tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81929071206082097682024-03-13T07:51:26.520-04:00Normal Biology"You know you're not the normal biologist."Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-62397551219142353692015-02-17T23:46:00.001-05:002015-02-17T23:46:26.486-05:00Collecting MillipedesI put out a call on Twitter for volunteers to go out looking for winter millipedes for me, and people responded! Totally cool! So this post will serve as a quick guide on what to look for.<br />
<br />
First of all, the reason why I want people to look for millipedes right now is because there are a good number of species that are mature (i.e. adults that can be identified) and active during the winter, especially in the order Chordeumatida. These aren't collected very often because they're active when it's cold outside, and winter fieldwork isn't nearly as fun as summer fieldwork. A few years ago though, I collected some millipedes the day after Christmas, and it turned out to be a species that hadn't been collected since the species was described--<b>98 years earlier</b>.<br />
<br />
There are three main ways to collect millipedes:<br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Hand collecting is the easiest method: simply
walk around and look underneath tree bark/dead logs and in leaf litter, looking
for millipedes. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>You can also collect leaf litter and then
transfer it to a Berlese funnel, examples of which can be found <a href="http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent591k/berlese.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.amnh.org/learn/biodiversity_counts/read_select/ht/berlesefunnel.htm">here</a>.
I recommend putting a jar of 70%-85% ethanol underneath the funnel to catch the
critters that fall from the funnel. If ethanol isn't available, other alcohols
(such as isopropyl) can be substituted in a pinch.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Pitfall traps also work well at catching
millipedes (and many other small arthropods). Examples of pitfall traps can be
found <a href="http://mississippientomologicalmuseum.org.msstate.edu/collecting.preparation.methods/Pitfalls.htm">here</a>
and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitfall_trap">here</a>.</li>
</ul>
If you're volunteering to collect millipedes for me, hand collecting is fine. Flip over logs, rocks, and leaf piles and you'll probably find some. Using a stick or small garden hand tool is helpful when looking under leaves, and I use something that looks like this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EY-9BEVTdLA/VOQXJtbu-GI/AAAAAAAABs0/CHvd7sNUxAM/s1600/3_Tine_Hand_Cultivator_by_DeWit_Tools_z__88258_1024x1024.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EY-9BEVTdLA/VOQXJtbu-GI/AAAAAAAABs0/CHvd7sNUxAM/s1600/3_Tine_Hand_Cultivator_by_DeWit_Tools_z__88258_1024x1024.jpeg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0596/9309/products/3_Tine_Hand_Cultivator_by_DeWit_Tools_z__88258_1024x1024.jpeg?v=1415463305" imageanchor="1"><br /></a>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As far as where to look for millipedes, they're prone to drying out, so their preferred
habitats are moist areas (but in winter, maybe not so much). Usual habitats for millipedes include leaf litter and
decaying wood of fallen trees and logs. If you don't want to take leaf litter
samples, you can root around through the leaves looking for them instead. Some
species will be in the leaf layer itself, while others can be found at the
leaf-soil interface. You should look for good, moist leaf litter to search for
millipedes in. Fallen trees and old logs are also good areas to check. You can
find them by peeling away the bark or cracking the logs open, rolling them
over, etc. They're usually found in deciduous forests more than coniferous
forests, but there are always exceptions. Looking under rocks can also be a
good way to find millipedes. If you're around wet boulders and rock faces with
moss around, that's also a good area. You may even find some under the moss
itself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you find millipedes, take photos, and if you'd like to collect them for me, you should put them in vials with 70% ethanol (or higher). Ethanol isn't always easily available in stores, so isopropyl alcohol will also work. You also need to put a label (written on card stock paper with pencil) in the vial with the millipede, including the following information: date collected, habitat, locality (state, city, etc.), color
(leeches out over time, so it's good to have a record of what it looks like).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That should cover the basics. So get out there and see what millipedes you can find!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dYXAYgy9zwc/VOQZEOSevAI/AAAAAAAABtA/CABEAxebod4/s1600/IMG_2898-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dYXAYgy9zwc/VOQZEOSevAI/AAAAAAAABtA/CABEAxebod4/s1600/IMG_2898-2.jpg" height="325" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-65363715848859580962014-10-06T21:32:00.001-04:002014-10-06T21:32:21.093-04:00Leaf Litter Staphylinids 2: Electric BoogalooI finished sorting through the rest of my Staphylinid samples today, over 50 samples in all. They're making more sense to me now, and soon I'll identify the morphospecies to their actual species. I feel confident about identifying a few more subfamilies now, including Osoriinae, Omaliinae, and Paederinae, of which the Osoriinae are the coolest.<br />
<br />
Next I'll move onto either the ants, spiders, or centipedes. Probably the centipedes. For now, here are some more Staphylinid photos from my phone.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jQkn4WfX1-Q/VDNB82ZexZI/AAAAAAAABoo/n2TdHGtsC74/s1600/sPicture1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jQkn4WfX1-Q/VDNB82ZexZI/AAAAAAAABoo/n2TdHGtsC74/s1600/sPicture1.jpg" height="327" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Scydmaeninae and Pselaphinae in the center, with Staphylininae (I think) surrounding them. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zxpoJN5E144/VDNB80NCeUI/AAAAAAAABos/P3XCjgH38BA/s1600/sPicture2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zxpoJN5E144/VDNB80NCeUI/AAAAAAAABos/P3XCjgH38BA/s1600/sPicture2.jpg" height="373" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Three Pselaphinae boxed in by three Paederinae.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A9bo10tvQOE/VDNB8wr2C3I/AAAAAAAABok/u7RCZlbg4Jo/s1600/sPicture3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A9bo10tvQOE/VDNB8wr2C3I/AAAAAAAABok/u7RCZlbg4Jo/s1600/sPicture3.jpg" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3codk6yS-lI/VDNB9k3EQtI/AAAAAAAABow/b8eYLW66fnE/s1600/sPicture4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3codk6yS-lI/VDNB9k3EQtI/AAAAAAAABow/b8eYLW66fnE/s1600/sPicture4.jpg" height="340" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Tachypodinae, the crab-like rove beetles, surrounding Aleocharinae (?) </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_VH0MaB8tIU/VDNB9jWI80I/AAAAAAAABo0/9cmSpCs6jIY/s1600/sPicture5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_VH0MaB8tIU/VDNB9jWI80I/AAAAAAAABo0/9cmSpCs6jIY/s1600/sPicture5.jpg" height="400" width="351" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GmGILXaWqek/VDNB-M7YwII/AAAAAAAABpQ/uDG1NtwgNlc/s1600/sPicture6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GmGILXaWqek/VDNB-M7YwII/AAAAAAAABpQ/uDG1NtwgNlc/s1600/sPicture6.jpg" height="343" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xVRe6eukv_o/VDNB-ehlN3I/AAAAAAAABo4/RtpSUGqRCZA/s1600/sPicture7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xVRe6eukv_o/VDNB-ehlN3I/AAAAAAAABo4/RtpSUGqRCZA/s1600/sPicture7.jpg" height="231" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5KaKOxuBJYA/VDNB_ZunOOI/AAAAAAAABpE/xwqFxTuoG10/s1600/sPicture8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5KaKOxuBJYA/VDNB_ZunOOI/AAAAAAAABpE/xwqFxTuoG10/s1600/sPicture8.jpg" height="400" width="368" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OTNpPCaD9eQ/VDNB_XsSC3I/AAAAAAAABpI/Z6JHj_Gb34k/s1600/sPicture9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OTNpPCaD9eQ/VDNB_XsSC3I/AAAAAAAABpI/Z6JHj_Gb34k/s1600/sPicture9.jpg" height="400" width="277" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-80849534021260067032014-10-05T21:56:00.000-04:002014-10-05T21:56:29.331-04:00Leaf Litter StaphylinidsBack in June, I was collecting a lot of leaf litter for a small sampling project. I was trying to determine if collecting litter at different times over 24 hours would result in different groups of arthropods being collected at different abundances, and I've been sorting through the samples since then.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OBpyHLYCOMI/VDH1hnheD7I/AAAAAAAABnQ/wvWuWGg-IRY/s1600/Picture1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OBpyHLYCOMI/VDH1hnheD7I/AAAAAAAABnQ/wvWuWGg-IRY/s1600/Picture1.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
I'm about halfway done, and I'm now working on the Staphylinidae in my samples. Staphylinids are rove beetles, and they're the most numerous insect family, which makes them a bit intimidating. For now I'm sorting them down to subfamily, and they've proven to be pretty interesting. I'm excited to delve deeper into the family so I can identify the common species I'm collecting, and in pursuit of that goal, I took some photos today.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jGEHZsQqscA/VDH1n_nuNVI/AAAAAAAABnY/y7hb2EjV-Hc/s1600/Picture2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jGEHZsQqscA/VDH1n_nuNVI/AAAAAAAABnY/y7hb2EjV-Hc/s1600/Picture2.jpg" height="320" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Most of the species I've seen so far have been in the subfamilies Tachyporinae, Staphylininae, Pselaphinae, and Scydmaeninae. They're common in my samples, but I've also seen a few others like Osoriinae and Steninae, which are a bit barrel-shaped or have huge eyes.<br />
<br />
Since I don't too much info on all these groups yet, I'll leave you with the rest of the photos I snapped today so you get an idea for the various shapes Staphylinids take. I'm excited to see what else I find as I finish sorting these samples!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LyRcUjcZ9fI/VDH2DdcnWsI/AAAAAAAABng/aj47lunTQZ8/s1600/Picture3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LyRcUjcZ9fI/VDH2DdcnWsI/AAAAAAAABng/aj47lunTQZ8/s1600/Picture3.jpg" height="287" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BWsvqaXgt08/VDH2DXP6sQI/AAAAAAAABno/e8NNYfxyN_4/s1600/Picture4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BWsvqaXgt08/VDH2DXP6sQI/AAAAAAAABno/e8NNYfxyN_4/s1600/Picture4.jpg" height="333" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4XlxvZLp7CA/VDH2DRr-cdI/AAAAAAAABnk/m-6YRfoCo0A/s1600/Picture5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4XlxvZLp7CA/VDH2DRr-cdI/AAAAAAAABnk/m-6YRfoCo0A/s1600/Picture5.jpg" height="270" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MimfPnSVj0Y/VDH2EFAorRI/AAAAAAAABns/nsSZIUQJ7Ng/s1600/Picture6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MimfPnSVj0Y/VDH2EFAorRI/AAAAAAAABns/nsSZIUQJ7Ng/s1600/Picture6.jpg" height="400" width="372" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OaoDx3VTIVw/VDH2ERXsJfI/AAAAAAAABnw/sF-wM0jhq0w/s1600/Picture7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OaoDx3VTIVw/VDH2ERXsJfI/AAAAAAAABnw/sF-wM0jhq0w/s1600/Picture7.jpg" height="345" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-56238540449948800892014-08-20T21:02:00.001-04:002014-08-20T21:03:20.101-04:00Museum work and another postI've just returned to Fayetteville after a week spent in Raleigh, North Carolina at the Museum of Natural Sciences Research Lab. I was there working with Rowland Shelley, one of the world experts on millipedes. I made a similar trip last fall--a whirlwind of looking at as many millipede specimens as I could to get acquainted with the North American diversity. This trip was more focused, but still as intense as last fall.<br />
<br />
Despite sitting in front of a microscope for what was easily over 30 hours, I enjoyed it. There's something to be said for being immersed in your passion for long periods of time, even if it gets exhausting. I'm still trying to figure out how I felt so tired for as little as I moved for the past week. Even so, I was still marveling at all the different forms millipedes can take, especially their gonopods (modified legs used for sperm transfer):<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YliKTARjqxs/U_VDz6zRpVI/AAAAAAAABjk/SjUPKEEXkDI/s1600/Ethojulus%2Bgonopods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YliKTARjqxs/U_VDz6zRpVI/AAAAAAAABjk/SjUPKEEXkDI/s1600/Ethojulus%2Bgonopods.jpg" height="305" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A gonopod from a male <i>Ethojulus</i> millipede </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VSeXT7w7yxM/U_VDzxWCl9I/AAAAAAAABjs/vVEKL6A69JU/s1600/Nannaria%2Bminor%2Bgonopods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VSeXT7w7yxM/U_VDzxWCl9I/AAAAAAAABjs/vVEKL6A69JU/s1600/Nannaria%2Bminor%2Bgonopods.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Gonopods of a <i>Nannaria </i>millipede</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I looked at some spectacular gonopods last week and kept marveling at how intricate some of them were. The <i>Ethojulus</i> gonopod (above) reminds me of blown glass.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On a final note, I still have a few more posts to write from my Ohio summer collecting. The business of research and traveling has kept me from editing the photos I took and writing up an account, which I should have expected. However, I was asked a few weeks ago to write a guest blog for The Conversation! I wrote about the importance of my Ohio collecting and what I hope to accomplish with it, and you can read that <a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-at-work-capturing-beautiful-millipedes-in-ohio-30118">at this link</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-36196960976542941252014-08-08T02:48:00.000-04:002014-08-08T02:59:06.130-04:00Marilyn Ortt: A Mentor and a FriendThis is a different type of post than I normally write, and one that is vastly more personal. I've been trying to write it for months, but it's been difficult. Please forgive me if I ramble a bit; I feel like I need to write it all. <br />
<br />
There's a lot of talk out there about the importance of having a mentor, for any facet of life really. I most often hear about mentoring in the context of academics, especially in grad school, which is certainly important. During the past few months, however, I've spent a lot of time thinking about having a mentor in the more general sense, and who my mentors are. For now, I'll focus on one: Marilyn Ortt.<br />
<br />
You may know that between my time as an undergraduate and graduate student, I spent a year working as an Americorps VISTA with the <a href="http://www.muskingumriver.org/">Friends of the Lower Muskingum River</a>, a watershed conservation organization in my hometown of Marietta, Ohio. It wasn't an entomology job, but I had a blast and enjoyed my year. It was a good time to reflect on what it meant to give back to my community and work with a group that made the health of the river and the community around it its main focus. I met and worked with many wonderful people during this time, and worked closely with Marilyn, who was the president of FLMR.<br />
<br />
I knew Marilyn before I started my job, having first met her during my freshman year at Marietta College. When I was a senior, she invited me to give a talk about the wheel bug (the focus of my capstone project) for the Marietta Natural History Society. By this time, I knew her better and knew that she was involved in many of the conservation projects in Marietta. She used to be a state botanist and had a strong interest in the natural world, and I had a shy admiration for her. While working with her as a VISTA, I quickly learned that this admiration was justified.<br />
<br />
After I finished my VISTA term, I started my graduate work at the University of Arkansas, but kept in contact with Marilyn via email, updating her on what I was doing and inquiring about the goings-on in Marietta. We were both busy, so weeks would pass between our correspondences, but it was nice to touch base every so often.<br />
<br />
In late May, I was busy preparing for an intensive sampling project on the outskirts of Fayetteville. I was also planning my trip back to Ohio, to take place in mid-June to collect millipedes. I was hoping to see friends while I was there, including former professors and Marilyn as well, since I hadn't seen her since December.<br />
<br />
As I was returning home after spending a few hours in the field, however, I received a phone call from a friend. Marilyn had died earlier that evening.<br />
<br />
Marilyn had been undergoing chemotherapy for a while, which I knew about, but she preferred to keep details of her health private. She didn't want others to worry about her, which was just part of her personality. She was extremely motivated and passionate, and didn't want concerns about her to distract from whatever work was going on.<br />
<br />
Despite knowing that she hadn't been in the best health, the news was still a shock to me. I drove home, still digesting the news, but only made it half a mile before my eyes welled up with tears. Her death affected me more than I would have thought, and I found myself crying a few more times in the following days.<br />
<br />
My friendship with Marilyn wasn't rooted in personal knowledge of each other's lives. I'm not sure she even knew the names of my parents, for example, but we never discussed things like that. Whenever we would talk, our conversations were about nature or the surrounding community. I think our friendship was based on our shared passion for the natural world, and Marilyn was an astounding encouragement to me in that respect. She was a botanist by training, which complemented my interests as an entomologist. She didn't know insects as well as she did plants, so she would always happily listen to me talk about whatever particular group I was interested in at the time. She had an insatiable curiosity for natural history, and she used her curiosity, passion, and motivation to accomplish great things during her life.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mariettatimes.com/page/content.detail/id/560700/Marilyn-Wilking-Ortt.html?nav=5009">Her obituary</a> lists some of these accomplishments, and illustrates how much of an asset she was to her community. I spent many hours at the natural areas she helped establish, especially the Beiser Field Station east of Marietta and the Kroger Wetlands. It was in these places that I cut my teeth on natural history, finding millipedes, identifying plants, and standing in awe of hundreds of flashing fireflies. Marilyn was too modest to take much credit for establishing these areas, and would surely try to downplay her role in developing my interest in natural history. But the truth is that much of her work trickled down into my development as a scientist, in ways I wouldn't recognize until after she was gone.<br />
<br />
I think the mark of a good mentor is that they push you to want to be a better person. Marilyn had a subtle way of doing that for me. After working closely with her for a year, I found myself with a new sense of pride in my community. As a VISTA, I led trail and river clean ups, taught children and adults about the benefits of a clean river and environment, and learned much more about local history. I hadn't previously appreciated where I came from, but getting involved in my community with FLMR changed that. It gave me a new, strong motivation to apply my knowledge and skills in entomology to highlight the neat diversity of arthropods in southeast Ohio, which still informs my work today, in both Ohio and Arkansas.<br />
<br />
My writing can't do justice to the impact Marilyn had on me, but it's important that I try. We often focus on the well-known celebrities of various disciplines and laud their work, which is certainly well-deserved. Often, however, it's the unsung heroes of our communities who have put in their time and hard work to do what they could to improve their communities that impact us more. The people living in southeast Ohio live in a better place because of Marilyn's hard work. Her name might not be known by many outside of Ohio, but that doesn't diminish her accomplishments.<br />
<br />
I like to think of Marilyn when I run into difficult times. I never heard her complain, and she was always pursuing goals and juggling tasks, which usually led to her being late for our lunch meetings. Her passion was unlike anyone else's, and she tapped into it to accomplish great things.<br />
<br />
One of my favorite memories with Marilyn was planting a chinquapin oak outside FLMR's office. She had bought a young one to plant near an older tree outside the office, in the hopes of getting it to develop acorns a few years down the line. She was delighted to have it planted, thinking of how large it might grow in the future. I'm not sure if she ever heard this phrase, but I'm sure she would agree: "The best time to plant a tree is yesterday. The second best time to plant a tree is today."<br />
<br />
I'll end this post with the following paragraph I wrote on Facebook after I heard the news of Marilyn's death. It was hard to write, but turned into a nice post of people sharing their memories of Marilyn and how she affected their lives, all for the better. Marilyn was an exceptional mentor and an even better person, and the world would be a better place if there were more people like her:<br />
<br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="usercontent">Marilyn was a wonderful person, and
undoubtedly one of the most driven that I've known. I had the privilege of
working with her for a year during my VISTA service, and even before then, she
was always happy to listen to what I was doing wit</span><span class="textexposedshow">h my bug stuff. Despite her battle with cancer, she never
stopped doing what she cared deeply about, which was making her community a
better place to live. Whether it was finding funding for the recycling program,
planting trees, or making opportunities to educate the public about the
environment, she poured her entire being into her work. She was an inspiration,
and will be dearly missed. Marietta won't be the same without her, and it's to
everyone's detriment that she's gone. She did so much good work, and it's up to
the rest of us to pick up her mantle. Her obituary sums it up best: "She
strongly believed that you should leave this world in a better place for future
generations and she did so." Rest in peace, Marilyn.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4R5vovxVG5s/U-RyPwwBzqI/AAAAAAAABjQ/SHNKpvmYA2c/s1600/IMG_2707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4R5vovxVG5s/U-RyPwwBzqI/AAAAAAAABjQ/SHNKpvmYA2c/s1600/IMG_2707.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="textexposedshow"> Marilyn surveying some land in the watershed with FLMR's former watershed coordinator, Jesse Daubert</span></div>
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-8136195249971226422014-07-20T18:12:00.000-04:002014-07-20T18:12:22.795-04:00Ohio Collecting 2: Buzzard's Roost PreserveAfter collecting in Marietta, I headed towards Chillicothe, Ohio, where <a href="http://www.rosscountyparkdistrict.com/#!buzzards-roost/cu1l">Buzzard's Roost Nature Preserve</a> is located. I had never been to Buzzard's Roost before, but was invited by Joe Letsche, a ranger with the Ross County Park District, to give a public program about millipedes. It was an offer I couldn't refuse--collecting millipedes AND teaching other people about them? Yes please.<br />
<br />
So, I drove through a few storms and met Joe for a pre-millipede hunting dinner. On the way, I stopped to take some photos after the rain. Ross County has the rolling foothills of the Appalachians, which makes for a great backdrop. The following photos were taken in Londonderry, Ohio.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OY1QYoVz5pc/U8w0xNyA8mI/AAAAAAAABhk/4VTHrfBJ5Ns/s1600/IMG_2379-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OY1QYoVz5pc/U8w0xNyA8mI/AAAAAAAABhk/4VTHrfBJ5Ns/s1600/IMG_2379-2.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t0mPAbLTbKM/U8w0yZURH4I/AAAAAAAABhs/_S17lJkVlPc/s1600/IMG_2384-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t0mPAbLTbKM/U8w0yZURH4I/AAAAAAAABhs/_S17lJkVlPc/s1600/IMG_2384-2.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
While the rain was great weather for millipedes, it wasn't so great for humans, and dropped our turnout a little. But we still had a half dozen people show up, and they were ready to learn. After a quick introduction to the basics of millipedes and how to look for them, we set off on the trail. The preserve was full of leaf litter and dead logs--prime millipede habitat.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mnaGRSqzegk/U8w2Csc1XII/AAAAAAAABh4/qd8iCN8taZ8/s1600/IMG_2389-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mnaGRSqzegk/U8w2Csc1XII/AAAAAAAABh4/qd8iCN8taZ8/s1600/IMG_2389-2.jpg" height="494" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Before we found any millipedes though, I spied a weird silken tube next to a log. I had a hunch about what it was, but the only way to be sure was to dig it up to see what was inside. After a minute of digging, I had unearthed a 5 inch tube of leaves and dirt held together by a lot of silk. I cut the tube open and found...</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cyfVS_gY07M/U8w2CSzmHbI/AAAAAAAABh0/kEXcoVUnJV4/s1600/IMG_2400-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cyfVS_gY07M/U8w2CSzmHbI/AAAAAAAABh0/kEXcoVUnJV4/s1600/IMG_2400-2.jpg" height="506" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
A trapdoor spider! It's in the genus <i>Ummidia</i>, in the family <span class="bgpage-taxon-desc">Ctenizidae, the cork-lid trapdoor spiders. </span>The body was about an inch long, making it a formidable predator to anything that might walk by its trap. After snapping some photos, I released the spider, apologizing for messing up its home.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Hunting for millipedes in a group is almost always better than looking for them on my own, and this trip was no exception. More eyes and hands searching around means that you'll find more millipedes, and the group ended up being better at finding them than I was!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EPyfZFavwoE/U8w5AwRp8QI/AAAAAAAABiI/5kxxxkJbxXc/s1600/IMG_2404-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EPyfZFavwoE/U8w5AwRp8QI/AAAAAAAABiI/5kxxxkJbxXc/s1600/IMG_2404-2.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KYhl2UUUsQ0/U8w5A7LX9MI/AAAAAAAABiM/dG2g5xgpCQM/s1600/IMG_2415-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KYhl2UUUsQ0/U8w5A7LX9MI/AAAAAAAABiM/dG2g5xgpCQM/s1600/IMG_2415-2.jpg" height="218" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The above millipede species was an exciting find. We saw at least a dozen of them, including a few males that allowed me to identify the species with certainty. It's <i>Pleuroloma flavipes</i>, a widely distributed millipede throughout the eastern United States. This millipede alone made the trip worth it, and we had only been searching for ten minutes! I had never seen a living individual of this species before, and they were everywhere along the trail. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Night started to fall as we walked along, but it didn't deter the millipedes, which are more active at night anyway. As we walked along, shining our flashlights on nearby trees, we noticed some millipedes climbing up the bark:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LqtsxNRY6Cs/U8w7T2fII_I/AAAAAAAABic/S8Ui6gxvqO0/s1600/IMG_2422-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LqtsxNRY6Cs/U8w7T2fII_I/AAAAAAAABic/S8Ui6gxvqO0/s1600/IMG_2422-2.jpg" height="560" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Another ubiquitous eastern millipede, <i>Narceus americanus</i>. These millipede can grow up to 4 or 5 inches long, and is among the largest in the United States. The individual in the above photo is still a juvenile though, measuring in at a little over 2 inches long. It's still got some growing to do, perhaps that's why it's chowing down on that moss.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We saw more than just millipedes on the trip: we found lots of harvestmen, ground beetles, a few frogs, and even a black widow spider in a tree hollow. Coolest of all, we came across a fairy ring of coral fungus! It was quite large, and grew alongside a moist stream bed.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-axCe1QOLnQA/U8w806s2IaI/AAAAAAAABio/WYwW_YdFVBM/s1600/IMG_2432-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-axCe1QOLnQA/U8w806s2IaI/AAAAAAAABio/WYwW_YdFVBM/s1600/IMG_2432-2.jpg" height="640" width="528" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Apparently the moss was delicious that night, as we came across a cherry millipede (<i>Apheloria virginiensis corrugata</i>) eating some on a tree trunk. This species can release hydrogen cyanide to defend itself, hence its common name--it smells quite similar to cherries. It doesn't produce enough to harm humans, though it's recommended to wash your hands after handling these millipedes. Also, don't eat it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wckVvkXr98M/U8w9Sw_sglI/AAAAAAAABiw/OhV6OnBYjB8/s1600/IMG_2441-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wckVvkXr98M/U8w9Sw_sglI/AAAAAAAABiw/OhV6OnBYjB8/s1600/IMG_2441-2.jpg" height="640" width="634" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Another unexpected find was this millipede in the genus <i>Cambala</i> that Joe found. It's a thin millipede, but it sure has a lot of segments! It also has knobby crests on each segment and appears quite pink under the correct lighting. This is a millipede I don't come across very often, so I was ecstatic to finally see a living one!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Other millipedes we found included a few Julida, <i>Scytonotus granulatus</i>, <i>Pseudopolydesmus</i>, <i>Euryurus leachii</i>, and the introduced <i>Oxidus gracilis</i>, a species from Asia that can be found almost everywhere.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'd like to thank Joe for inviting me out, and all those who joined us on the hike! Buzzard's Roost is a fantastic place, and I hope to go back and visit soon.</div>
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-23212599023405383802014-07-13T15:17:00.001-04:002014-07-13T15:17:15.813-04:00Ohio Collecting Day 1: MariettaMy first collecting day in Ohio took place near Marietta, on a trail system I've walked many times. It's where I learned to identify many spring wildflowers and hunted for morel mushrooms, so I already knew where to find areas with good millipede habitat. In particular, I was searching for an unknown millipede that was found there last fall.<br />
<br />
I arrived a little after 2 PM on June 18th, and the weather was in the high 70s/low 80s. A nice perk of hunting for millipedes is that I'm in forests most of the time, so I was shaded from the heat and enjoyed quite nice temperatures. The forest composition was mostly maple and beech, with some oak, sweet gum, and other deciduous trees thrown in.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ODus53Z6egA/U8LPvOWFvJI/AAAAAAAABfc/zcVTHnFknTg/s1600/IMG_2247-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ODus53Z6egA/U8LPvOWFvJI/AAAAAAAABfc/zcVTHnFknTg/s1600/IMG_2247-2.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mjGHkD-CHGA/U8LPsm2sy8I/AAAAAAAABfU/I8CdiYB6hzo/s1600/IMG_2251-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mjGHkD-CHGA/U8LPsm2sy8I/AAAAAAAABfU/I8CdiYB6hzo/s1600/IMG_2251-2.jpg" height="640" width="580" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The first area I walked through was a bit dry, so I checked a moist crevice at the bottom of a maple tree and found my first species: <i>Oxidus gracilis</i>, the greenhouse millipede (above photo). Unfortunately, this is an introduced species from Asia, found throughout the United States. The individual in the lower right is an immature specimen, as evidenced by its lighter color.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I continued on, stomping through overgrown grasses and shrubs, searching for the unmaintained path I remembered being there last Spring. Visiting it in Summer was a very different experience.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rq1Dv7EYYcc/U8LR0KJ44eI/AAAAAAAABfs/rF1enJ0v53A/s1600/IMG_2255-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rq1Dv7EYYcc/U8LR0KJ44eI/AAAAAAAABfs/rF1enJ0v53A/s1600/IMG_2255-2.jpg" height="612" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Though my quarry was millipedes, I took some time to notice what else was around. This is one of my favorite flowers, blooming from Blue-eyed grass, <i>Sisyrinchium angustifolium</i>. If you squint, you can even see one of my most hated plants in the background, Multiflora rose (<i>Rosa multiflora</i>), a terrible invasive.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LZfIVmZh0_o/U8LR0GtlbJI/AAAAAAAABfo/u6CUlWH_pqM/s1600/IMG_2256-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LZfIVmZh0_o/U8LR0GtlbJI/AAAAAAAABfo/u6CUlWH_pqM/s1600/IMG_2256-2.jpg" height="614" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Also hanging around was <i>Geina periscelidactylus</i>, known as the Grape Plume Moth. The plume moths are an interesting family, and one which I don't know much about.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mj3kwyBNJag/U8LTHMxReNI/AAAAAAAABf8/OFoX_ln_dl8/s1600/IMG_2268-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mj3kwyBNJag/U8LTHMxReNI/AAAAAAAABf8/OFoX_ln_dl8/s1600/IMG_2268-2.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
After some rooting through the leaf litter, I uncovered what I was looking for! The above photo is of <i>Apheloria virginiensis corrugata</i>, also known as the cherry millipede. The scale bar shows inches. If you look closely, you can see some condensation on the millipede, a side effect of living in its moist microhabitat. Most millipedes can't close their spiracles (the holes on the sides of their body they breathe through), so dehydration is a constant danger. It's why you don't find many millipedes in dry areas. You can also see some mites walking on its back, which like to hitch a ride.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JrJTv4ppEjA/U8LVRohAFTI/AAAAAAAABgU/N6-ZZ1PULDw/s1600/IMG_2311-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JrJTv4ppEjA/U8LVRohAFTI/AAAAAAAABgU/N6-ZZ1PULDw/s1600/IMG_2311-2.jpg" height="548" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Nearby, I found this millipede. It's the same species, but it has recently molted. They don't get their deep black color until they mature a bit.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4wJWJ9pBK-c/U8LTHI-syfI/AAAAAAAABf4/2uVvszj0aEM/s1600/IMG_2274-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4wJWJ9pBK-c/U8LTHI-syfI/AAAAAAAABf4/2uVvszj0aEM/s1600/IMG_2274-2.jpg" height="640" width="476" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0NiN4qn-1I4/U8LTHOaaIYI/AAAAAAAABgA/Az8gfkEl1zY/s1600/IMG_2305-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0NiN4qn-1I4/U8LTHOaaIYI/AAAAAAAABgA/Az8gfkEl1zY/s1600/IMG_2305-2.jpg" height="640" width="496" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The above two photos show another Xystodesmid millipede found in the leaf litter, and the unknown species I was looking for! It seems to be in the genus <i>Nannaria</i>, and both photos show a female, which are tan with peach highlights on the paranota and collum.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At this point, all the other millipedes I found were icing on the cake. Luckily, I love icing and found many more millipedes. But first I had to pass this:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P3I5n2JB_tg/U8LW3vZ2HTI/AAAAAAAABhA/vkTYmiLM_5A/s1600/IMG_2308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P3I5n2JB_tg/U8LW3vZ2HTI/AAAAAAAABhA/vkTYmiLM_5A/s1600/IMG_2308.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I only fell through it twice. It was only my right foot, but still. I then found out the metal parts of the bridge were sturdier to walk on.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Once past the bridge, I found a number of millipedes in the genus <i>Abacion</i>. They're known as the crested millipedes, due to the series of longitudinal crests on their back. Ohio has three species, but they're not separable from photos. <i>Abacion</i> is probably the fastest millipede in Ohio, and is also quick to release its chemical defenses. They tend to make your hands smelly for a number of hours.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VMlSVUQItzk/U8LV14U11pI/AAAAAAAABgc/grhceu3xGRs/s1600/IMG_2315-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VMlSVUQItzk/U8LV14U11pI/AAAAAAAABgc/grhceu3xGRs/s1600/IMG_2315-2.jpg" height="338" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9VTRBu1v6EU/U8LV2DLf2RI/AAAAAAAABgk/WTkP-wEr5XU/s1600/IMG_2324-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DkBFn3ej1IQ/U8LV164v4UI/AAAAAAAABgg/eabM_a06iy8/s1600/IMG_2345-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DkBFn3ej1IQ/U8LV164v4UI/AAAAAAAABgg/eabM_a06iy8/s1600/IMG_2345-2.jpg" height="640" width="468" /></a></div>
<br />
I stopped at a dead log and pulled it open, and another millipede greeted me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9VTRBu1v6EU/U8LV2DLf2RI/AAAAAAAABgw/xOaLSmaaR7E/s1600/IMG_2324-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9VTRBu1v6EU/U8LV2DLf2RI/AAAAAAAABgw/xOaLSmaaR7E/s1600/IMG_2324-2.jpg" height="444" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The American millipede, <i>Narceus americanus</i>, Ohio's largest millipede. It can grow to about 5 inches long and has a long lifespan, up to 2 years. This one wasn't cooperating for photos and decided it would rather dig deeper into its log, where it munches on the dead wood and fungi within.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
All in all, I collected seven species, which wasn't a bad haul. There are certainly more that I missed, but it was a good start to my collecting trip, and I had a nice hike. In my next post, I'll have photos from my second collecting day, which took place near Chillicothe.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yqUkRvSYR7Y/U8LV4NPF2PI/AAAAAAAABg0/r5uf3rAxft4/s1600/IMG_2362-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yqUkRvSYR7Y/U8LV4NPF2PI/AAAAAAAABg0/r5uf3rAxft4/s1600/IMG_2362-2.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mj3kwyBNJag/U8LTHMxReNI/AAAAAAAABgI/WhGxhK0Nszc/s1600/IMG_2268-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YAigRRWR4A0/U8La0cGbeSI/AAAAAAAABhM/oDubIQtN4Bc/s1600/IMG_2342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YAigRRWR4A0/U8La0cGbeSI/AAAAAAAABhM/oDubIQtN4Bc/s1600/IMG_2342.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-18994112958493133642014-07-10T22:57:00.001-04:002014-07-10T22:58:59.779-04:00The great Ohio collecting trip of '14I've just returned to Arkansas after 3 weeks of sampling in Ohio for millipedes, in what was a very fruitful collecting trip. The trip was funded with a grant from the <a href="http://www.ohiobiologicalsurvey.org/">Ohio Biological Survey</a>, and I was able to find many of the species I was after.<br />
<br />
A series of posts about some of the places I went will follow in the coming weeks, as will an account of my adventures. Currently I'm still recovering from the trip (not to mention the 10 hour drive yesterday), so writing will come into full swing as my energy returns. I'll also be recounting my experience at Mothapalooza, which was a lot of fun.<br />
<br />
Traveling, grad school life, and some other personal stuff has kept me from blogging as much as I'd like, so I'll try to use my Ohio trip as a springboard for more posts soon. That will help me remember more of my trip, and act as a nice compendium of my exploits from the past few weeks.<br />
<br />
I was able to outrun storms, survive nearly being run off the highway by an inattentive driver, grit my teeth through the stinging nettle, and deal with the tediousness of bad collecting days to end up with a few boxes of millipedes. All in all, it was a good collecting trip, and I was able to visit some of Ohio's most beautiful places. Now to sift through the samples, catalog their records and the photographs I took, and clean up the mess I brought back to my apartment!<br />
<br />
As a teaser, here are three species of Xystodesmids from Cantwell Cliffs in the Hocking Hills of Ohio.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-86xMMS11HYM/U79SUFNZ0hI/AAAAAAAABfE/iL9DMKVZNP0/s1600/IMG_2937+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-86xMMS11HYM/U79SUFNZ0hI/AAAAAAAABfE/iL9DMKVZNP0/s1600/IMG_2937+(2).JPG" height="400" width="396" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-21630611101733856962014-04-07T17:28:00.003-04:002014-04-07T17:58:24.381-04:00Emporia Expedition: Kansas Entomological Society 2014 MeetingSaturday was the 2014 meeting of the Kansas Entomological Society in Emporia, Kansas, and I joined the University of Arkansas delegation on the 4 hour trip to attend. The week leading up to the meeting was stressful, with preparing my talk and not feeling well towards the end of the week, but everything worked out fine.<br />
<br />
I will say that I need to start preparing my talks sooner. I'm apt to procrastinate, which gives me a tendency to put off writing my talks until a few days before I give it. This is not optimal. It results in feeling unprepared (because I am) and makes for an awkward talk. I've started to budget more time into my schedule dedicated to working on my talks, and it's helpful to block out a half hour to an hour dedicated solely to working on presentations in the weeks leading up to them. That's not to say I still don't fail to take advantage of that time, and in those cases, I've gotten past feeling sorry for myself and being paralyzed by the fear of a blank page.<br />
<br />
A benefit of being part of the Entomology department is that the department head schedules times for the grad students to give their practice talks to a small group of peers for feedback. It's not a good idea to disappoint the chair, so we always have our talks ready to go a few days before leaving for any conference. They're definitely not perfect, and the suggestions we receive help a lot during the pre-conference editing process.<br />
<br />
Thanks to the suggestions I received, I was able to make my talk much better than what I started with, and it was relatively fun to edit. My talk covered my previous work with Ohio's millipedes and what my plans are for the summer with my grant from the Ohio Biological Survey. I made a chart showing my current millipede species count for Ohio, which I was particularly proud of. You can see it below.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Ti9rFkZXSY/U0MQU0jZDII/AAAAAAAABdE/Xqnu7l6-lF0/s1600/Ohio+millipede+sp.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Ti9rFkZXSY/U0MQU0jZDII/AAAAAAAABdE/Xqnu7l6-lF0/s1600/Ohio+millipede+sp.png" height="492" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This chart will surely change as I get better data on how many species are in Ohio, but this is what I have so far. The top three orders: Polydesmida, Chordeumatida, and Julida make up 82% of the state's millipede diversity. It's not terribly surprising, but I had never done the math on it before, and it's useful to lay out the data so that I know what I'm dealing with.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On the day of the conference, I was more nervous than I usually am for public speaking, which I wasn't taking as a good sign. Thankfully, when I got up to give my presentation, I was feeling back to normal. I started my talk by taking a photo of the audience and <a href="http://www.emporia.edu/ksn/v45n3-march1999/">mentioning a publication on millipede</a>s available near the registration desk. It loosened up the atmosphere a bit.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My talk went very well, and I had a wave of relief overtake me once I sat down. It's always nice to get a talk out of the way early on during a conference and then be able to just enjoy it. I was very impressed by the other student talks I heard during the day, and I was able to meet <a href="https://twitter.com/DryopoidDarling">Crystal Maier</a>, a fellow Twitter user! Her talk was immediately following mine and it was great, aside from her negative opinions on Ohio fieldwork. Though when she has the option of going to the tropics to collect beetles or stay in US....I guess I can see her point.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Crystal ended up winning first place in the competition for her talk, so congratulations to her! It was well-deserved. The judges couldn't make up their minds, so 1st place was shared by Oliver Keller, who presented an excellent talk about his work with California's bear scarab beetles. I was happy to take 3rd place, showing that my talk had definitely progressed since my (disastrous) practice talk a few days prior.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The posters at the meeting were likewise of high quality. I read a particularly nice poster by Emmy Dudek, from Wichita State University, about a pilot survey of grasshoppers in the state she had completed. It had beautiful photos and I'm hoping to see it eventually adapted into a field guide!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
State entomology conferences are always great to present at and have a cordial feel to them. They're not nearly as hectic as national or regional conferences, and it's nice to be able to have conversations with fellow scientists instead of constantly running around. It's also a low pressure environment, another positive. The Kansas meeting was probably the most fun I've had at a conference recently, and I'll definitely be attending next year.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Additionally, the next meeting will be at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville next April, which makes for a short commute time for me. Convenient!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-16286560321476049032014-03-08T15:55:00.001-05:002014-03-08T15:59:07.524-05:00On feeling like a good scientistI've had a pretty great week.<br />
<br />
It started off with the Southeastern Branch meeting of the Entomological Society of America in Greenville, South Carolina. I was there from March 2-5 and heard some great talks and met some very nice people. The University of Arkansas entered a team into The Linnaean Games (it's like Bug Quiz Bowl), and I was the alternate for the team. I cheered them on from the audience, and we made it to the semi-finals before losing in a close round to North Carolina State University. There were no hard feelings though: it was a well-fought contest, and we all went out to dinner afterward. You can see some photos from the meeting on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.760893960601462.1073741830.137330346291163&type=1">Entomology Society's Facebook page</a>, and hopefully that album will have some of the candid photos uploaded soon.<br />
<br />
I received exciting news while I was in Greenville: my <a href="http://entsoc.org/entomology2014/program-symposia">symposium for the national meeting</a> in Portland, Oregon this November was accepted! The symposium is entitled "Reaching Beyond Our Horizon: Social Media & Connecting with the World" and will have speakers from entomology and other disciplines talking about how social media has enhanced their research and their outreach. I had enormous help brainstorming for the symposium from <a href="http://www.biodiversityinfocus.com/blog/">Morgan Jackson</a>, a fellow grad student, and his help was instrumental in getting the symposium accepted. We'll both be moderating the session in November, and we hope to see you there! It will be the best program symposium at the conference!<br />
<br />
Yesterday afternoon I received my other piece of good news for the week: I have been awarded a grant from the <a href="http://www.ohiobiologicalsurvey.org/">Ohio Biological Survey's</a> Small Grants Program! This grant will support my millipede field work in Ohio this summer, which I intend to document on this blog and on Twitter, along with other avenues. I'm very excited to have this opportunity and will make OBS proud.<br />
<br />
Suffice it to say that this week has been very helpful for my ego. Science communication and millipede research are two of the things I'm most passionate about, and both those interests have been vindicated by professional organizations. I'm going to make sure the symposium and the grant are magnificent investments for both those organizations and sink a lot of hard work into each of them.<br />
<br />
I'm excited and honored by both these opportunities, and my passion for science is definitely at an all-time high right now. Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-85541238326104377012014-02-15T00:43:00.004-05:002014-02-22T22:08:12.768-05:00Winter Mycology - EarthstarsI expected winter in Arkansas to be more mild than I'm used to, but this year's winter seems to have been a bit unusual. By unusual, I mean cold. Not as cold as Ohio, but cold enough to have snow on the ground and stay there. But today it got into the 50s, melting away the snow and revealing what was underneath it.<br />
<br />
As I was walking past a tree in Fayetteville, I noticed some white objects about the size of small acorns. I stopped and knelt down to examine them, and it turned out that they were mushrooms!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UXQrnhqwovs/Uv74j4dSTrI/AAAAAAAABbA/hoxLpzz1GM0/s1600/Bgewr7LCYAA-EvP.jpg+large-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UXQrnhqwovs/Uv74j4dSTrI/AAAAAAAABbA/hoxLpzz1GM0/s1600/Bgewr7LCYAA-EvP.jpg+large-2.jpg" height="374" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Earthstars in the genus <i>Geastrum</i> were huddled around the base of the tree. The white sphere you see is the storage structure for the mushroom's spores. When force is applied to it (such as from a gust of wind or a finger), the spores puff out in a cloud from a hole at the tip. The spores are then dispersed by the wind. The brown stuff you see under the sphere is the "skin" of the mushroom (outer peridium): it peels back from the sack of spores and lies on the ground.<br />
<br />
Mushrooms like these are relatively common once you know what to look for. Often, the earthstars and related groups look like small piles of decaying leaves or poop unless you take a closer look. If you see something gross on the ground, stop and take a closer look, it might be a mushroom.<br />
<br />
<b>EDIT: February 22</b> - Adding some photos of three collected specimens.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nuuhVCkMJOw/UwlljJygiYI/AAAAAAAABbc/ryDsaNO61EM/s1600/IMG_0876-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nuuhVCkMJOw/UwlljJygiYI/AAAAAAAABbc/ryDsaNO61EM/s1600/IMG_0876-2.jpg" height="408" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jB-OXFGo52Q/UwlljOo0YoI/AAAAAAAABbg/U6gZbOl0DiQ/s1600/IMG_0877-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jB-OXFGo52Q/UwlljOo0YoI/AAAAAAAABbg/U6gZbOl0DiQ/s1600/IMG_0877-2.jpg" height="280" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K4-TCqjCcc4/UwlljHdtmWI/AAAAAAAABbY/oYhno4FHxfs/s1600/IMG_0880-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K4-TCqjCcc4/UwlljHdtmWI/AAAAAAAABbY/oYhno4FHxfs/s1600/IMG_0880-2.jpg" height="464" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-74257582393225162242014-01-09T02:52:00.003-05:002014-01-09T02:52:34.870-05:00A New Year, a new update2013 has come to a close, and my first semester of graduate school has as well. I emerged victorious, and the break before second semester has been good to me.<br />
<br />
I unfortunately didn't blog about my time at the 2013 Entomological Society of America conference in Austin in November, but I did write a few posts for EntomologyToday. The first was about <a href="http://entomologytoday.org/2013/11/12/how-is-twitter-useful-for-entomologists/">how Twitter is useful for entomologist</a>s, and the second was about <a href="http://entomologytoday.org/2013/11/18/using-storify-to-enhance-twitter-at-science-meetings/">using Storify to organize tweets</a>. Suffice it to say that the conference left me exhausted and still wanting more. I had a spectacular time meeting other entomologists, grad students, and friends (old and new), and I heard some scintillating talks.<br />
<br />
I'm now looking ahead to the future. My next semester has been thrown out of whack already, due to my plant taxonomy class being cancelled (much to my disdain), so now I'm searching for a new class to take. I'm bitter about losing plant taxonomy.<br />
<br />
I'm also hoping to TA my first class--any tips are welcome.<br />
<br />
My main focus during the next semester will be working on my thesis question and research. Related to that goal, I want to publish at least one paper (or at least have it submitted), take a shot at making science/nature videos, and of course, spread the news about how great millipedes are.<br />
<br />
Not to mention set aside more time for blogging. I've noticed that I tend to tweet more thoughts and experiences that I used to make into blog posts, so I'm going to be more wary of that in the future.<br />
<br />
I'm looking forward to a productive, fun, and scary but exciting 2014, and I wish the same to everyone else.Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-56700256278741160742013-10-30T19:41:00.000-04:002013-10-30T19:41:07.832-04:00Dissections and a CropI'm taking an insect morphology class this semester, so I've been doing a lot of dissections. I know my way around an insect so much better than I did before, and I'm getting to the point of being quite comfortable with all the tools used for dissections. Now I can be fancy when I'm cutting and tugging at the insect's body.<br />
<br />
In today's lab, I dissected a honey bee to observe its heart, which is located dorsally on the body. To get there, I cut away the ventral abdominal plates, exposing the guts. I was met with this scene:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RakM7Hqpnk0/UnGXOGhmKaI/AAAAAAAABY4/dgOpaH_3jFg/s1600/IMG_20131030_150334_451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RakM7Hqpnk0/UnGXOGhmKaI/AAAAAAAABY4/dgOpaH_3jFg/s640/IMG_20131030_150334_451.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
You can see a few things in this photo. There are silvery air sacs along the edges of the abdomen, the exposed stinger at the distal end (i.e. the butt), and you can see the gut taking up most of the room in the abdomen. In particular, you can see the crop: the bulbous, slightly golden part of the foregut, where honey is stored. It's also called the "honey stomach."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Obviously, I didn't want to waste the honey by throwing it away after my dissection.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XBhaoHvFuBs/UnGYj3kUfDI/AAAAAAAABZE/LyZNn83wl1Q/s1600/IMG_0585-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="548" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XBhaoHvFuBs/UnGYj3kUfDI/AAAAAAAABZE/LyZNn83wl1Q/s640/IMG_0585-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
That drop of honey was the freshest honey I had ever tasted. It was delicious!</div>
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-36991239936490404402013-10-22T22:38:00.001-04:002013-10-22T23:27:28.247-04:00Tweeting or just twittering?The newest edition of the <i>Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Canada</i> (<a href="http://t.co/5B6NEGAy1h">Volume 45, issue 3, September 2013</a>) begins with a column (pp. 101-103) about digital media, its usefulness, and its pitfalls, by the president of the ESC, Rosemarie De Clerck-Floate. She writes about how online tools can be useful, but also notes that scientists should be judicious in their use of these tools: a fair point. In something of a counterpoint, the last column in the <i>Bulletin</i> (pp. 151-152) takes a different view of online tools, notably social media. Editor Cedric Gillott holds a less rosy view of social media's role for scientists, proclaiming:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>However, I have never found a need to open Twitter or Facebook accounts or to blog. And even in retirement I find myself so busy that I doubt I would find time to tweet, or post items on other social media sites.</i></blockquote>
It's worth your time to read the entire column, but his main complaints about social media and blogging amount to (1) not having enough time for it and (2) not seeing the usefulness. Gillott does mention that blogs can quickly answer scientific questions, but he ascribes no such benefit to Twitter. As someone who often blogs and tweets (I've been doing both for about three years now), I feel that I can answer his concerns.<br />
<br />
As for the time commitment, sure, maybe social media (I'll include blogging under this umbrella for simplicity from now on) would take up too much time for some people. But everything eats up time: television, reading, socializing...particular activities aren't the issue. What matters is budgeting time correctly. I use Twitter during my daily bus commute, while waiting for people, during lunch, and later in the evening when I'm relaxing at home. It doesn't have to be a constant time suck, nor does it take much time to read through some tweets.<br />
<br />
As with any other activity, if it's important to you, you'll make time.<br />
<br />
Now to tackle the usefulness of social media. I often meet scientists who have the perception that Twitter is useless and it's just people talking about what they had for lunch. Sure, some people tweet about their food choices and post <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selfie">selfies</a> all day, but as <a href="https://twitter.com/tomhouslay">Tom Houslay</a> elegantly puts it: "<b>the wonderful thing about Twitter is that your feed is entirely as interesting as you make it</b>." If you see something you don't care about on Twitter, you can unfollow people and follow others who are more interesting. If you find your feed uninteresting, that's your fault.<br />
<br />
I want to point out that the "Twitter is useless" attitude comes mainly from scientists who haven't used it. Gillott admits that he himself doesn't use social media. Twitter isn't perfect, but I would encourage scientists to give it a shot before concluding that it's not useful. After all, that would be making a conclusion without any evidence, and that's a science faux pas.<br />
<br />
So where's my evidence that Twitter is useful?<br />
<br />
For one thing, I found my current job through Twitter. I'm earning my Master's degree because I saw the position advertised in a tweet, and I wouldn't have known about it otherwise. That pretty much sealed the usefulness argument for me. It's an example of Twitter's biggest strength: <b>networking</b>.<br />
<br />
I follow almost 1,000 accounts on Twitter, which mostly consists of scientists, including many other graduate students. I can ask a question about a concept or something I come across in the field and get an answer quickly. (<a href="https://twitter.com/derekhennen/status/392739728778207232">I just did this today</a>, in fact, and received an answer two minutes later.) I hear about struggles other students have, learn about what research is going on, and meet others in the field. It's a natural way to network: I meet someone based on shared interests and make a friend instead of just a colleague.<br />
<br />
I've received specimens from people I meet on Twitter, and I've sent some as well, aiding in research. I'm interested in millipedes, so I monitor the millipede hashtag on Twitter, identifying species for people when possible. Most of the tweets I find are from people who aren't scientists, and sometimes they send me photos of other bugs they've found and want to learn more about. Twitter is a great tool for reaching the general public (that Holy Grail of "outreach" that scientists love to give lip service to), and enables me to help people make connections with the natural world. That's not useless. It's what social media should be about.<br />
<br />
As for this blog, I haven't gotten any scholarly publications from it (yet), but it has helped me hone my writing skills, organize my thoughts, and connect with the general public. I get emails from people who were able to identify an insect or millipede after they read one of my posts, and that information might not be easily accessible to a non-scientist (especially the millipede information).<br />
<br />
As scientists, we should embrace new media to disseminate our
knowledge. We pride science on being ever-changing, incorporating
new ideas and data, so why don't we apply that mindset to our
scientists?<br />
<br />
If I think back on all the time wasted by scientists not knowing
their way around Powerpoint* or fiddling with a projector to put up a
new transparency, I realize that I could have written a bunch of tweets or blog posts to better use that time. As scientists, we shouldn't be resistant to new technologies because they're viewed as immature/time wasters/too complicated. We should give them a chance and try to find their usefulness, instead of automatically writing them off as bad.<br />
<br />
If you're a scientist who wants to try Twitter, but are unsure of where to start, check out these links:<br />
<a href="http://deepseanews.com/2010/08/what-is-twitter-and-why-scientists-need-to-use-it/">What is Twitter and Why Scientists Need To Use It</a><br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/21/30-biologists-chemists-to-follow-twitter_n_1617379.html">Scientists On Twitter: 30 Biologists And Chemists To Follow</a><br />
<a href="http://datapub.cdlib.org/2012/03/02/tweeting-for-science/">Tweeting for Science (with links to other resources)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.biodiversityinfocus.com/blog/2012/01/02/twitter-for-scientists-and-why-you-should-try-it-scienceshare/">Twitter for Scientists (and why you should try it) (#ScienceShare)</a><br />
<a href="http://blogs.agu.org/sciencecommunication/2011/07/20/why-scientists-use-twitter/">Why should scientists use Twitter?</a><br />
<a href="http://blogs.plos.org/scied/2013/09/09/guest-post-creating-scientists-140-characters/">Guest post: creating scientists in 140 characters</a><br />
<a href="http://winawer.org/blog/2013/07/23/dont-throw-away-the-twitter-manual-yet/">Don’t throw away the Twitter manual yet!</a> <br />
<a href="http://bennettlab.weebly.com/resources-and-advice.html">More resources, including a Twitter guide, from the Bennett Lab at McGill University</a><br />
<a href="http://thebuggeek.com/2011/12/13/why-i-spend-so-much-time-on-the-internet-scienceshare/">Why I spend so much time on the internet (#ScienceShare) </a><br />
<a href="http://arthropodecology.com/2013/06/26/social-media-for-academics/">Social media for academics</a><br />
<a href="http://www.biodiversityinfocus.com/blog/2011/12/12/scientists-a-popular-subject/">Scientists & Social Media; A Popular Subject</a><br />
<br />
You can follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/derekhennen">@derekhennen</a>. While I don't tweet about what I had for lunch, I do tweet photos of cats sometimes/often. Fair warning.<br />
<br />
*<i>Protip: If you want to enter presentation mode on Powerpoint, just hit F5. It takes half a second and people will be impressed that you know your way around the program.</i>Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-48110137355269124002013-09-14T16:44:00.000-04:002013-09-14T16:44:00.668-04:00The Scientific Method: Leaf litter samplesMuch of my research involves collecting leaf litter samples from the field. There's a surprising amount of diversity in leaf litter, including insects, arachnids, and myriapods, all hanging out together under the detritus on the forest floor.<br />
<br />
To collect leaf litter, all you need to do is grab a few handfuls of fallen leaves (usually including various amounts of soil, dead wood, moss, etc.) and stick it all in a plastic bag. It helps to <a href="http://mississippientomologicalmuseum.org.msstate.edu/collecting.preparation.methods/Sifter.htm">use some kind of sifter first</a>, to concentrate the litter and avoid filling up the bag with large sticks and leaves, but it's not critical.<br />
<br />
After collecting the litter, transfer it to a funnel. You usually want to do this ASAP so that the critters in the litter don't get squished or eaten by the predators you've collected with the prey, but that's not always possible. Keeping the bags in a container with some ice helps to slow the invertebrates' movements and keeps the bags from overheating.<br />
<br />
I had a few bags of leaf litter yesterday after a collecting trip, and I decided to showcase how I process the samples by tweeting a series of photos, embedded below. I have access to a room full of dedicated <a href="http://mississippientomologicalmuseum.org.msstate.edu/collecting.preparation.methods/Berlesefunnel.htm">Berlese funnels</a>, but they're easy to set up if you're interested in just testing out the method once.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
How to process leaf litter samples: Step 1. Collect leaf litter into a bag. <a href="http://t.co/d9w5uzni5x">pic.twitter.com/d9w5uzni5x</a><br />
— Derek Hennen (@derekhennen) <a href="https://twitter.com/derekhennen/statuses/378664835451342848">September 13, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
Processing leaf litter, Step 2: Empty litter into funnel. Don't forget the wire mesh to keep it from falling through! <a href="http://t.co/VB6r3Rz5Dj">pic.twitter.com/VB6r3Rz5Dj</a><br />
— Derek Hennen (@derekhennen) <a href="https://twitter.com/derekhennen/statuses/378665793577185280">September 13, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
Processing leaf litter, Step 3: Don't forget to put a cup underneath the funnel to catch the small litter. <a href="http://t.co/zNIr7wHNES">pic.twitter.com/zNIr7wHNES</a><br />
— Derek Hennen (@derekhennen) <a href="https://twitter.com/derekhennen/statuses/378665825902678016">September 13, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
Processing leaf litter, Step 4: Replace cup with another cup of ethanol to catch falling critters. <a href="http://t.co/d4Y4d8zTEj">pic.twitter.com/d4Y4d8zTEj</a><br />
— Derek Hennen (@derekhennen) <a href="https://twitter.com/derekhennen/statuses/378666245119172608">September 13, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
Processing leaf litter, Step 5: Empty the previously-caught leaf litter onto the pile. <a href="http://t.co/rqv34DEUhT">pic.twitter.com/rqv34DEUhT</a><br />
— Derek Hennen (@derekhennen) <a href="https://twitter.com/derekhennen/statuses/378666730911842304">September 13, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
Processing leaf litter, Step 6: Place light bulb (with or without dome) over the leaf litter. <a href="http://t.co/osDpWr5e4y">pic.twitter.com/osDpWr5e4y</a><br />
— Derek Hennen (@derekhennen) <a href="https://twitter.com/derekhennen/statuses/378680722367578113">September 14, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
Processing leaf litter, Step 7: Let funnels for ~3 days. Check for critters. Until then, collapse for the weekend. <a href="http://t.co/IqgS7mRygw">pic.twitter.com/IqgS7mRygw</a><br />
— Derek Hennen (@derekhennen) <a href="https://twitter.com/derekhennen/statuses/378667510800740352">September 13, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>
<br />
In a few days, I can go back to check my samples and figure out what I caught. It's sort of like Christmas morning every time I sort one of the samples: I never know what to expect and it's exciting!Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-38682417234772376532013-08-25T18:01:00.000-04:002013-08-25T18:01:18.359-04:00The Craziest Field Day: Story Time and ReflectionMechanical failure. Coloring books. Late night adventures. Kind strangers. My most recent collecting trip had all of these things. Settle in, because this is going to be a crazy blog post.<br />
<br />
As part of my research on the endemic arthropods of Arkansas, I've been collecting with Malaise traps and leaf litter extraction from four sites in Arkansas's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouachita_Mountains">Ouachita Mountains</a>. It's a beautiful area with neat biogeographical implications, and as part of the Interior Highlands of the US, it's pretty much as high as you'll get between the Rockies and the Appalachians. Usually, getting to all of my traps in one day is pretty rushed and doesn't allow me to do any intensive collecting before I need to head to my next site. On this most recent trip, I decided to split it into two days so I could check out some new areas and collect more leaf litter with the extra time I had.<br />
<br />
One of the sites I wanted to check out was Roaring Branch Research Natural Area in Polk County. It's an area with a relict, virgin stand of mesophytic forest that looks more at home in the Appalachian Mountains, and my lab has collected some interesting insects there before. So, map in hand, I set out to find it.<br />
<br />
I collected my first two sites without any problems. I found a stick insect just after it molted, a hummingbird nest only as large as my fist, and moist leaf litter, which bodes well for getting interesting stuff out of it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-myPtu9TNcU8/UhpbNOC2z8I/AAAAAAAABXM/4gIS8VALces/s1600/IMG_4508-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-myPtu9TNcU8/UhpbNOC2z8I/AAAAAAAABXM/4gIS8VALces/s640/IMG_4508-2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm hoping for some good samples from this area.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After collecting a velvet ant near my second site, it was time to head down to Roaring Branch, about an hour south of Mena, Arkansas. The roads taking me there gradually became worse, transitioning from pavement to gravel to potholes. A sign warned: "Crooked and uneven road ahead." I reached an overlook point and stopped to take some photos. A few minutes later, another car stopped there, the only car I had seen in the past 30 minutes. A guy my age and his girlfriend got out and we chatted for a bit, as he welcomed me to Arkansas and told me "You're definitely in the wilderness now."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vve6EquFvAw/UhpfRkwl_RI/AAAAAAAABXY/1G-o_qHjlo4/s1600/IMG_4512-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vve6EquFvAw/UhpfRkwl_RI/AAAAAAAABXY/1G-o_qHjlo4/s640/IMG_4512-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He was right.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
About twenty minutes later, I reached the parking area for Roaring Branch and walked the trail until I cut off the beaten path to follow a spring-fed stream through a ravine into the natural area. The mountains there are shaped like an accordion, as my legs found out during the hike. The comparison to an Appalachian forest proved to be true, and I felt quite at home in the forest.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jqZspWAbMOk/UhphVXHY4MI/AAAAAAAABXo/FeXyRNPHJXQ/s1600/IMG_4520-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jqZspWAbMOk/UhphVXHY4MI/AAAAAAAABXo/FeXyRNPHJXQ/s640/IMG_4520-2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I stayed for a few hours, but didn't cover as much ground as I had hoped, which is pretty much par for the course whenever I go out collecting. It's easy to get slowed down turning over every rock and log, after all. Not limited to animals, Roaring Branch has interesting plants as well. Chief among them was a Magnolia tree I didn't recognize. I wasn't even sure it was a Magnolia until I finally saw the fruit. The leaves look like a pawpaw-banana hybrid.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xCugx_J-lSY/Uhpgl5JKKnI/AAAAAAAABXg/v8stLWVekAg/s1600/IMG_4524-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xCugx_J-lSY/Uhpgl5JKKnI/AAAAAAAABXg/v8stLWVekAg/s640/IMG_4524-2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Look at how big the leaves are! </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I made a note to myself to return when I had more time, and then headed back to my car. I was getting hungry and pretty thirsty, and was looking forward to a relaxing evening of recording the data from the day's collections. I made it back to the car and noticed something: one of my tires looked flat.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This was not a good thing.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The closest town was 30 miles away, but there was a gas station a little closer than that. Perhaps I could make it. In reality, I didn't have any other options, so there wasn't much else I could do. The tire wasn't dangerously flat, nor had it shown any signs of damage at my previous stops for the day, so I set off--driving even more carefully than usual. Now keep in mind here that this was a university vehicle. I didn't know the history of the car, how old the tires were, anything. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I made it about five minutes, then the tire blew out. Oh balls.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I surveyed the damage: lots of holes. Very not good. "But hey, it's not the end of the world, I'll just put on the spare." I removed all my collecting gear from the trunk and opened up the compartment housing the spare tire. I looked down, and saw a distinctly tire-shaped area, but no tire. No jack either. Just jack squat.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At this point, I had many words and emotions running through my head, but very quickly I came to the conclusion that this was no time to be annoyed/frustrated/whatever: I needed to find some help. This car was not going anywhere. I grabbed my bag with the water I had left (somewhere along the line, I lost my second water bottle that day), a few snacks, my knife, and my adventuring hat. If I had ever needed that hat, it was now. I set off down the road, hoping I wasn't too far from a campground I had passed earlier in the day. The time was 6:56 PM.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Luckily, I was only a half mile from the campground. I was also fortunate that it was a Thursday, and there were a few people at the campground. I found a couple who were nice enough to take me to Mena to find a tow truck. We first stopped at an area with cell phone service that was 20 minutes away by vehicle, where I called my advisor and let him know what had happened. We continued on to Mena and stopped at a gas station to borrow a phone book. I called four or five numbers before reaching a guy that was available to tow the car out, while my advisor phoned everyone he could think of to try to help me. He wasn't able to reach anyone, but he paid for the tow truck since I would be incurring other expenses before the trip was over. Mad props to him for being awesome in a time of duress, I owe him.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At this point, it was 10:00 PM and I was hungry, not having eaten much since noon. The couple that drove me to the gas station were nice enough to get me some food from a nearby Wendy's, but wouldn't take my money when I tried to repay them. I then tried to give them gas money for their trouble, but again they wouldn't take it. These were some seriously helpful people, I really lucked out. The husband had recently lost his job, but still he refused my money. Instead, he told me to help out another person in need when the situation arises, and I plan to. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I still felt bad about intruding on their weekend, so I gave them my card and told them to email me if they ever need a bug identified. Never miss a good chance for outreach! </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Around 10:30 PM the tow truck arrived at the gas station, so I thanked the couple for the last time and hopped into the truck as we all set off. The tow truck driver's name was Horace, and since we had an hour of driving ahead of us, we started chatting. I explained the circumstances that led to me sitting beside him, and then we talked about bugs for a while. We had a pretty good chat, and he was an interesting guy: definitely a great driving partner after a long and stressful day.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We reached my car, lonely and sad after sitting there for hours. It didn't take very long to load the car onto Horace's truck, and then we set off for the slow drive back to Mena.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-emVDr_RtbnY/Uhps1yxCYoI/AAAAAAAABX4/1xaXSJWkMlE/s1600/IMG_20130815_230024_184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-emVDr_RtbnY/Uhps1yxCYoI/AAAAAAAABX4/1xaXSJWkMlE/s640/IMG_20130815_230024_184.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'll get you fixed up soon, buddy.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Another hour and we were back in Mena. Horace said he would take the car to Walmart in the morning and I could get the tire replaced, which worked out well: my hotel was right next to Walmart. He dropped me off at my hotel, and I gave him my card in case he needed to call me (and to send me any bugs he wants identified, which he assured me he would).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At last, at 1 AM, I was in my hotel room and could finally relax after a very taxing day. But the adventure was not over.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I woke up the next morning and headed to Walmart. I went to the tire center and explained my ordeal to the sales associate: she was expecting me. I picked out a tire, but then it started to rain. The car couldn't be driven, so they'd have to work on it outside, but didn't want to risk the jack slipping on the wet pavement. They were going to wait until the rain subsided, which was fine with me. At this point, I was just glad to have things working out: no need to sweat the small stuff.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Unfortunately, not everyone shared my mindset. About twenty minutes later, a guy and his family walks in. He wants some tires replaced, and is super rude about it. He's cursing at the sales associate and complaining about poor service, despite the fact that he was not giving them all the information they needed about tire size and other things. This is very much asshole behavior. Think of the worst customer you can imagine: that was this guy. It takes them about 40 minutes to finish his work, complete with him complaining and cursing, and generally being an awful person. His kids seemed okay with the wait though, they were coloring in the waiting area the whole time. After they're done, he leaves and enriches everyone's lives through his absence.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm still waiting (and reading some remarkably good writing from the car magazines in the waiting area) when an elderly woman walks in, needing some work done on her car. She sits down in the waiting area, looks at the table with the kids' coloring books, and looks at me. She then proceeds to ask me "Oh, have you been coloring?"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I already like this woman.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I smirk and tell her "Well, I dabble" and we both chuckle. The sales associate walks in a few moments later, exasperated, and asks me "Would you like to get out of here?" and I fervently say yes. I get up to leave, but the old woman stops me to ask "Aren't you going to take your coloring books?" I almost wish I could have stayed longer to talk with her, because she was awesome.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I get my receipt and go out to my car: the new tire looks great. But I still needed the keys. The employee who was supposed to have them was not outside, so I walk back in to ask the other one where he was. Puzzled, she checks around and finds him a few minutes later and asks about the keys. The guy stares at her blankly.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Oh no.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Thankfully, he just left them in the car another employee was working on. He walks over to fetch them, but not without some harassment from his coworker, who calls him a "key-stealing turd."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And then, I could drive the car again. I didn't encounter any other car troubles for the rest of the trip, a great relief. Before I left Mena, however, I needed some breakfast. I gathered up my things from the hotel room and ordered breakfast in the hotel restaurant. (It was delicious. If you're ever in Mena, eat at the Lime Tree Inn restaurant.) I dig in, and then notice a group of guys enter the restaurant. I look up, and who do I see, but Horace.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I give him an emphatic hello, and he laughs as he turns to his friends. "This is the dude I was telling you guys about." "Oh, the bug man?" "Yeah!"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
You can't make this stuff up. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Epilogue</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So, everything worked out fine. I found some helpful people and was able to fix my problem and finish the rest of my trip without incident. I definitely would have had a much harder time without those people, however. I truly couldn't thank them enough, and I owe them a lot. I was close to being out of water and would have had a long hike ahead of me without them, and I'll take the lessons I learned with me on my future collecting trips.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm not sure how or where I lost my extra water bottle, but I'm going to make sure I have an extra one the next time I go out into the field. I was almost out of water when my tire blew out, and that could have turned into a dangerous situation.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm also going to make sure I have everything I need in the vehicle before using a borrowed one. Sometimes, maintenance issues can fall through the cracks. I assume that's what happened with the spare tire: it was used at some point, and no one remembered to replace it. It's a risk to not ensure supplies like that are in a borrowed vehicle, since you don't necessarily know the history of that vehicle and what may or may not be missing.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My thoughts and emotions during the trip probably mattered the most. When my tire blew out, I was angry that a university vehicle didn't have a spare tire in it, since it's used by many people, but holding onto that anger wasn't useful. Things like that happen, and focusing on who's to blame isn't helpful, so I let it go and thought about my options at that moment. There was nothing I myself could do, so I accepted that and went to find help. My attitude influenced my mood and it influenced how much other people were willing to help me. Despite my stress levels, I was polite and did my best to remain upbeat. Laughing about the situation helped, and being positive helped me seem less like a random psycho in the woods trying to lure helpful people into a trap.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It was certainly a serious situation (moreso if I hadn't been able to find anyone to help me), but accepting what you can't change is paramount, and it helped me a lot that day. It also helped me the following day when I was getting my new tire. It was raining and that delayed when they could work on the car. So what? It wouldn't help anything to yell at the employees, and my poor attitude wouldn't have been an excuse to be a jerk to the employees trying to help me with my problem. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If you're ever in a similar situation, try to keep those things in mind. Your attitude influences how well you'll get through it, so don't dwell on the things you can't change. Focus on what you can do, and most importantly: always make sure you have a spare tire.</div>
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-30624036814651030152013-08-06T19:18:00.001-04:002013-08-06T23:03:17.890-04:00Apheloria west of the Mississippi RiverIf you haven't yet noticed, I'm fond of writing about millipedes. Since I moved to Arkansas, I've seen a few species that don't live in Ohio, which is exciting--it's nice to see more millipede diversity.<br />
<br />
A wide-ranging genus in the eastern United States is <i>Apheloria</i> (Family Xystodesmidae). It contains species that utilize cyanide as a chemical defense and exhibit aposematism to warn predators to leave them alone (this is common in the family).<br />
<br />
<i>Apheloria virginiensis</i> is the most widespread species in the genus, and has five subspecies. Two of them occur west of the Mississippi River: <i>Apheloria v. iowa </i>and <i>Apheloria v. reducta.</i> <i>A. v. reducta</i> is a bit more widespread, being found in Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri. I recently came across this millipede in a leaf litter sample in Arkansas.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VhQ0N_Uazow/UgGDCVAwxvI/AAAAAAAABWI/y2xsxlZRtd8/s1600/IMG_4437-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VhQ0N_Uazow/UgGDCVAwxvI/AAAAAAAABWI/y2xsxlZRtd8/s640/IMG_4437-2.jpg" width="572" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Apheloria virginiensis reducta</i></div>
<br />
Instead of the bold black usually seen in <i>A. virginiensis, </i>this one sports a chestnut brown color. I wasn't quite sure of the exact species (<i>Pleuroloma flavipes</i> looks similar) until I looked at its gonopods, which confirmed its identity.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<i> </i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0wNVupPyg24/UgGDtaJCMDI/AAAAAAAABWQ/7jqDFQivtg4/s1600/Apheloria+gonopods+photoshop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0wNVupPyg24/UgGDtaJCMDI/AAAAAAAABWQ/7jqDFQivtg4/s640/Apheloria+gonopods+photoshop.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> </i>Gonopods of <i>A. v. reducta</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
They're marvelous, aren't they? The gonopods are modified legs, these being the 7th pair. The blue-ish hue is a byproduct of the killing process--it would appear yellow-white normally, but it makes for a great photo. The gonopods transfer sperm to the female during sex.<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i> </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
For sexual structures, they're quite pretty.</div>
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-71091486597617532282013-08-04T20:03:00.001-04:002013-08-04T20:16:20.924-04:00Choosing my favorite millipedeI was asked recently what my favorite millipede is. That's not an easy question, but I was forced to pick one, so I thought about it for a bit and then figured, why not share it with everyone? I find myself doing more tweeting than blogging lately, but Twitter is terrible for long form responses.<br />
<br />
There are about 12,000 described species of millipedes, and I've seen maybe 70 of them in life or in photos, so I'm drawing from a limited pool of millipede diversity. Even so, I know of many amazing species. Is my favorite something like the shocking pink dragon millipede, <i>Desmotyxes purpurosea</i>?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MSuNTxLtw7I/Uf6zkzyBskI/AAAAAAAABT4/y0jotRVXITA/s1600/Desmotyxes+purpurosea+from+Enghoff+2007.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MSuNTxLtw7I/Uf6zkzyBskI/AAAAAAAABT4/y0jotRVXITA/s640/Desmotyxes+purpurosea+from+Enghoff+2007.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Desmotyxes purpurosea</i> from <a href="http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2007f/zt01563p036.pdf"><i>Enghoff et al</i> 2007</a>. Read the paper, it's really neat!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Or maybe my favorite is another tropical millipede. After all, <i>Psammodesmus bryophorus</i>, a millipede I've <a href="http://normalbiology.blogspot.com/2012/11/marvelous-mossy-millipedes.html">blogged about before</a>, has mosses that grow on its back!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-29wHIZV88CQ/Uf61RnnFadI/AAAAAAAABUI/gnVhhQ_LdMk/s1600/Psammodesmus+bryophorus.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-29wHIZV88CQ/Uf61RnnFadI/AAAAAAAABUI/gnVhhQ_LdMk/s640/Psammodesmus+bryophorus.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Photo from <i>Martínez-Torres SD et al</i> 2011.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
You won't be disappointed if you browse photos of millipedes from the tropics. There are many forms that are beautiful and seem almost alien, but I'm still biased towards the temperate forms I'm used to. Even among these North American millipedes, I'm not left with boring species. In fact, it's quite the opposite. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
California has some of the world's most amazing millipedes. There's this millipede genus, <i>Motyxia</i>, that occurs in only a few counties there. Apparently all the species in the genus weren't content with the fireflies in the western US, which usually don't bioluminesce as adults like they do in the eastern US (there are different species out west). So, they took it upon themselves to pick up the slack, with marvelous results.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The eight species of <i>Motyxia</i> all bioluminesce.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WwPillrdGPY/Uf67XXjlySI/AAAAAAAABUY/uAGYTANi5Xg/s1600/Motyxia++sequoiae+paul+marek.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WwPillrdGPY/Uf67XXjlySI/AAAAAAAABUY/uAGYTANi5Xg/s1600/Motyxia++sequoiae+paul+marek.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Motyxia sequoiae</i> (a) under normal light (b) bioluminescing, from <i>Marek</i> <i>et al</i> 2011. Read more about this genus <a href="http://www.apheloria.org/Paul_Marek/Motyxia.html">here</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Out of all 12,000 known species of millipede, only these ones bioluminesce. Isn't that amazing? Certainly bioluminescence makes for a strong contender for "favorite millipede." But still, it's not quite my favorite. To be fair, my own bias is sneaking in now. I've never had any interactions with <i>Motyxia</i>, so they're still esoteric to me. To find my favorite millipede, I need to go closer to home.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It just so happens that home for me is Ohio, in the foothills of Appalachia. The Appalachian Mountains host an amazing array of diverse millipedes, including many in the family Xystodesmidae. This family features some of the continent's most colorful millipedes, which have a habitat of exhibiting aposematism: their bright and bold colors act as a warning to predators that they have chemical defenses.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sEmqHOI_mac/Uf7EWW0dYXI/AAAAAAAABUs/6EPl71WQCZw/s1600/Brachoria+dentata+Tennessee%252C+Hancock+Co+Paul+Marek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sEmqHOI_mac/Uf7EWW0dYXI/AAAAAAAABUs/6EPl71WQCZw/s640/Brachoria+dentata+Tennessee%252C+Hancock+Co+Paul+Marek.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Brachoria dentata</i>, a Xystodesmid millipede that displays aposematism. Photo taken by <a href="http://tolweb.org/Brachoria_dentata/144213">Paul Marek</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Xystodesmid millipedes have mastered Müllerian mimicry. Their color patterns successfully deter predators and confuse taxonomists. Browse around <a href="http://tolweb.org/Brachoria/144209">Paul Marek's Tree of Life page on the genus Brachoria</a> and <a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/60547/bgpage">BugGuide's photos of the family</a> and you'll quickly see why: there's a lot of variation in color forms within genera and even within species. They all build on the theme of black with bright, bold spots of color, resulting in some of our prettiest millipedes. I'm partial to <a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/800440/bgpage">the black and blue species</a>, personally.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After writing around which species is my favorite, I should finally nail it down. As I said, it's not easy. There are so many neat species, and my favorite comes down to one that I found soon after I began studying millipedes. Influenced by my personal history, here is my favorite millipede:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D4jKKzFhNeE/Uf7J4Qc87NI/AAAAAAAABU4/GaZQhlkNL5g/s1600/IMG_0733-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D4jKKzFhNeE/Uf7J4Qc87NI/AAAAAAAABU4/GaZQhlkNL5g/s640/IMG_0733-2.jpg" width="440" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Semionellus placidus</i>, a millipede without a common name. Yeah, that's poop on its back.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Semionellus placidus</i> is a millipede in the family Xystodesmidae. It's classified in the tribe Chonaphini, which has most of its species in the Pacific Northwest of North America, but this one makes it out east. It's sporadic in its occurrence, and I've only found it at one site near my hometown in Ohio, though it's been reported from a few other Ohio counties.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kGIA8X8-gUc/Uf7Np-G8KBI/AAAAAAAABVI/p7j9eWNumXQ/s1600/IMG_0697-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="634" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kGIA8X8-gUc/Uf7Np-G8KBI/AAAAAAAABVI/p7j9eWNumXQ/s640/IMG_0697-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Curled up in defensive position</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What's so special about this millipede? It's not nearly as bright and colorful as other Xystodesmids; instead it sports a comparably drab brown and peach-banded color scheme. But it's the memories I have surrounding this millipede that makes it so special.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The first time I came upon this species was during a night hike. I wanted to see what bugs I could find at night, and I had a couple of good friends volunteer to come along with me as I searched. We found some neat insects--including moths and a dragonfly hanging from a tree--but the best find of the night came when I turned on the UV flashlight I had brought along. I shined the light over the leaf litter, and to my surprise, I found many small millipedes moving amongst the leaves like tiny trains, shining an ethereal blue-green under the UV light.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-90zzHIOT_BA/Uf7QnXkbFqI/AAAAAAAABVY/eP6MbXyfm8A/s1600/IMG_1748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-90zzHIOT_BA/Uf7QnXkbFqI/AAAAAAAABVY/eP6MbXyfm8A/s640/IMG_1748.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Semionellus placidus</i> under UV light</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I had heard about millipedes that fluoresce under UV light before, but this was the first time I had seen one for myself. (Note that UV fluorescence is different from bioluminescence. Fluorescent millipedes don't produce their own light, they just fluoresce under the UV light source, but stop when that source is taken away. The bioluminescent <i>Motyxia</i> millipedes, on the other hand, produce their own light.)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zt1hx3cUVwE/Uf7W8QPKDvI/AAAAAAAABV4/HmV2CBORlas/s1600/Semionellus+placidus+McShaffrey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zt1hx3cUVwE/Uf7W8QPKDvI/AAAAAAAABV4/HmV2CBORlas/s640/Semionellus+placidus+McShaffrey.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Semionellus placidus</i> (left) under natural light (right) under UV light. Photo by Dave McShaffrey and featured in <a href="http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/research/ONHC%20poster%202012%20millipedes.jpg">UV fluorescing millipedes from southeastern Ohio</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It was exciting to witness, almost like I was watching something secret. The millipedes don't stand out in the dark at all; I didn't see them until I turned on the UV light. I was intrigued, so of course I collected some to take back to the lab. That was the first time I was really exposed to identifying millipedes on my own. This was during fall of 2011, and a few months before I had attended a millipede identification workshop taught by Bill Shear, where I learned the basics of millipede identification and obtained some print references I needed to identify millipedes. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I did the best I could and narrowed it down to the order Polydesmida and family Xystodesmidae, a big accomplishment for me at the time. I didn't have a key to Xystodesmid genera, so I turned to BugGuide, where I uploaded a few photos. Rowland Shelley pointed me to <i>Semionellus placidus</i>, and I was able to confirm the ID by looking at a male's gonopods and comparing it to old literature records that had pictures of the gonopods. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K6uwBkwhH4g/Uf7TMyOwqsI/AAAAAAAABVo/Nu-n9Va015g/s1600/IMG_5525-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="530" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K6uwBkwhH4g/Uf7TMyOwqsI/AAAAAAAABVo/Nu-n9Va015g/s640/IMG_5525-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It was beyond fulfilling to identify this millipede at last. I learned a lot about millipede identification from the experience: the importance of collecting a few individuals (and hoping to catch a male), which features are useful for identification, the necessity of going to the experts, and the legwork it takes to track down scientific literature on millipedes, much of which is old and the only source to find information on some species. It took many hours, but was well worth it. Being able to identify your local species, whether they're flowers, birds, insects, or millipedes, is a powerful feeling.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I realized pretty quickly that there isn't much information on millipedes that is accessible to the general public. Millipedes are difficult to identify, they're not immediately showy and beautiful like butterflies, and there aren't many scientists researching them, which puts up more barriers for someone with an interest in millipedes. Essentially, unless you're someone who already studies Entomology, you're not going to have an easy time learning about millipedes, and that's a shame.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Due to this, I've taken it upon myself to do what I can to make millipedes more accessible to the general public and altogether more compelling for people to pay attention to. Most of my millipede projects have grown out of finding <i>Semionellus placidus</i> and working with the species.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"What's your favorite millipede?" As I thought about the question, it became clear that bioluminescence and bright colors are cool, but there's no way they can surpass the learning experiences I gained from finding an inch-long millipede in the woods.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>References:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2007f/zt01563p036.pdf"><b>Enghoff, H., Sutcharit, C. & Panha, S. 2007</b>.</a> The shocking pink dragon millipede, <i>Desmoxytes purpurosea</i>, a colourful new species from Thailand (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae). <i>Zootaxa</i> 1563: 31-36.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822%2811%2900887-6"><b>Marek P.E., Papaj D.R., Yeager J., Molina S. & Moore W.</b> <b>2011</b>.</a>
Bioluminescent aposematism in millipedes. <i>Current Biology</i> 21: R680–R681.<br />
<a href="http://www.pensoft.net/journal_home_page.php?journal_id=11&page=article&SESID=cc9b03763d50a99402209b20bc24b99e&type=show&article_id=2187&issue_id=208&ttar=da&search=millipede&IN=Journals&TIP=&Image100_x=0&Image100_y=0&"><b>Martínez-Torres SD, Flórez Daza ÁE, Linares-Castillo EL</b>. <b>2011.</b></a>
Meeting between kingdoms: discovery of a close association between
Diplopoda and Bryophyta in a transitional Andean-Pacifc forest in
Colombia. In: Mesibov R, Short M (Eds) <i>Proceedings of the 15th
International Congress of Myriapodology</i>, 18–22 July 2011, Brisbane,
Australia. <i>International Journal of Myriapodology</i> 6: 29–36. doi:
10.3897/ijm.6.2187 </div>
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-45598350740029446252013-07-13T02:00:00.000-04:002013-07-13T02:00:07.267-04:00Standing on the shoulders of giantsWhen doing a lot of research with older literature, you
start to gain a strange sense of respect and familiarity with authors that are
by now long gone. I've written about this before, with regards to <a href="http://normalbiology.blogspot.com/2013/01/dr-hildreth-and-his-cicadas.html">Samuel Hildreth</a>, but lately, I've had a different connection with another scientist
who has passed.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Usually, when I visualize these old scientists, I imagine
senior scientists writing with a large degree of certainty, brought on by their
age. Of course, this isn't an accurate visualization, but it's been my go-to
imagery. It's sort of a pleasant surprise when I find out an author is younger,
especially when they're in their early 20s, since that's where I am right now.
It's easier to connect with another 23 year old than a 35 year old. It also
impresses me and motivates me to match that level of commitment. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Those were the thoughts swirling around my head when I came
upon the papers of Charles Harvey Bollman, born in 1868 in Monongahela City,
Pennsylvania. He went on to attend the University of Indiana at Bloomington,
and apparently took quite an interest in the myriapoda of the United States:
the millipedes and centipedes, along with their lesser-known relatives, the symphylans
and pauropods. Bollman had a pretty open field, so he chose well. C.S. Rafinesque published the first recognized work on myriapoda in 1820. He was followed by Thomas Say in 1821, which helped in cracking open the
door for others to tackle the creatures. Notable scientists working on the American myriapod fauna throughout the 1800s included Johann Friedrich Brandt, George Newport,
Carl Ludwig Koch, Oscar Harger, Jerome McNeill, Horatio Wood, Edward Drinker Cope, and Lucien Marcus Underwood,
among others. Despite the work of these scientists, the knowledge at the time
was characterized as "fragmentary."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since standardized methods and descriptions were still being
worked out during this time, the literature can be confusing to go back to due
to changes in nomenclature and many species being synonymized (after a species
has been described more than once, unknown to other taxonomists). This primary
literature is still important, however, as some of the species accounts have
information that's difficult to find anywhere else. It's also a historical
curiosity to read the descriptions--they look positively barren compared to how
myriapods are described today, with many characters being discussed that can go
on for paragraphs and pages.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was into this atmosphere that Bollman entered. There was
no BugGuide to post photos of specimens to be identified by experts, nor was
there much of an alternative to sending a letter to an expert with a question
and hoping to hear back. After being spoiled by the internet and its treasure
trove of resources, I consider that kind of terrifying. The way I've learned
about millipedes and centipedes has been to use the internet to pull journal
articles from decades, even centuries ago, and read them. A healthy dose of
searching for photos to compare with (followed by crying over the paucity of
verifiable photos online) has made learning about myriapods pretty easy as of
late. Yet Bollman jumped at the challenge, and intended to synthesize the contemporary
knowledge of North America's myriapods while simultaneously adding to it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He really did relish the challenge: he published his first
paper, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Preliminary descriptions of ten
new North American Myriapods</i>, in 1887. He was 19 at the time. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WRilaK3TXFY/Ud-Xw2o8xiI/AAAAAAAABTQ/SDZQKozmug4/s1600/Bollman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WRilaK3TXFY/Ud-Xw2o8xiI/AAAAAAAABTQ/SDZQKozmug4/s400/Bollman.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Charles Harvey Bollman, courtesy of Dr. Rowland Shelley from his site, <a href="http://www.nadiplochilo.com/">NADiploChilo</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Remember how I mentioned my image of senior scientists
writing papers? That fact definitely turned my mental picture on its head. Bollman
was described as an "exceptionally bright student," and his published
papers reflect that. The president of the university at the time, David S.
Jordan, thought of him as "one of the most brilliant and promising"
students he had known--quite a compliment. This sentiment was shared by many,
it seems. Bollman graduated with the class of 1889, when he was just 20, and
then took a job with the United States Fish Commission in Georgia. By this time, Bollman had published
15 papers on Myriapods in just a few years, quite an accomplishment. He
described 31 new species and 3 new genera. You could say he was pretty active.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He was getting off to a great start after university, but on
July 13, 1889, he died at Waycross, Georgia. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That's 124 years ago today.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can't find any reference to how he died, but that's not
really important. Bollman wasn't yet 21 when he died, but it didn't stop him from publishing prolifically. After his death, Bollman's papers were purchased by the Smithsonian
Institution, and in 1893, his published and unpublished papers were collected and
published as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Myriapoda of North
America</i>, edited by <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lucien Marcus Underwood.
This was done as a memorial to Bollman and his work. In addition to his 15
published papers, it included 11 unpublished papers that he had been working
on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I encourage you to take a look at it: it's free on <a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Myriapoda_of_North_America.html?id=DvopAAAAYAAJ">GoogleBooks</a>, the <a href="http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/38711#/summary">Biodiversity Heritage Library</a>, and elsewhere online. It truly is a fitting memorial for Charles Harvey Bollman, and
it struck a particular note with me. I'm older than Bollman was when he
died,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but not by much. When I found out
he was so young when he died, it shocked me in a profound way. It's not often
that I'm faced with the unyielding fact that indeed, I am mortal, and I will
die someday.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I've been thinking lately about my "legacy," if
you'll excuse how pompous that sounds. I mentioned a few weeks ago that I've
deposited over 300 specimens into the Marietta College arthropod collection,
and I strove to prepare the specimens correctly, so that they could still be
useful long after I'm gone. When I did that, I was thinking about Samuel
Hildreth, and how some of his collection is still with us, and remaining useful.
After learning about Bollman, my perception has changed a little, though I
can't quite explain why. Perhaps it's because Bollman worked on myriapods, a
group that not many scientists pay much attention to. I feel more of a
connection to old works focused on myriapods, since it's a smaller community
that can be inaccessible at first, and that connection extends to the old
authors of various works.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I mentioned to a friend recently that I enjoy visiting insect
collections and libraries, due to the connection I feel to the past as I look
at specimens and old works. They wouldn't exist without the hard work of people
who are long gone...dead for years, decades, centuries. I have a deep respect
for those people: painstakingly collecting, writing, and labeling for whatever goal
they considered bigger than themselves. Some (such as Hildreth) led long lives,
while others (like Bollman) made the most out of the short time they had. The
thread connecting them to the present day, to those of us currently using their
research for our own purposes, isn't even broken by time. We have a powerful responsibility
to do what we can to preserve that knowledge and hard work so that it can keep
connecting onwards to the future, and I've come to understand this: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
There's nothing as humbling as reading about the past lives,
hard work, and trials of the scientists who have preceded you.</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I'm going to keep thinking about the story of Charles Harvey
Bollman, and do what I can to preserve his legacy through my small
contributions. It's easy to forget that science is linked together by personal stories.
There's a face behind every discovery (in the vast majority, it's many faces),
and we'd do well to not forget those faces.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reference:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Bollman, Charles Harvey. Ed. Underwood, L.M. 1893.</b> <i>The Myriapoda of North America</i>. Bulletin of United States National Museum 46. 210 pp. </div>
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-68615330475094697612013-07-12T23:27:00.001-04:002013-07-12T23:27:48.867-04:00Millipede MysteryMy millipede research always seems to throw me into new adventures. Neat information just sort of hangs out in the old literature, sometimes in the form of a new species that no one is quite sure about. <br />
<br />
The species in question is <i>Chaetaspis albus</i>. Sort of. First, we'll go over the information we have about this species.<br />
<br />
<i>Chaetaspis albus</i> (no common name, sorry) was described by Charles Harvey Bollman in 1887 (<i>Entomologica Americana</i>, II, 1887, pp.45-46). It's a millipede in the order Polydesmida and family Macrosternodesmidae. His description was also included in an 1893 publication of his works, which is great, because that means I can post the whole thing here without having to worry about copyright. If it's tough to read, you can click the photo to enlarge it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EvXnNuF99XA/UdYlsjqjrhI/AAAAAAAABSA/FBRmV_aGlkM/s830/page+68+from+bollman+1893.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EvXnNuF99XA/UdYlsjqjrhI/AAAAAAAABSA/FBRmV_aGlkM/s640/page+68+from+bollman+1893.png" width="518" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
From Bollman 1893</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So there's our information on the original specimen. It's white, less than a centimeter long, less than a millimeter wide, and was found in Indiana under a log. That's a millipede that's easily missed, but it was later found in Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Virginia as well.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Now we come to the real mystery. In 1928, Stephen Williams and Robert Hefner published <i>The Millipedes and Centipedes of Ohio</i> in the Ohio Biological Survey Bulletin<i></i>. In it, they noted a few specimens of <i>C. albus</i> from Washington and Athens Counties which were much larger than those in Bollman's description. Williams and Hefner noted the species from the two counties was 15mm long and about 1mm wide, quite a difference from 6-7.5mm long and 0.3-0.5mm wide. Reluctant to declare a new species based on size alone, they left it alone with an acknowledgement that it was strange.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oU4b2cGcaVs/UdYt07UelTI/AAAAAAAABSQ/QjMV7ZRCdJA/s687/Williams+and+Hefner+Chaetaspis.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oU4b2cGcaVs/UdYt07UelTI/AAAAAAAABSQ/QjMV7ZRCdJA/s640/Williams+and+Hefner+Chaetaspis.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Williams and Hefner, 1928.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kB40huXqqDI/UdYt031iUZI/AAAAAAAABSU/WqJ9GPPyNk8/s576/Williams+and+Hefner+Chaetaspis2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kB40huXqqDI/UdYt031iUZI/AAAAAAAABSU/WqJ9GPPyNk8/s400/Williams+and+Hefner+Chaetaspis2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Fig. 12, with gonopod of <i>Chaetaspis albus?</i> outlined in black. Williams and Hefner, 1928</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It was an oddity that was left alone until 1950, when Dr. Nell Causey revisited it, noting the illustration of the gonopod differed from Bollman's description. She deemed it distinctive enough to be its own species, which she named <i>Chaetaspis ohionis</i>. It's unclear whether or not she was able to examine the type specimen, which was listed by Chamberlin & Hoffman (1958) as being in the Miami University arthropod collection. Somewhere along the line, however, the type specimen was lost (Lewis & Slay 2013). That means now no one can look at the specimen Williams and Hefner were looking at to see what it actually was: all we have is figure 12 and their description.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So...that leaves us at a brick wall. Hoffman (1999) wrote that the millipede isn't even a species of <i>Chaetaspis</i>, and is probably part of a different family, in his opinion. But if it's not a <i>Chaetaspis</i> sp., then what is it? Williams and Hefner were convinced that it matched Bollman's description of <i>Chaetaspis</i> <i>albus</i>, except for its larger size.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This might seem like a waste of time, since we have no type specimen. But it's an intriguing mystery to me, since I'm from Washington County. It would be super neat to mount an expedition and find the millipede that Williams and Hefner did (albeit a difficult one, since they didn't specify the locality), and it could corroborate (or not) <i>Chaetaspis ohionis </i>being a new species.<br />
<br />
Think of it as CSI: Millipedes.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>References:</b></div>
<b>Bollman, Charles H. </b>1893. <i>The Myriapoda of North America</i> (A posthumous edition of Bollman's works by L. M. Underwood). Bulletin 46, U.S. National Museum. 210 pp.<br />
<b>Causey NB.</b> 1950. <i>On Four New Polydesmoid Millipeds</i>. Ent. News, vol. 61, No. 7, p. 197<br />
<b>Chamberlin RV and Hoffman RL</b>. 1958. Checklist of the Millipeds of North America. United States National Museum Bulletin 212. 236pp.<br />
<b>Hoffman, R.L</b>. 1999. Checklist of the millipedes of North and
Middle America.Virginia Museum of Natural History Special Publication. v. 8
p. 1–584
<b>Lewis JJ and Slay ME</b>. 2013. <i>Chaetaspis attenuatus, a new species of cavernicolous milliped from Arkansas (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Macrosternodesmidae)</i>. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, v. 75(1): p. 60-63. Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-23625948265072537312013-07-03T01:58:00.001-04:002013-07-03T01:58:11.945-04:00Malaise Traps and MitesI'm now officially a graduate student at the University of Arkansas--kind of my way of starting July off with a bang. My first two days have been jam-packed with information that I'm still trying to digest, and what better way to do that than to share it?<br />
<br />
I started off my first day by assisting another student in the lab in setting up a few malaise traps. Our goal for the day: set up four of them. Spoiler alert: we only set up two of them due to a broken trap and not nearly enough cord. But hey, two is better than one. Or none.<br />
<br />
We set out for Lake Wedington, west of Fayetteville, and found a nice spot on a slope in a patch of secondary succession forest. It looked like a good flyway for insects, so we set up the trap. A malaise trap catches flying insects and funnels them into a container (usually filled with ethanol), from which they're collected after a few days. We felt good about the location we chose, since we were already seeing some flies, wasps, and other insects flying around us as we set up.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YGL_vOfjKnw/UdOyL24PONI/AAAAAAAABQY/XcGDgBZvDaE/s1600/IMG_3851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="630" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YGL_vOfjKnw/UdOyL24PONI/AAAAAAAABQY/XcGDgBZvDaE/s640/IMG_3851.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Lycomorpha pholus</i> - Black-and-yellow Lichen Moth</div>
<br />
The blurry picture above shows the Black-and-yellow Lichen Moth (<i>Lycomorpha pholus</i>), which kept landing on me as we set up. I noticed a few of these moths flying around brazenly, seemingly protected by their mimicry of the Lycid beetles. Its common name is something of a misnomer: it's actually orange with bluish-black wings. It looks similar to a moth I've often seen in Ohio, the <a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/559">Orange-patched Smoky Moth</a> (<i>Pyromorpha dimidiata</i>).<br />
<br />
To ensure that our prey didn't simply fly under our trap, we stacked up a few rocks and logs at the bottom of the trap. The first log I picked up had a pretty garter snake under it, which promptly disappeared under the leaf litter. Another had a caterpillar.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N0Ba6lpo6UA/UdO0TGRfXxI/AAAAAAAABQo/IKZh_GGrvy8/s1165/IMG_3855-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N0Ba6lpo6UA/UdO0TGRfXxI/AAAAAAAABQo/IKZh_GGrvy8/s640/IMG_3855-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I thought it was dead at first.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm not sure what species it is, but it blends in well with the wood.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Next we trudged up the slope to an oak opening that was filled with grasses and the song of a nearby cicada. We searched for a nice flyway, and decided on a spot near where we found a ladybug, parasitic wasp, and metallic wood-boring beetle (Buprestidae). On our walk to the site, I glanced down and noticed something hidden in the grasses.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7rplLGeXhSg/UdO0_5AUHXI/AAAAAAAABQw/26WG5EA5ug4/s1600/IMG_3860-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7rplLGeXhSg/UdO0_5AUHXI/AAAAAAAABQw/26WG5EA5ug4/s640/IMG_3860-2.jpg" width="544" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Small flowers, or huge fingers?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I knew it was an orchid, but didn't know anything more. I remembered seeing a photo of this species before, however, thanks to Andrew Gibson, so I sent it to him. He promptly returned a species ID: <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:0]">Grass-leaved Ladies'-tresses (<i>Spiranthes vernalis</i>). The orchid is about a foot tall, and the small white flowers wind up and around the stalk. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:0]"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:0]">After we finished setting up the second malaise trap and had thoroughly complained about the broken trap and lack of cord to set up anymore, I heard a buzzing sound and looked at a nearby oak branch. At first, I thought it was a leaf-footed bug (Coreidae), but realized it was something more interesting.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:0]"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A621xiSjs3c/UdO2BiF7ROI/AAAAAAAABRA/mz48vNxn0VQ/s1064/IMG_3871-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A621xiSjs3c/UdO2BiF7ROI/AAAAAAAABRA/mz48vNxn0VQ/s640/IMG_3871-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:0]">Of course it's an assassin bug.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:0]"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:0]">A stout assassin bug, one of the Bee Assassins (genus <i>Apiomerus</i>), had flown nearby. This one is <i>Apiomerus crassipes</i>, an assassin that ranges from the central to eastern US. I don't often encounter these guys, so it was an exciting find for me. Other species in the genus can be brightly colored in red and yellow, but this species apparently opts for a sophisticated black with red accents.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:0]"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:0]">After my foray in the field, it was time to sort some leaf litter samples. I found some interesting beetles, a few centipedes and millipedes, and other miscellanea. However, I'm working in a mite lab, so it was time to learn some mites. Mites 101 consumed my second day.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:0]"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:0]">To summarize, there's more to mites than just velvet mites, which are the ones I'm vaguely familiar with. Much of the diversity in mites is in the suborder Prostigmata (which does include the velvet mites), and I took a few photos of various groups within the Prostigmata for my notes. I'll include a few here, if for no other reason than to show some mites you may not know about. All these mites are pretty tiny, so these photos were taken through a microscope.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:0]"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F84XnqjDQJw/UdO6XHCWdvI/AAAAAAAABRQ/Fn1-lGpCs0o/s1600/IMG_3883-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="638" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F84XnqjDQJw/UdO6XHCWdvI/AAAAAAAABRQ/Fn1-lGpCs0o/s640/IMG_3883-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="bgpage-taxon-desc">Labidostommatina </span>mites. Large chelicerae (can't really see in the photo), predatory. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--Pm146VJ2OA/UdO6Xn1PCpI/AAAAAAAABRU/yXXNR7Jkdhk/s1376/IMG_3886-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="552" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--Pm146VJ2OA/UdO6Xn1PCpI/AAAAAAAABRU/yXXNR7Jkdhk/s640/IMG_3886-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Whirligig mite, family Anystidae. Legs appear to originate from central point. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YJarUr9SNWM/UdO6YJZJ3nI/AAAAAAAABRg/jCi8Ynx9m44/s1191/IMG_3887-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="632" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YJarUr9SNWM/UdO6YJZJ3nI/AAAAAAAABRg/jCi8Ynx9m44/s640/IMG_3887-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Snout mites (Family Bdellidae, genus <i>Bdella</i>). Look kind of cute.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0PIff4iwL9E/UdO6ZGyILQI/AAAAAAAABRo/WfiFtQiPJrA/s1394/IMG_3890-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0PIff4iwL9E/UdO6ZGyILQI/AAAAAAAABRo/WfiFtQiPJrA/s640/IMG_3890-2.jpg" width="572" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:0]">Smarididae. Mites with mouthparts inside their body, which they can vomit up. Have setae on their bodies that make them look oddly fuzzy.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:0]"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:0]">I'm still processing a bunch of mite information, so I'll stop here, rather than write something potentially wrong. It's neat to learn about this group and see the diversity, and hopefully I'll get it organized in my head soon.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:0]"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3hdxg].[2]{comment10200252716267196_54477134}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:0]">Now to get some sleep before heading back to the lab tomorrow.</span></span></span></div>
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-389656611516908042013-06-26T03:12:00.000-04:002013-06-26T03:12:43.681-04:00Going WestFor the past few weeks, I've been trying my best to tie up some loose ends. Last week, I deposited 141 specimens of arthropods I collected in Ohio (mostly Washington County) in the Marietta College Arthropod Collection.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Adding 100+ specimens to the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23MariettaCollege&src=hash">#MariettaCollege</a> Arthropod Collection. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23entomology&src=hash">#entomology</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23bugs&src=hash">#bugs</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23finalfarewell&src=hash">#finalfarewell</a> <a href="https://t.co/uO782sy9D3">https://t.co/uO782sy9D3</a><br />
— Derek Hennen (@derekhennen) <a href="https://twitter.com/derekhennen/statuses/347791298599727104">June 20, 2013</a></blockquote></div>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>All in all, I've contributed about 350 specimens to the MC Collection, and I'm proud of that. They have proper labels and hopefully will be useful to a student/enthusiast/scientist somewhere down the road. There are some really neat species, including 15 assassin bugs collected from the county, a nice set of millipedes and centipedes with identifications, and a lot of records for the Barbara A. Beiser Field Station.<br />
<br />
So why did I deposit so many specimens last week (including my personal collection)? I'm moving.<br />
<br />
This fall, I will be a graduate student at the University of Arkansas, pursuing my Masters degree in Entomology. I'm starting my research in July, then classes begin in August, so I'm heading down there a little early.<br />
<br />
Obviously, this will change the content of this blog and probably the frequency with which it's updated too. I have no intention to stop blogging, and you can still expect more posts about Ohio bugs. I have a lot of stories and bugs I haven't written about, and I still have projects I want to pursue with ties to Ohio. In addition to Ohio, I'll expand to what I'm finding in Arkansas. My project is crazy exciting, and I'll take some time to write a post about it soon.<br />
<br />
This is a big change for me, and it feels right to be able to devote myself full-time to the study of insects and other many-legged critters.<br />
<br />
I want to make sure to thank each of you who are reading this and have been following my blog. It's been a joy to meet some of you, whether on Twitter/Facebook or in person, and I hope you continue to follow my adventures in Arkansas.<br />
<br />
I also want to thank a few more people:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eNcE6SV7bDg/UcqP486buSI/AAAAAAAABP0/reo6jvaXUS0/s1600/IMG_3361-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eNcE6SV7bDg/UcqP486buSI/AAAAAAAABP0/reo6jvaXUS0/s640/IMG_3361-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Dr. Dave McShaffrey, one of many great Biology professors at Marietta College, who got me interested in insects in the first place.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iriNS8CYW64/UcqQ0dSna3I/AAAAAAAABQI/jiwi6rwqLso/s1600/IMG_3376-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="513" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iriNS8CYW64/UcqQ0dSna3I/AAAAAAAABQI/jiwi6rwqLso/s640/IMG_3376-2.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Jim McCormac, who many of you are familiar with from his blog, <a href="http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/">Ohio Birds and Biodiversity</a>. Jim inspired me to start blogging, and meeting him was like meeting a rock star. Since then, he's invited me to hunt for beetles and helped me connect to Ohio's natural history scene. Jim's a stellar guy and is always willing to share his knowledge.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SXeEP00sHNo/UcqQzb065EI/AAAAAAAABQA/iMNdkMOPF7k/s1600/IMG_3368-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="636" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SXeEP00sHNo/UcqQzb065EI/AAAAAAAABQA/iMNdkMOPF7k/s640/IMG_3368-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Rachel Shoop, my very supportive girlfriend. She knows why I'm thankful for her.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
There are many more people to thank by name, but in the interest of not droning on in this post (and allowing me to get to bed soon--it's 3 AM, so I'm sure they'll forgive me), I'll just name them rather than giving background (this is not an exhaustive list, I'm certain I've left out people). <a href="http://floraofohio.blogspot.com/">Andrew Gibson</a>, <a href="http://fieldbioinohio.blogspot.com/">Dennis Profant</a>, Katy Lustofin, Marilyn Ortt, <a href="http://bugeric.blogspot.com/">Eric Eaton</a>, MaLisa Spring, Tim Catalano, <a href="http://www.biodiversityinfocus.com/blog/">Morgan Jackson</a>, Kathy McDonald...the list really does go on and on. I couldn't have done even a quarter of what I have without you all, and I thank you.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I still need to talk about Mothapalooza, so expect that post soon.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
For now, it's time to start a new chapter.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-19053260255575463642013-05-21T17:43:00.002-04:002021-05-23T17:51:42.043-04:00A Primer on Ohio Millipedes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><b>23 May 2021: An update</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Hi there! It's been 8 years and a few days since I wrote this post, and enough has happened that I felt like I should update it. Here's the big news: there is now a guide to the millipedes of Ohio! I worked with my colleague Jeff Brown on a guide for the Ohio Division of Wildlife's Ohio Field Guide series, and you can find the finished project here: <a href="https://ohiodnr.gov/static/documents/wildlife/backyard-wildlife/Millipedes+of+Ohio+Pub+5527.pdf" target="_blank">Millipedes of Ohio Field Guide</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">The field guide includes color photos and information for 51 millipede species you can find in Ohio and also includes information on centipedes, pauropods, and symphylans. The guide also includes information on how to find millipedes, their habitats, their predators, and more. It contains much more detail than I included in this blog post, and I hope it's helpful for your own personal millipede journey. It's also the first field guide to millipedes in the US ever, which I'm very proud of. Be cautious when using it to identify millipedes outside of Ohio, however: many other genera and families occur in other areas of the US, and it's likely that your local species will be different than the ones discussed in the guide.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you'd like to learn more about the creation of the guide, I gave a talk about it at the 2021 Ohio Wildlife Diversity Conference, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-2UcCGZdnI&feature=youtu.be">which you can watch on YouTube</a>.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> Below is the original blogpost.</div><div style="text-align: left;">------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-znEnugbFnrY/UZk2a-ZdlSI/AAAAAAAABLQ/Unjm6UNhuCs/s1600/IMG_1807-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-znEnugbFnrY/UZk2a-ZdlSI/AAAAAAAABLQ/Unjm6UNhuCs/s640/IMG_1807-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><p>
</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Millipede - <i>Abacion</i> sp.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />
I've
been doing some research lately on a few millipede genera and have found
myself lamenting the lack of well-written and accessible resources for
millipedes. I have a good enough knowledge base to navigate through the published literature,
but it's too inaccessible for general audiences. <a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/37">BugGuide's millipede page</a>
is probably the best online resource, but it still lacks good
introductory resources for people wanting to learn more about the
many-legged critters. You're able to submit a picture, and if you're
lucky, someone will help you get it down to genus and <i>maybe</i> tell you how they identified it.<br />
<br />
Concise
keys for the millipedes don't really exist like they do for other
arthropods, due to the characteristics used to identify millipedes.
It's not like identifying a moth or a beetle, where coloration, pattern,
and overall look can go a long way. You can get to Order from a
photograph relatively easily with millipedes, but any deeper can be a
problem without (1) very detailed photos or (2) the specimen in hand. If
you're interested in taking a millipede down to species, you're most
likely going to need a microscope, because at that point they're
identified by the male gonopods (sexual structures). If you have a
female, you'll probably have to settle for genus. <br />
<br />
</p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-McV5Z3Jt3DY/UZk2eDCRx6I/AAAAAAAABLY/YLnHuh3m5y0/s1600/IMG_1810-2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-McV5Z3Jt3DY/UZk2eDCRx6I/AAAAAAAABLY/YLnHuh3m5y0/s640/IMG_1810-2.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="435" /></a>But
to get to that identification, you'll need the help of a
millipede expert (starting off, at least). There aren't all that many out there, and not many amateurs focus on millipedes. Instead, most beginners opt for flashier species like dragonflies or butterflies, groups which have wonderful field guides already published.<br /><div>
<br />
To
break down a few of the hurdles that stop people from learning about
millipedes, I've been gathering together some nice photos and information about my local millipede species to share, one of my goals for this blog. So far in this post, you've seen a millipede in the genus <i>Abacion </i>(Order Callipodida: Family <span class="bgpage-taxon-desc">Abacionidae) </span>crawling
around on the ground. I found this specimen last week in some wood
frass at the base of a dead tree. I haven't keyed it out, but I'm 85%
sure about my identification (Long millipede, dorsal crests, etc.). I
found a similar millipede <a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/746021">last summer</a>,
so now I know these guys can be found in the eastern and western parts
of the county. I'm not sure if I'll get it down to species anytime soon
since even I'm lacking resources for this genus, but it's fine for now.<br />
<br />
I originally meant for this post to simply cover the new <i>Abacion</i>
specimen I caught, but I can't just complain about the lack of
millipede identification resources without trying to fix it...so I
might as well post my other local species too! Maybe this will help
other would-be millipede enthusiasts get started. You can find some more
info in my previous posts about millipedes, such as <a href="http://normalbiology.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushroom-millipede-hunting.html">Mushroom & Millipede Hunting</a> and <a href="http://normalbiology.blogspot.com/2012/03/calm-millipedes-uv-fluorescence.html">A Calm Millipede's UV Fluorescence</a>. These images were all taken in southeast Ohio, but these millipedes occur in many other states in the eastern US.<br />
<br />
We'll start off with the easiest millipede to identify: <i>Narceus americanus</i> (Order <span class="bgpage-taxon-desc">Spirobolida: Family </span><span class="bgpage-taxon-desc">Spirobolidae)</span>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CV1RTo_9W4Q/UZlZZbxBuGI/AAAAAAAABLo/bNYA9lAfZ_E/s1600/IMG_0690-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="608" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CV1RTo_9W4Q/UZlZZbxBuGI/AAAAAAAABLo/bNYA9lAfZ_E/s640/IMG_0690-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Curled up in defensive position.</div>
<br />
This species is actually a species complex referred to as the <a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/15012"><i>Narceus americanus-annularis-complex</i></a>,
since the two species aren't taxonomically differentiated yet, but
that's a technicality that I'm going to ignore for now because it's not
helpful for beginners. This millipede can grow up to 4 inches long,
making it the largest millipede you're likely to see in the eastern US.
It can live up to two years, as I found out when I kept one as a
pet. Like most millipedes, it feeds on dead leaves and other detritus on
the forest floor, and it can be found under the bark of logs and by
turning over the leaf litter from spring through fall.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OOzpO4Vvrtc/UZlcIMt88-I/AAAAAAAABL4/8J-SUkoMcrc/s1600/IMG_0753-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OOzpO4Vvrtc/UZlcIMt88-I/AAAAAAAABL4/8J-SUkoMcrc/s640/IMG_0753-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I've often posted about the above species: <i>Semionellus placidus </i>(Order Polydesmida: <span class="bgpage-taxon-desc">Family Xystodesmidae)</span>.
It exhibits fluorescence under UV light and can also be found in leaf
litter. It's about 1.25 inches long and is mostly brown with
pinkish-orange stripes on the sides and back of its paranota (the extensions on its back). This species has a wide range in the
eastern US, but occurs sporadically. The easiest way to find it is to
go out at night with a UV flashlight and shine it over fallen leaves in a
forest. If you refer to my second <a href="http://normalbiology.blogspot.com/2012/03/calm-millipedes-uv-fluorescence.html">blog post</a> I linked to above, you can see photos of what it looks like under UV light and photos of the male's gonopods.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yZaTR44lY8U/UZleBd9Oj4I/AAAAAAAABMI/VXT9_HV-pNw/s1600/IMG_0684-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="364" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yZaTR44lY8U/UZleBd9Oj4I/AAAAAAAABMI/VXT9_HV-pNw/s640/IMG_0684-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Another common species I see is <i>Pseudopolydesmus serratus</i> (Order Polydesmida: Family Polydesmidae), a pretty pink millipede about the size of <i>Semionellus placidus</i>.
It can be found under rocks, under the bark of dead logs, and in leaf
litter, so it's cosmopolitan in its habitat as far as millipedes go. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SuQzzTq_bcY/UZleP1lJRNI/AAAAAAAABMQ/RWfjYmBLZZw/s640/IMG_0686-2.jpg" width="312" /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Its
legs look very needle-like as they taper down to the millipede's feet.
Its paranota taper back more on the segments closer to the millipede's
posterior.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DPGEn_pAwhs/UZl5SN3PxCI/AAAAAAAABMg/xkI_6ucV4hM/s1600/IMG_2784-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="556" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DPGEn_pAwhs/UZl5SN3PxCI/AAAAAAAABMg/xkI_6ucV4hM/s640/IMG_2784-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vvKH5V4C9j0/UZl5nLExiJI/AAAAAAAABMo/5pagOOiDnlo/s1600/IMG_2795-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vvKH5V4C9j0/UZl5nLExiJI/AAAAAAAABMo/5pagOOiDnlo/s640/IMG_2795-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
One of our prettiest millipedes is <i>Euryurus leachii</i> (Order Polydesmida: Family <span class="bgpage-taxon-desc">Euryuridae)</span>,
which may also be the one millipede you can set out to find when you go
into the woods. I've always found it in decaying logs, but it can also
be found in leaf litter sometimes. (Still though, if you for sure want
to find this species, just peel back the bark on a dead log.) Its main
body color is purplish-black, with orange spots down its back and on its
paranota. It's another that fluoresces under UV light. This species and
the previous two are all in the order Polydesmida, which includes many
UV fluorescent species--always keep your black light in your insect bag!
Don't be too hasty with identifying this species from photos, however: the
similar-looking <a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/378694"><i>Auturus evides</i></a> is tough to separate unless you know your stuff.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ob_7kcA-BEk/UZmZpUuaG5I/AAAAAAAABM4/7jUEEVWEJuo/s1600/IMG_1514-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ob_7kcA-BEk/UZmZpUuaG5I/AAAAAAAABM4/7jUEEVWEJuo/s640/IMG_1514-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Here's another entry for the Polydesmida: the Xystodesmid millipede<i> Apheloria virginiensis corrugata</i>.
This is a rather large millipede, with a length of about 1.5 inches,
and its body is quite broad. It's another UV fluorescent species, though
the fluorescence is mostly limited to the underside of its body. The
yellow and black coloration is a warning to predators: like many other
millipedes, this one has chemical defenses. This species can emit
cyanide in response to an attack, so it's not recommended to pick it up.
That's not to say it's very dangerous if you do--just wash your hands
afterwards. Interestingly enough, I recently found three individuals of
this species: two were dead from drowning in puddles after a rain,
while the other was waltzing around in some leaf litter. They were all near the same location, and I
was surprised to find three in the span of about 16 hours. Usually I
have to go hunting for a while to find them. Note that this species has many
look-alikes, especially in the Appalachian mountains. There's a good
amount of variation even within the species, so remember that this is
just one subspecies of <i>Apheloria virginiensis</i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LrXAVrbQkAY/UZmgEfIo-WI/AAAAAAAABNQ/Y8V38d7O438/s1600/IMG_2766-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LrXAVrbQkAY/UZmgEfIo-WI/AAAAAAAABNQ/Y8V38d7O438/s640/IMG_2766-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cABF3MfffHo/UZmfTmyuLXI/AAAAAAAABNI/iKNSxjjV9FQ/s1600/IMG_3247-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cABF3MfffHo/UZmfTmyuLXI/AAAAAAAABNI/iKNSxjjV9FQ/s640/IMG_3247-2.jpg" width="524" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And now it's time to introduce a few less photogenic millipedes. The above species is in the genus <i>Cleidogona</i>
(Order Chordeumatida: Family Cleidogonidae) and is small compared to
the previous species in this post. The first photo doesn't show its
exact features terribly well, but it shows both its size in reference to
dead leaves and its colors during life. Its body is brown with white
spots poking through, and it has short setae along its back. The
close-up in the second photo is a dead specimen after being preserved in
ethanol.<br />
<br />
Next up are a few non-native species.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6hGKDsLPIrU/UZrNlS1K36I/AAAAAAAABOg/T3jPvL7VGTk/s1600/IMG_3091-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="496" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6hGKDsLPIrU/UZrNlS1K36I/AAAAAAAABOg/T3jPvL7VGTk/s640/IMG_3091-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s3RhPSx8gfw/UZrNvkwi2TI/AAAAAAAABOo/WYqSP4kFjmE/s1600/IMG_3319-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="530" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s3RhPSx8gfw/UZrNvkwi2TI/AAAAAAAABOo/WYqSP4kFjmE/s640/IMG_3319-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The first is <i>Ophyiulus pilosus</i>
(Order Julida: Family Julidae), an imported species from Europe. It's
usually found in yards rather than forested areas, but the specimen I've
found was collected from leaf litter in a forest in late fall. It's a
slender dark brown/black millipede, and its epiproct is useful for
identification: that's the part at the end of the body that looks like a
pointed tail (blurry in the first photo).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_nWF-yIwZGM/UZrSEGPQqUI/AAAAAAAABO4/9W7SF66PZJQ/s1600/IMG_1010-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_nWF-yIwZGM/UZrSEGPQqUI/AAAAAAAABO4/9W7SF66PZJQ/s640/IMG_1010-2.jpg" width="540" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Ur4ad8Ti80/UZrUblch3zI/AAAAAAAABPI/_YZiRZPmNjw/s1600/IMG_0698-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Ur4ad8Ti80/UZrUblch3zI/AAAAAAAABPI/_YZiRZPmNjw/s640/IMG_0698-2.jpg" width="586" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Another non-native species is the ubiquitous Greenhouse Millipede, <i>Oxidus gracilis</i> (Order Polydesmida: Family <span class="bgpage-taxon-desc">Paradoxosomatidae), imported from Asia</span>.
It's common throughout the US, and can be recognized by the transverse
grooves on its back. It's a thin millipede about an inch long, and can
usually be found mating. You've probably come across this species if
you've done some gardening or turned over a rock or two in your yard. I
personally am sick of seeing this millipede all over the place.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
I've
included some diagnostic characters for identifying these millipedes,
but keep in mind that for most millipedes, you'll need to use a
microscope to positively identify them. Some are distinctive enough
to identify just from a photo, but even then you can get look-alikes
(such as <i>Euryurus</i> and <i>Auturus</i>). However, once you become
accustomed to working with millipedes and spend some time identifying
your local species, it gets easier. For now, these are photos that you
can trust are identified correctly--that's better than what Google will give you.<br />
<br />
For more resources on millipedes, check out <a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/37">BugGuide's Millipede Hub</a>,
which is the most accessible online resource for millipedes. Rowland
Shelley, who frequently helps to identify millipedes on BugGuide, has a
nice collection of millipede photos on his site <a href="http://www.nadiplochilo.com/photogallery.html">here</a>. That is a resource you can DEFINITELY trust, Shelley is a world
expert on millipedes. For published literature sources, you can find
older articles about millipedes by searching through the <a href="http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/">Biodiversity Heritage Library</a>,
a wonderful site that has provided me with a ton of primary literature
on millipedes--which is often where you need to go for keys,
illustrations, and general biological information. <a href="http://archive.fieldmuseum.org/millipeet/proj.html">Milli-PEET</a>
is another site with useful information, including a good key to order
for millipedes. Milli-PEET is a project that was funded by the National
Science Foundation, with the goal of making millipede research more
accessible and succeeded in reaching that goal.<br />
<br />
<b>EDIT (6 November 2013)</b>: The <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/myriapoda">Myriapoda Flickr group</a> is also a great resource, with many gorgeous photos of millipedes and other Myriapods.<br />
<br />
I hope
that this post is helpful to those of you interested in learning more
about millipedes, and that it inspires you to start taking photos of the
millipedes in your area, wherever that may be. The millipedes are in
the taxonomic class Diplopoda (that's a taxonomic position on the same
level as the Insecta, which we definitely devote a lot of research to),
and that includes about 10,000 species, with many more to be discovered.
Millipedes are important organisms for nutrient cycling in terrestrial
ecosystems, yet they're <b>criminally</b> under-studied. The
best way to change that is by making it easy to break into millipede
research, so why not start at the most basic level? People need to have
the resources to identify these organisms, and photos are some of the
best sources for identification (even with their limitations for
millipede taxonomy). If nothing else, they can help people get a better feel for the overall "look" of different millipede taxa. So get out there and start trying to identify your
local millipedes. Take some photos, put them online, and let's give
some names to our many-legged friends!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-guwZUAaNT4A/UZr6m0uR8zI/AAAAAAAABPY/XoAcI3KpCzQ/s1600/IMG_3264-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-guwZUAaNT4A/UZr6m0uR8zI/AAAAAAAABPY/XoAcI3KpCzQ/s640/IMG_3264-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Of course I had to include a photo of millipede UV fluorescence! Not all millipedes exhibit it, but the ones that do look spectacular.</div>
<br /></div>
</div>Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-73795581086868377012013-05-15T23:44:00.001-04:002013-05-15T23:59:05.556-04:00Dead Logs are a Wasp's AphrodisiacI set out on a hike today in search of anything neat I missed during yesterday's hike, which I started too late to take full advantage of the daylight. I made it through the entire trail today, and had quite the detour along the way. I stopped by a dead Sycamore tree to look for beetles, since I found a neat species of <i>Osmoderma</i> beetle in it last year, but no dice this time. I trudged on, arriving at a small area with some fallen trees, and decided to stay a while.<br />
<br />
I quickly noticed that there were wasps flying around EVERYWHERE. Thankfully, these were Ichneumonid wasps in the genus <i>Megarhyssa</i>, which are harmless to humans.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AJks80p7ec4/UZRIkgkG85I/AAAAAAAABJk/M176xs_uODQ/s1600/IMG_1886-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="609" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AJks80p7ec4/UZRIkgkG85I/AAAAAAAABJk/M176xs_uODQ/s640/IMG_1886-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A male <i>Megarhyssa</i> sp. wasp.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There were dozens of males like the one above flying around and landing on the fallen tree I was examining. Some were larger with vaguely different markings, indicating that I had at least two different species around, which seems to be normal for the genus, I usually see groups of more than species. The males were gathered to find females, which lay their eggs in dead logs. I was surprised at their sheer numbers this time--if I had a phobia of wasps I might have passed out!<br />
<br />
When it comes down to it, you're looking for the same thing the males are: a female, which surpasses the males in the coolness department...</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kXtkmDHzVoM/UZRK8rkEjiI/AAAAAAAABJ0/Rje3jjUP9eg/s1600/IMG_1865-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kXtkmDHzVoM/UZRK8rkEjiI/AAAAAAAABJ0/Rje3jjUP9eg/s640/IMG_1865-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Female <i>Megarhyssa macrurus</i>, drilling into the wood.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The female has a four inch long ovipositor that looks intimidating, but is thankfully not used to sting humans. Instead, it's made up of three filaments that together drill into dead wood, and upon finding a wasp larva of a horntail wasp, sting and paralyze it. The wasp then throws in an egg, which hatches and eats the other wasp larva. It's breathtaking to see the drilling process in action and the raw power of the wasp's actions is surprising.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XtQsrrQjjz4/UZRNwSeyRPI/AAAAAAAABKE/HARNLxzXups/s1600/IMG_1876-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="468" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XtQsrrQjjz4/UZRNwSeyRPI/AAAAAAAABKE/HARNLxzXups/s640/IMG_1876-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Female <i>Megarhyssa atrata</i> ovipositing in dead wood.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There was also another female of a different species nearby! This is <i>Megarhyssa atrata</i>, immediately recognizable by its jet-black body and yellow head and front legs. I've never seen this species before today and was in awe upon finding it. I actually almost missed it because it was on the same log as the female <i>Megarhyssa macrurus</i>, which had all my attention! It was fascinating to watch both these wasps go about their business, and I sat there for almost an hour watching them.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fWg4AZJ5fCo/UZRQf6X52rI/AAAAAAAABKg/BeoG9wwsDUg/s1600/IMG_1930-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fWg4AZJ5fCo/UZRQf6X52rI/AAAAAAAABKg/BeoG9wwsDUg/s640/IMG_1930-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Male <i>Megarhyssa</i> sp. wasps hanging out and making friends.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The males were quite funny in their antics. They would scatter if I moved around too suddenly, but then return to the log within minutes. Some of them would dive bomb other males and attempt to mate with them, thinking they were females. They realized their folly after a few seconds and jumped off. Apparently it was more important for them to take every chance they had instead of dealing with unimportant things like making sure they were humping the correct gender.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jgA8f080YX0/UZRPMzfyHVI/AAAAAAAABKU/7h23eiQQ2_U/s1600/IMG_1896-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="386" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jgA8f080YX0/UZRPMzfyHVI/AAAAAAAABKU/7h23eiQQ2_U/s640/IMG_1896-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Male <i>Megarhyssa</i> sp.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
When a female finally did visit, a few males would switch to dive bombing her in attempts to mate, but they were unsuccessful. She either flew away or shrugged them off: she had other business to attend to.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--mfZmBmXKng/UZRTPaaxMsI/AAAAAAAABKw/cye4jS93ayA/s1600/IMG_1882-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--mfZmBmXKng/UZRTPaaxMsI/AAAAAAAABKw/cye4jS93ayA/s640/IMG_1882-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Apparently, sometimes the ovipositor can break off inside of the hole, as the above photo shows. I didn't witness it, but I found two holes like this one in the log. It probably didn't feel too great for the wasp.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ktfa8k9KaSY/UZRUycnKXeI/AAAAAAAABLA/mjOeZ72LPvQ/s1600/IMG_1957-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ktfa8k9KaSY/UZRUycnKXeI/AAAAAAAABLA/mjOeZ72LPvQ/s640/IMG_1957-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Pinned<i> Megarhyssa atratra</i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
You can see the disassembled ovipositor itself in the above photo with its three parts: two that work together to drill into the wood, and a long thin tube that deposits the egg. All in all, it's a stunning wasp and a beauty to find. This one is going into my collection that I bring with me whenever I give a presentation about insects, so it's sure to garner a lot of attention.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I learned a very important lesson today while watching these wasps. Well, a few important lessons. 1. Knowledge is power, especially when it's knowing that the swarm of wasps flying around are harmless and there's no reason to freak out. 2. I shouldn't tell someone an estimated time when I will be back after a hike, because I <b>always</b> get distracted by something cool.</div>
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8192907120608209768.post-28176788053201420502013-04-24T23:53:00.002-04:002013-04-24T23:53:58.187-04:00Wings SpreadWhen spring took its first few cautious steps in March, I <a href="http://normalbiology.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-arrival-of-spring.html">found a neat little green caterpillar</a> in the yard. Not knowing what it was, I of course put it in a terrarium and fed it so I could monitor its growth and figure out what species it was.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sfiFEqnNEdU/UXihdTNDWEI/AAAAAAAABFM/0TPsa3MExAA/s1600/IMG_0093-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sfiFEqnNEdU/UXihdTNDWEI/AAAAAAAABFM/0TPsa3MExAA/s640/IMG_0093-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The mystery.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I gave it grass, since that's what it was eating when I first found it, and thankfully the caterpillar was satisfied with its simple diet. Soon, it progressed through its instars, darkening from a light green to a yellow-green and brown color.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NAviccMdguw/UXiiUh0R0gI/AAAAAAAABFg/2TMvDDavgQQ/s1600/IMG_0109-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NAviccMdguw/UXiiUh0R0gI/AAAAAAAABFg/2TMvDDavgQQ/s640/IMG_0109-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zl31eZnm8hY/UXiiSZdNYdI/AAAAAAAABFY/Tip5NpcandA/s1600/IMG_0114-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zl31eZnm8hY/UXiiSZdNYdI/AAAAAAAABFY/Tip5NpcandA/s640/IMG_0114-2.jpg" width="540" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After a few weeks, the caterpillar pupated and mostly just sat around while its insides were reorganizing and making it more furry. And at last, it eclosed into a moth!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-30k4CXhZeTU/UXijeA7tyfI/AAAAAAAABFs/fd-2JSQ5AVw/s1600/IMG_1063-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-30k4CXhZeTU/UXijeA7tyfI/AAAAAAAABFs/fd-2JSQ5AVw/s640/IMG_1063-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At last, I had enough data for an ID. It was a bittersweet moment: the moth is a non-native introduction from Europe. One thing did make up for it though:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FNqBTx6c_jo/UXikFz9VSRI/AAAAAAAABF4/T2wb4ZR-X8g/s1600/IMG_1143-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="502" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FNqBTx6c_jo/UXikFz9VSRI/AAAAAAAABF4/T2wb4ZR-X8g/s640/IMG_1143-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
At least it's pretty!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This is the Large Yellow Underwing, which goes by the regal name of <i>Noctua pronuba</i>. The orange hindwings, hidden by the drab brown forewings, lend the species its common name. Underwings are moths that will surprise you, and the bursts of color seen during their flight are reminders that moths still have some tricks up their sleeves.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I must also say that I'm very glad to have authentic insect pins. They make the pinning process so much simpler and are long enough that I can get good use out of my Styrofoam pinning board. For another illustration of my pinning technique, here's another moth I pinned, from this past weekend.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P9k9KV8-2BU/UXimQDt-8DI/AAAAAAAABGI/05__eh5SWv0/s1600/IMG_1144-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P9k9KV8-2BU/UXimQDt-8DI/AAAAAAAABGI/05__eh5SWv0/s640/IMG_1144-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This is the Grapevine Epimenis, <i>Psychomorpha epimenis</i>. I came across this moth while walking with a group along a dirt road on a chilly but sunny Saturday. It landed near us and I snapped it up. Kaufman's <i>Field Guide to Insects of North America</i> helped me quickly narrow down the species by providing a clear picture and noting its tendency to fly on "warm days in early spring." It wasn't super warm, but the sunshine helped! The caterpillars of this species feed on grape leaves, hence the name. It's a small moth, with a wingspan of a little over 1 inch, but its size doesn't take away from its bold patterning and coloration. The more I look at it the more I think I may need to move it to the top of my list of favorite moths.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Derek Hennenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03542741480848941765noreply@blogger.com0