.1 mm.
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just dorsal to anchor-shaped spikes (Fig. 17a, Mb-805601). Anchor-shaped spikes alternating in size (large, small) along row. Ozopores oriented dorsally, located near limbus,
absent from tergites 1 – 3 and telson. Ozopores elevated slightly (porosteles absent),
with 2 stout posteriorly projecting spines and encircled by 13 – 15 robust setae (Fig.
19, Mb-805602). 3 or 4 stout lat tubercles opposite ozopore near anterior margin,
lunate arrangement encircling ozopore (Fig. 17b, Mb-805603). Posterior tergites more
convex, covered with a greater density of long, slender “silk”-exuding setae (Fig. 20,
Mb-805604). Lunate-arranged tubercles opposite ozopores on posterior metazonites:
conical and spiked, not lat. Apodous segments lacking sterna, pleurites contiguous in
midline. Apodous tergites densely setose, covered with unevenly distributed spikes (Fig.
21, Mb-805605). Telson densely covered with irregularly oriented and unevenly distributed stout spines; posterior margin lined with variably-shaped posterodorsally oriented
anchor-shaped spikes. Tergal tubercles and spikes: consistently projecting posteriorly,
occasionally posterodorsally. Prozonite highly sculptured, with 5 rows of discoidal lat
tubercles; anterior 3 rows staggered and posterior 2 rows aligned (Fig. 22, Mb-805606).
Pleurites quadrate, lat, with jagged scaly lateral, posterior and medial margins (Fig. 16,
Mb-805609). Pleurite medial margin broad, with scaly carina (Fig. 16b, Mb-805610).
Left and right pleurites plate-like, comprising 4/5’s of ventral segment space. Left and
right pleurites broadly overlapping sternite, covering spiracles (Fig. 23, Mb-805612).
Sternites free, separate from pleurites; heart-shaped, wider anteriorly. Sternal surface
with broad, jagged scales. Medial sternal ridge projecting ventrally, with spiracles and
legs oriented ventrally (Fig. 24, Mb-805614). Spiracles circular, oriice open; oriented
dorsally above legs (Fig. 25, Mb-805615). Anterior and posterior sternites separate. Tergites, pleurites and sternites separated by arthrodial membrane (Fig. 20, Mb-805616).
Arthrodial membrane between tergites and pleurites wider posteriorly. Telson pilose,
covered with long, slender posteriorly recurved setae (Fig. 20, Mb-805628). Paraprocts semihemispherical, anterior margins slightly scaly. Epiproct absent. Hypoproct
small, one-eighth area of paraproct, with row of posterior projecting setae. Legs: six
subequally shaped podomeres, with coxa slightly shorter and tarsus slightly longer. Legs
with sparse setae, appearing similar to trichoid sensilla, with 2 or 3 barbules. Coxae
nearly contiguous medially, separated by thin sternal ridge. Large posteroventral Dshaped opening for eversible sac (Fig. 26, Mb-805618). Eversible sacs membranous,
bulging slightly from opening (Fig. 24b, Mb-805620). Pregonopodal tarsus with stout
bifurcate claw; dorsal subdivision thicker, more arcuate (Fig. 27, Mb-805621). Postgonopodal tarsus with two separate claws, co-terminal on tarsal apex; dorsal claw thick
and arcuate, ventral claw thin and setiform (Fig. 16c, Mb-805623). 2nd leg pair with
posteriorly oriented coxal gonapophyses; rounded, protuberant, one-third length of
prefemur. Gonopods: 9th, 10th leg pairs modiied into gonopods, each comprising 6 podomeres (Fig 6a,b). Anterior gonopod thick, more robust than posterior gonopod (Fig.
10, Mb-805583, Fig. 6b). Anterior gonopodal apex (podomere 6) shovel-shaped; in
repose cupped sheath-like around lagelliform posterior gonopodal apex (podomere 6,
Fig. 11, Mb-805584). Posterior gonopodal podomere 6 divided, comprising a bundle
of 3 stylus-shaped articles (Fig. 5, Mb-805627, Fig 6a). 2 dorsal-most, longest articles
A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede Illacme plenipes, with notes...
93
Figure 16–21. 16 Ventral view of segments (♂). a Lateral tergal and pleural carinae jagged, pronounced
on midbody segments b Pleurite medial margin broad, with scaly carina c Postgonopodal tarsus with thinner claw and without bifurcation, but with stout seta. Scale bar 0.4 mm. 17 Dorsal view of segments (♂).
a Metazonite posterior margin (limbus) lined with posteriorly projecting anchor-shaped spikes and a row
of conical spikes just dorsal to anchor-shaped spikes b 3 or 4 stout lat tubercles opposite ozopore near
anterior margin, lunate arrangement encircling ozopore. Scale bar 0.4 mm. 18 Dorsal view of tergites (♂).
Square, tergal setae tipped with silk-like exudate, tangled, appearing adhered to neighboring setae. Scale
bar 0.05 mm. 19 Dorsal view of left ozopore (♂). Square, ozopores elevated slightly, with 2 stout posteriorly projecting spines and encircled by 13 – 15 robust setae. Scale bar 0.05 mm. 20 Right lateral view
of posterior segments and telson (♂). Arrow, tergites, pleurites and sternites separated by arthrodial membrane. Scale bar 0.4 mm. 21 Oblique (right) ventrolateral view of 2 apodous segments, telson, hypoproct
and paraprocts (♂). Apodous segments lacking sterna, pleurites contiguous in midline. Apodous tergites
densely setose, covered with unevenly distributed spikes. Scale bar 0.2 mm.
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Figure 22–27. 22 Lateral view of ifth metatergite and prozonite (♂). Square, prozonite highly sculptured, with 5 rows of discoidal lat tubercles; anterior 3 rows staggered and posterior 2 rows aligned. Scale
bar 0.1 mm. 23 Ventral view of mid-length sternites, pleurites and legs (♂). Left and right pleurites broadly
overlapping sternite, covering spiracles. Scale bar 0.3 mm. 24 Ventral view of mid-length sternites and leg
bases (♂). a Medial sternal ridge projecting ventrally, with spiracles and legs oriented ventrally b Eversible
sacs membranous, bulging slightly from opening. Scale bar 0.1 mm. 25 Oblique (right) lateral view of
sterna and spiracle (♂). Square, spiracles circular, oriice open; oriented dorsally above legs. Scale bar 0.05
mm. 26Ventral (right) view of legs, with posteroventral eversible sac opening (♂). Arrow, large posteroventral D-shaped opening for eversible sac. Scale bar 0.1 mm. 27 Oblique (right) lateral view of pregonopodal
legs (♂). Arrow, pregonopodal tarsus with stout bifurcate claw. Scale bar 0.1 mm.
A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede Illacme plenipes, with notes...
95
of P6 laminate distally, recurved laterally, denticulate posterior margins, appearance
similar to a chicken foot in rigor mortis (Fig. 12, Mb-805585, Fig 6a). Ventral-most,
shortest article of P6 acuminate distally, spike-like. hin ridge-shaped sterna present
between left and right gonopods, thicker between anterior gonopods.
Description of largest paratype (♀) VMNH – Counts and measurements: p =
190. a = 2. l = 750. (190 + 2 + T). HW = 0.37. HL = 0.44. ISW = 0.30. AW = antennae missing. CW = 0.44. W1 = 0.58. W2 = 0.58. W3 = 0.57. L1 = 0.23. L2 = 0.21.
L3 = 0.23. H1 = 0.46. H2 = 0.44. H3 = 0.48. AS1 = 0.44. BL = 40.40. Anatomical
description similar to male holotype. In combination with its measurements, the following structures difer from male holotype. Head triangular, chevron-shaped, tapered
anteriorly to round point at a 135° angle anterior from antennal sockets; occipital area
posterior from antennal sockets straight, not curved medially towards neck. Cyphopods
large, area 1/6 the segmental area in widest cross-section; almond-shaped, bivalvular,
narrow apex oriented ventrolaterally. Valves transparent, glassy. Ventral valve thickened
and clam-like, with 4 or 5 thick setae; dorsolateral valve thin and lat, with 2 or 3
spines. Oviduct connected posteriorly to cyphopod, opening oriented ventromedially
and located between valves. Oviduct tube wrinkled, appearing highly expandable in
width, cross-section 1/8 area of cyphopod. Receptacle, suture and operculum absent.
Etymology. Cook and Loomis (1928) named this species “in highest fulillment of
feet”. Il = “in” (Latin); acme, άκμή (Greek) = “the highest point, or culmination”; pleni
= “full” (Latin); pes = “foot” (Latin).
Variation. here is negligible variation in coloration among live specimens. (FSCA
paratype specimens that have been stored in alcohol for 86 years are dark mahogany
brown, which is likely an unnatural color and a result of alcohol preservative, vial stopper and age.) he predominant source of variation between specimens is segment and
leg counts (Tables 1 – 3). Females have between 486-750 legs with a standard deviation
of 78, and males between 318–562 legs with a standard deviation of 107. he segments of I. plenipes (males and females) are uniform in length, width and height along
table 1. Segment and leg count, head measurements.
p
84–145
♂
(107/27)
126–192
♀
(159/20)
l
318–562
(410/107)
486–750
(619/78)
HW
0.295–0.308
(0.301/0.006)
0.308–0.369
(0.335/0.020)
HL
0.344–0.406
(0.382/0.024)
0.408–0.556
(0.446/0.045)
ISW
0.172–0.202
(0.189/0.011)
0.185–0.295
(0.217/0.033)
AW
0.098–0.103
(0.101/0.002)
0.098–0.113
(0.103/0.006)
CW
0.374–0.422
(0.393/0.019)
0.407–0.472
(0.431/0.021)
table 2. Width and length measurements.
W1
W2
W3
WM
L1
L2
L3
LM
♂
0.437–0.526 0.467–0.554 0.455–0.545 0.491/ 0.148–0.203 0.150–0.197 0.140–0.183 0.165/
(0.485/0.033) (0.500/0.036) (0.488/0.034) 0.032 (0.173/0.021) (0.162/0.020) (0.159/0.017) 0.019
♀
0.520–0.620 0.531–0.640 0.517–0.610 0.564/ 0.172–0.228 0.176–0.209 0.157–0.234 0.194/
(0.564/0.035) (0.569/0.037) (0.559–0.032) 0.034 (0.195/0.018) (0.194/0.012) (0.194/0.021) 0.017
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table 3. Height, apodous segment/gonopodal width, body length measurements.
♂
♀
H1
0.273–
0.400
(0.350/
0.057)
0.220–
0.486
(0.365/
0.077)
H2
0.277–
0.418
(0.337/
0.055)
0.289–
0.488
(0.384/
0.064)
H3
0.295–
0.381
(0.336/
0.036)
0.295–
0.504
(0.370/
0.079)
HM
0.341/
0.047
0.373/
0.071
AS1
0.394–
0.445
(0.423/
0.022)
0.412–
0.482
(0.451/
0.024)
A5W
0.047–
0.055
(0.051/
0.003)
-
P5W
0.036–
0.043
(0.040/
0.003)
-
BL
13.368–
28.156
(19.251/
6.305)
24.541–
40.399
(31.055/
5.474)
the trunk, and are slightly taller, and more convex, in posterior segments—potentially
to accommodate the spiraled metenteron.
Natural history. Illacme plenipes specimens were collected during the day in a
small valley adjacent to cattle pasture. he woodland habitat was primarily composed
of California live-oak, Quercus agrifolia (Fig. 28). Understory lora included ferns
(bracken, Pteridium aquilinum; California polypody, Polypodium californicum; and
California maiden-hair, Adiantum jordanii), California blackberry (Rubus ursinus),
and poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum) (Fig. 29). Specimens were found beneath large moss-covered boulders, typically with a mass > 30 kg (Fig. 30). he mil-
Figure 28. Habitat of I. plenipes. Top left, view of oak forest where I. plenipes were encountered. Top
right, close up of oak forest and sandstone pinnacle where I. plenipes occur. Bottom, landscape view of
oak forest, cattle trails evident (composite stitched image of three photos, image sides slightly distorted).
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97
Figure 29. Oak forest understory habitat of I. plenipes. Top, base of sandstone pinnacle (from Fig. 28),
where specimens were found. Bottom, mossy oak forest—close-up of habitat where I. plenipes individuals
were encountered.
lipede Tylobolus uncigerus (Wood, 1864) (order Spirobolida) was found co-occurring
with I. plenipes at this locality. Other arthropods encountered include: Aptostichus and
Calisoga trapdoor spiders (Mygalomorphae), Evalljapyx (Diplura), and Promecogna-
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Figure 30. Sandstone microhabitat of I. plenipes. Top left, 50 kg sandstone from 29.xi.2005 rediscovery
locality of I. plenipes; one ♀ with 666 legs was discovered from beneath the stone (scale bar = 5 cm, hand
shovel shown for scale). Bottom left, 30 kg sandstone from the 16.xii.2007 locality, two ♀ (specimen #s:
SPC001187, MIL0020) were discovered below the stone (scale bar = 5 cm, 15 cm ruler shown for scale).
Top right, surface close up of sandstone from 16.xii.2007 locality with ♂ I. plenipes, not collected (scale
bar = 5 mm). Bottom right, surface close up of sandstone from 29.xi.2005 locality with ♂ I. plenipes
(specimen #: SPC000924, scale bar = 5 mm). Millipedes shown in right two pictures were found clinging
to the surface of the stone.
thus ground beetles (Carabidae). Edaphic setting: Specimens collected in 2007 were
found beneath a large stone (Fig 30, about 30 kg). When the stone was removed,
individuals were seen corkscrewing outward into the cavity from the soil (Fig. 31).
he soil, consisting of moist small-grained substrate, was dark chocolate brown in
coloration and somewhat sandy (Fig. 31). he soil did not contain clay particles and
seemed to drain water quickly. During the 16 December 2007 collections, soil moisture extended 15 cm below the surface.
Distribution. Illacme plenipes is only known from a small area, ca. 4.5 km in
diameter, in the northwestern foothills of the Gabilan Range in San Benito County,
California.
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99
Figure 31. Subterranean soil microhabitat of I. plenipes. Left, sandstone crater; dotted line indicates
crater’s edges, arrows indicate two ♀ I. plenipes shown in situ upon removal of stone (specimen #s:
SPC001187, MIL0020—lower individual with anterior trunk segments embedded in soil, upper individual with middle segments embedded in soil). Bottom middle, close up of lower individual from left image.
Top right, dark sandy soil from microhabitat. Bottom right, close up of soil showing sandy grain structure.
Discussion
“he acme of plentiful feet”
he pattern by which I. plenipes add segments and subsequently legs post-embryonically between developmental stadia is referred to as anamorphosis (Enghof et al. 1993).
Based on the large number of legs and considerable variation in leg and segment count
among adults, anamorphosis likely continues for an indeterminate period, extending
well beyond the attainment of sexual maturity (Enghof et al. 1993; Marek and Bond
2006). Millipedes generally use their numerous legs to burrow between and through
obstacles that they encounter (Hopkin and Read 1992; Manton 1954). A leg pair
acts to push and propel the myriapod forward, and with two leg-pairs per segment
(diplosegments in millipedes represent a fusion of two primordial segments), millipedes create a stronger thrust for a relatively compact body. Millipedes with heavily
calciied cuticles and rather incompressible bodies composed of rigid rings (e.g., the
Spirobolida and Spirostreptida), burrow through the soil by brute leg force, ramming
and bulldozing with a smooth rounded head and collum. In contrast, many millipedes
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with lexible cuticles and compressible bodies, which are composed of free sternites and
pleurites (e.g., other Siphonophorida and I. plenipes), move through the soil by squeezing lexible anterior segments forward by leg force and subsequently telescoping posterior segments forward and repeating, i.e. the borer millipedes (Hopkin and Read 1992;
Manton 1961). he anterior segments in these millipedes are tapered, most noticeably
in the Polyzoniida, and bore and wedge to facilitate movement through the soil. With
I. plenipes, the numerous legs presumably impart greater motive force to push within
a subterranean microhabitat, and to cling tightly to the surface of sandstone boulders
(as described below).
Natural history
he diet of I. plenipes is unknown. Given the shape of its mouthparts, the typical millipede diet in which decaying organic matter is mechanically fragmented is unlikely for
the species. Illacme plenipes possesses a comb-like structure on the posterior margin of
the labrum and an open triangular tooth-lined “mouth” formed by an oriice though
the labrum (Fig. 7a, b; Fig. 8a, b; Mb-805580; Mb-805588). he mouthparts are
composed of the stylet-like mandibles and the gnathochilarium (structures observed
between 500-2000× with a scanning electron microscope and the mandibles through
the translucent head capsule at 400× with a compound microscope). hese mouthparts are tightly appressed and tapered anteriorly to a rounded point. Given that the
mandibles appear stylet-like, and assuming the mouthparts are moveable, a functional
hypothesis for feeding is that the gnathochilarium hinges open, the mandibles are
protruded to pierce plant and/or fungal tissue, and then the tooth-lined mouth is used
to suck out the luid contents. he teeth and labral comb could serve to ilter particulates exceeding a certain size. Other Colobognath millipedes with somewhat reduced
mouthparts, for example species of the family Andrognathidae, feed on fungus or other
live plant or soft organic matter (Gardner 1974). Manton (1961) described the feeding
of captive siphonophorids Siphonophora portoricensis Brandt, 1837 and Siphonophora
(=Siphonocybe) hartii (Pocock, 1894) and observed individuals probing decayed vegetation with their beaked proboscises, after tapping the material with their antennae.
Fungi were not observed associated with I. plenipes, as they are often with species
of Platydesmida. However, live plant tissues, especially ine grass roots that are often
confused with I. plenipes, were abundant where specimens were encountered and are a
potential food source. he enteric anatomy of I. plenipes indicates a water or nutrientpoor diet. Individuals of the species possess a regularly spiraled metenteron, which is
similar to glomeridan millipedes and a diverse range of animals (e.g., snails and loricariid catish with spiraled digestive tracts). A spiraled metenteron coupled with the
extreme number of segments lengthens the digestive tract and hence the body. his
lengthening might function to increase the absorptive surface area in order to extract
maximum beneit from a water or nutrient-deicient diet. (It is uncertain whether the
spiraling is restricted to the metenteron, a structure concerned with water resorbtion
A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede Illacme plenipes, with notes...
101
via the Malphigian tubules, or a combination of the metenteron and mesenteron.) Alternatively, a long trunk may function to store additional eggs, and potentially evolved
under fecundity selection. Consistent with this hypothesis, I. plenipes are sexually size
dimorphic: female maximum length (BL) and maximum width (BM) is 1.43-fold and
1.16-fold greater than male length and width.
Based on natural history observations of I. plenipes in the ield, individuals are always found approximately 10 – 15 cm beneath the soil, or clinging to the surface of
large sandstones. he great number of legs may beneit a deep subterranean lifestyle
clinging to sandstone. Illacme plenipes has bifurcate claws on anterior legs and two separate claws, coterminal on the tarsal apex (in lieu of the abifurcation), on posterior legs.
In several millipede species, e.g. Cylindroiulus imbriatus Enghof, 1982 and Dolistenus
savii Fanzago, 1874, the additional claws serve a stone-clinging function for surface
adherence and an epilithic lifestyle (Enghof 1983; Manton 1961). Illacme plenipes has
large eversible sacs, structures that have also been implicated in surface clinging in petrophilic colobognath millipedes (Manton 1954; 1961). On the dorsal surface of the
millipede, setae secrete a silk-like substance, which appears sticky, and may be used for
clinging to the stone surface. he secretions seem to increase with handling, perhaps alternatively indicating an anti-predatory function (Shear 2008; Youngsteadt 2008). he
silk may also function as a soil shedding mechanism to allow eicient burrowing, or as
a means to ensnare parasites or debris particles (Youngsteadt 2008). he chemical composition of the silk is unknown. While millipedes in seven other orders of Diplopoda
produce a silk-like substance from various body structures, its threads are not true silk
composed of protein (one order produces silk from openings on the legs, one order from
metatergal setae like I. plenipes, 4 orders from epiproctal spinnerets, and one order from
both metatergal and epiproctal setae). In contrast with the silk’s origin from the setal tip
in I. plenipes (Fig. 18, Mb-805600), the other seven orders appear to produce silk from
pores located at the setal base (Shear 2008). he diverse locations where silk originates
in millipedes (legs, epiprocts, metatergal setae), suggests independent origins and precludes homology (Shear, 2008). he extrusive sticky appearance of I. plenipes’ silk-like
secretion may indicate a mucopolysaccharide identity, as is the composition of epiproctal silk spun by millipedes in the order Polydesmida (Adis et al. 2000; Shear 2008).
In contrast with the smooth exoskeleton of the bulldozer millipedes, I. plenipes’ has
a multiplicity of projections and cuticular ornaments including anchor-shaped spikes,
discoidal tubercles, long silk-secreting setae and jagged body plates. Several of these
projections (e.g., the peculiar anchor-shaped spikes—Fig. 17a, Mb-805601) have been
documented in other taxa in the Siphonophorida and Julida (Akkari et al. 2011; Read
and Enghof 2009). In a survey of Siphonophorida from Brazilian collections, Read
and Enghof (2009, Fig. 4) provide SEMs that document an individual with similar
appearing tergal sculpture, including anchor-shaped spines, discoidal metatergal tubercles, long (possibly silk-secreting) setae, and two shape classes of prozonital tubercles.
he prozonital microsculpture of I. plenipes also appears to correspond in shape and
location with several taxa of Polydesmida (Akkari and Enghof 2011; Mesibov 2012).
In the Polydesmida, like I. plenipes (and other taxa in the Siphonophorida), the pro-
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zonital microsculpture is divided into two shape classes: a smooth scaly texture anterior
to the prozonital transverse ridge and a rugged knobby surface, with discoidal tubercles
or spherical knobs posterior to the ridge. he presence of spherical knobs and other
cuticular ornaments in certain families of Polydesmida appear to relect major evolutionary groups in the order (Akkari and Enghof 2011). he function of the cuticular
ornaments in I. plenipes is uncertain. Authors have suggested several hypotheses for the
function of various projections including a locking mechanism for volvation, in the
case of the anchor-shaped spike in Julida, and maintaining a cloak of soil for camoulage, in the case of branching tree-shaped setae in Polydesmida (Shear, 1977).
Evolutionary relationships
he widely scattered distribution of modern Siphonorhinidae, predominately in the
Southern Hemisphere except with I. plenipes in North America, indicates that their
most recent common ancestor likely predates the breakup of Pangaea more than 200
million years ago. A phylogeny for Siphonorhinidae, or any taxa in the four orders
of Colobognatha, does not exist, except for a recent species phylogeny of the genus
Brachycybe in the order Platydesmida (Brewer et al. 2012). Even though the number of
COI barcodes for the Colobognatha is low and the region may not be ideal for recovering the ancient divergences between the colobognath taxa represented here (likely > 200
mya), we inferred a preliminary phylogeny with the COI nucleotides using a maximum
likelihood tree search in RAxML ver. 7.0.3 (Stamatakis 2006). We recovered monophyletic Platydesmida and Siphonophorida with S. lyttoni sister to I. plenipes. When Polyzonium germanicum (Polyzoniida) was included in the RAxML analysis and visualized in
an unrooted tree, it occurred on an intervening branch between Siphonophorida and
Platydesmida clades. (Polyzonium COI barcoding sequences from Spelda et al. 2011).
he paleoendemic species I. plenipes is the sole representative of the family in the
Western Hemisphere. Remaining genera in the family occur primarily in the Old World
tropics in Wallacea, Sundaland, Himalayas (Siphonorhinus species), Indo-Burma (Kleruchus olivaceus and Siphonorhinus species), and Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany (Nematozonium ilum). he closest relative of I. plenipes is uncertain. he present day range of
Siphonorhinidae may be the remnant of an ancient and widespread tropical distribution
across Pangaea. he most likely sister taxon to I. plenipes is Nematozonium ilum from
South Africa, as they share a number of anatomical similarities. Among the known species of Siphonorhinidae, a South African species is a probable candidate for closest relative
based on other close relationships between co-distributed taxa, for example the lightless
Californian beetle genus Promecognathus and its close relatives in the tribe Axinidiini in
South Africa (Erwin 1985; McKay 1991). Nematozonium ilum and I. plenipes share posterior gonopods divided into 2-3 thin articles (three in I. plenipes and two plus a small
spine in N. ilum), and each millipede is very long and spindly (Attems 1951; Shelley and
Hofman 2004). Known I. plenipes specimens compose a maximum of 192 segments and
N. ilum, 182 segments. (However, some species of the family Siphonophoridae also reach
A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede Illacme plenipes, with notes...
103
beyond 182 segments, e.g., Siphonophora millepeda Loomis, 1934 with 190 segments).
Individuals of K. olivaceus and Siphonorhinus species have bifurcate posterior gonopods
(i.e. without a spine as in N. ilum), fewer segments, and a shorter and more compact
body form. Siphonorhinid millipedes, studied sporadically over the last 80 years by different taxonomists concentrating on various geographic faunas, are ideal candidates for a
modern synthesis and molecular phylogenetics. For example Siphonorhinus, as is certainly
the case for Siphonophora, seems to be a taxonomic dumping ground for long and spindly Siphonophorida without a bird-like beak or paranota (Jeekel 2001). he diversity
of anatomical forms in the Siphonophorida, in particular the Siphonorhinidae, is quite
conserved compared to other diplopod taxa. Compared to other Colobognatha, somatic
anatomical diversity across lineages is low and indicates that early Siphonophorida may
have appeared similar to present day species. his suggests that contemporary habitats,
and current environmental factors afecting body shape, may have been similar to those in
which early Siphonophorida taxa occurred. Illacme plenipes and related lineages may have
persisted unchanged in a mild, constant habitat for hundreds of millions of years. his idea
raises fascinating questions about climate and habitat constancy where Siphonorhinidae
occur (its six regions also happen to be global biodiversity hotspots), and also important
concerns about the conservation of the species and co-inhabitants that may have persisted
in these mild climates that are now currently threatened by global climate change.
Local biogeography
he inluence of the marine layer and thick inland fog, which creates a unique climate
for the area, may have contributed to a stable environment for I. plenipes. Areas with
high probability of occurrence (Fig. 1) also receive a frequent layer of fog (Johnstone and
Dawson 2010). he fog extends into the Monterey Basin and Salinas Valley and is nearly
superimposable with the area of highest probability of occurrence on the DM (Appendix V). Rainfall is very seasonal where I. plenipes occurs, falling predominately between
the months of November and March (when individuals were encountered). Cool, wet
winters are punctuated by warm, dry summers when the habitat is much drier, and soil
beneath stones is nearly devoid of moisture. Although surveys were not conducted during the summer, individuals are less likely encountered at this time, and probably in a
reduced state of activity deep underground. Of the nine localities speciically surveyed
for additional populations of I. plenipes, only one, the ranch locality near San Juan Bautista, housed a second population. hese localities were initially chosen according to
similarity with the 2005 locality near San Juan Bautista, and not as a result of the DM
that was constructed for this study. All of the localities searched were indicated as low
probability in the DM except Alum Rock, where specimens were not found, and the
San Bautista ranch. Habitat suitability may be inluenced by the presence of fog and/or
the particular edaphic conditions and geology of the localities. Niche-based distribution
modeling typically does not include edaphic factors or the geology of the area, and individuals of I. plenipes were always found in areas with arkose sandstone. he three habitats
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Paul E. Marek et al. / ZooKeys 241: 77–112 (2012)
where individuals were encountered overlay marine arkosic sandstone deposits between
the Vergeles and San Andreas faults (Dibblee et al. 1979). High probability of I. plenipes
occurrence is also present in the areas around the southern Monterey Bay and Salinas
Valley that overlay more recent suricial alluvial deposits. While the probability of occurrence is high in these unsampled areas, the edaphic setting indicates lower suitability. he
soils of the Monterey Basin and Salinas Valley are composed of alluvial sediments and
ine-grained deposits, lacking the large arkose sandstones and boulders that I. plenipes
may be specially adapted to. Nonetheless, there is a present-day low overall probability
of occurrence of I. plenipes in the area, or of any other native soil dweller for that matter,
since the Salinas Valley is heavily inluenced by agriculture and development.
Conservation
Illacme plenipes is threatened by extinction as a result of its restricted geographical
distribution, narrow microhabitat requirements, seasonal rarity, and low observed
population numbers. Natural populations are threatened by habitat loss due to rampant development and intense land use in the area (agricultural, industrial, transit
and housing), climate change, invasive species, and potential for over-collecting. he
restricted location of I. plenipes, limited to the gap between the Santa Cruz Mountains
and Gabilan Range at the eastern fog limit, may be due to edaphic requirements (soils
composed of sandstone or other native formations in the area: San Lorenzo Formation or Dacitic volcanic rocks), or extirpation due to the heavy agricultural inluence
around Monterey Basin and the Salinas Valley since the 1800s. In contrast with habitat
degradation from development and farming, the presence of cattle does not appear to
negatively afect I. plenipes. At each locality where I. plenipes was discovered, there was
noticeable inluence of cattle on the habitat. Boulders under which I. plenipes occurred
were sometimes a meter away from deep cattle hoof prints. he most serious impacts
that I. plenipes faces are human-induced habitat loss and climate change. As suggested
by the distribution model and I. plenipes’ apparent dependence on marine layer fog
(likely inluencing moisture and stability of its habitat), the documented 33% reduction in coastal California fog due to higher atmospheric and ocean temperature since
the early 1900s (Johnstone and Dawson 2010) may severely impact the species and
hasten its extinction. he few locations where I. plenipes exist are unique storehouses
of this evolutionary relict, and potentially other ancient lineages that await discovery.
Morphbank annotations
(Published at www.morphbank.net):
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805574
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805575
A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede Illacme plenipes, with notes...
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805576
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805577
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805578
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805579
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805580
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805582
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805583
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805584
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805585
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805586
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805587
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805588
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805589
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805590
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805591
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805592
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805593
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805594
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805595
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805596
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805597
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805598
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805599
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805600
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805601
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805602
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805603
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805604
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805605
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805606
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805609
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805610
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805612
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805614
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805615
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805616
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805618
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805620
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805621
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805623
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805627
http://www.morphbank.net/?id=805628
105
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Paul E. Marek et al. / ZooKeys 241: 77–112 (2012)
Acknowledgements
hanks to Rob Marek for assistance in the ield to collect I. plenipes. Peter Raven recommended I. plenipes localities in San Benito County and shared helpful knowledge of the
area and co-occurring native plants. Avery Lane, David Beamer, Amy Stockman and Matthew Walker assisted in the ield and laboratory. Many thanks to Patrick, Peter and Tom
Breen, the Reeves Family, and Bart O’Brien who shared information and details about
California mountain ranges and potential localities. he Nature Conservancy kindly allowed access to sites in the Gabilan Range. Dotti Marek and Katy Murphy provided local support during ieldtrips to California. hanks to anonymous reviewers and Charity
Hall for reading earlier versions of the manuscript. California State Parks and the National Park Service supported research in the parks and permits for collections. Jonathan
Coddington, Dana DeRoche, G.B. Edwards, Charles Whitehill, Judith Winston, and
Joe Keiper provided essential type specimens and access to natural history collections in
support of the project. his research was supported by a U.S. National Science Foundation Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy Grant to P. Sierwald, J.E.B., and
W.A.S. (DEB-0529715); and by a NSF Phylogenetic Systematics grant to P.E.M. (DEB1119179). Wendy Moore and the Entomology Department at the University of Arizona
is acknowledged for their support of P.E.M. and systematic entomology. his article is
in memoriam of Richard Hofman (1927 – 2012), whose support for the irst author’s
study of millipedes will always be appreciated. Dr. Hofman loaned the Virginia Museum
of Natural History’s I. plenipes specimens shortly before he passed away. His inquisitive
naturalist spirit and scientiic legacy lives on in the 50+ organisms named in his honor,
numerous scientiic contributions, and love of the natural history of Virginia.
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10.1660/0022-8443(2008)111[136:LOOTBO]2.0.CO;2
Appendix i
Movie of ♀ I. plenipes (specimen # SPC000931) with 662 legs showing live movement and head shape. Individual ilmed in a glass petri dish with a Nikon Coolpix
995 digital camera mounted to a Leica 12.5 stereomicroscope. (doi: 10.3897/zookeys.241.3831.app1). File format: Apple QuickTime Movie (MOV).
Copyright notice: his video is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 (CC-BY) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Citation: Marek PE, Shear WA, Bond JE (2012) A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede
Illacme plenipes, with notes on its natural history and biogeography (Diplopoda, Siphonophorida,
Siphonorhinidae). ZooKeys 241: 77–112. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.241.3831.app1
A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede Illacme plenipes, with notes...
111
Appendix ii
Movie of ♀ I. plenipes (specimen # SPC000930) with 666 legs showing very slow,
nearly imperceptible locomotion. Individual ilmed on an oak leaf with a Nikon
Coolpix 995 digital camera. (doi: 10.3897/zookeys.241.3831.app2). File format: Apple QuickTime Movie (MOV).
Copyright notice: his video is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 (CC-BY) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Citation: Marek PE, Shear WA, Bond JE (2012) A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede
Illacme plenipes, with notes on its natural history and biogeography (Diplopoda, Siphonophorida, Siphonorhinidae). ZooKeys 241: 77–112. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.241.3831.app2
Appendix iii
Movie of ♀ I. plenipes (specimen # SPC000930) with 666 legs showing very slow,
nearly imperceptible locomotion. Individual ilmed on a cardboard sheet with the
same method described in Appendix II. (doi: 10.3897/zookeys.241.3831.app3). File
format: Apple QuickTime Movie (MOV).
Copyright notice: his video is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 (CC-BY) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Citation: Marek PE, Shear WA, Bond JE (2012) A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede
Illacme plenipes, with notes on its natural history and biogeography (Diplopoda, Siphonophorida, Siphonorhinidae). ZooKeys 241: 77–112. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.241.3831.app3
Appendix iV
Movie of ♀ I. plenipes (specimen # SPC000931) with 662 legs showing live motion
and rapid, independent antennal movement. he species is blind and presumably relies
on the antennae to sense its environment. Individual ilmed in a glass petri dish with
the same method described in Appendix I. (doi: 10.3897/zookeys.241.3831.app4).
File format: Apple QuickTime Movie (MOV).
Copyright notice: his video is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 (CC-BY) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Citation: Marek PE, Shear WA, Bond JE (2012) A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede
Illacme plenipes, with notes on its natural history and biogeography (Diplopoda, Siphonophorida, Siphonorhinidae). ZooKeys 241: 77–112. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.241.3831.app4
112
Paul E. Marek et al. / ZooKeys 241: 77–112 (2012)
Appendix V
Times lapse series of visible satellite images of Monterey Bay, California, showing
the occurrence of fog extending into the Monterey Basin and Salinas Valley. (doi:
10.3897/zookeys.241.3831.app5). File format: Apple QuickTime Movie (MOV).
Explanation note: Times lapse series of 330 visible satellite images of Monterey Bay,
California, recorded every 15 mins by the GOES-15, Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (U.S. National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information
Service) from 10-18 September 2012. Contour lines = 61 m (200 ft). Images provided
by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Monterey, California http://www.nrlmry.
navy.mil/NEXSAT.html
Copyright notice: his video is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 (CC-BY) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Citation: Marek PE, Shear WA, Bond JE (2012) A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede
Illacme plenipes, with notes on its natural history and biogeography (Diplopoda, Siphonophorida, Siphonorhinidae). ZooKeys 241: 77–112. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.241.3831.app5
Appendix Vi
Images of ♀ I. plenipes (specimen # MIL0020) with 618 legs. Individual photographed
with a Nikon D40 dSLR and a 60 mm 1:2.8 AF-S macro lens. (doi: 10.3897/zookeys.241.3831.app6). File format: JPEG Interchange Format (JPG).
Copyright notice: his video is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 (CC-BY) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Citation: Marek PE, Shear WA, Bond JE (2012) A redescription of the leggiest animal, the millipede
Illacme plenipes, with notes on its natural history and biogeography (Diplopoda, Siphonophorida, Siphonorhinidae). ZooKeys 241: 77–112. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.241.3831.app6