ARTS: Revisionary taxonomy and systematics of the Appalachian millipede genera Apheloria and Nannaria

Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, Blacksburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

Our basic knowledge of the animals with which we share our planet is limited, with only an estimated 12% of Earth's species currently known to scientists. Biodiversity provides us with important goods and services like water filtration, medicines, decomposition, food, and fiber. Without a basic knowledge of biodiversity through taxonomy, which is the science of naming and describing species, realizing the benefits of biodiversity to humanity is impossible. Even in the United States, many species remain undiscovered. For example, millipedes fulfill an important role as decomposers in forests by breaking down decaying organic matter and recycling its nutrients for other organisms to use. However, they are among the least known of any animal group in the U.S. This project focuses on the millipede groups Apheloria and Nannaria, which are widespread in Appalachian hardwood forests. Twenty-six species are known from the U.S., however, over 70 species of Apheloria and Nannaria await scientific naming and there is even a new species of Nannaria within the remnant forests of the D.C. metro area. This highlights the deficiencies in our understanding of millipede diversity, and this project, through the use of multiple data types, will identify new species and obtain better understanding of the diversity and evolutionary history of these groups in the Appalachian Mountains. Eastern deciduous forests are tremendous repositories of irreplaceable biodiversity, but habitat loss threatens it. Many Appalachian invertebrates, which compose the most diverse component of this fauna, are unknown to science. It is imperative to understand and describe the diversity of this ecosystem before it is lost. This research project will discover and describe millipede species diversity in the U.S. by accomplishing the following objectives: (1) overcome basic taxonomic deficiencies in U.S. millipede studies using a rapid, technology-driven, and accurate approach to taxonomic treatments of the genera Apheloria and Nannaria; (2) establish a phylogenetic systematic foundation for describing species and as an evolutionary context to investigate camouflage and color evolution in xystodesmid millipedes; and (3) foster an appreciation for organismal biology and natural history by engaging the regional public through in-person outreach programs and the global community through the internet. These thumb-sized millipedes are remaining vestiges of a natural detritivore guild that historically encompassed native earthworms throughout the eastern United States.