Apheloria virginiensis ( Drury, 1770 )

Apheloria virginiensis ( Drury, 1770) View in CoL

Vernacular name: “The Virginia cherry millipede”

Figs 7, 16

Julus virginiensis Drury, 1770: 1 .

Apheloria tigana Chamberlin, 1939: 11 View in CoL . New synonymy.

Apheloria virginia Chamberlin, 1939: 12 View in CoL . Synonymized by Hoffman, 1999: 306.

Apheloria waccamana Chamberlin, 1940: 284 View in CoL . Synonymized by Shelley, 1978: 63.

Detailed taxonomic history in Appendix 1.

Material examined: Type specimens—type material lost ( BMNH?) from Virginia, Dinwiddie County (Coll: J. Greenway), no other collection information provided. ♂ Neotype ( FSCA), 1 ♀, 2 ♂ paratypes ( FSCA), 1 ♂ paratype ( USNM), 1 ♀ paratype ( VMNH) from Virginia, Dinwiddie County, McKenney , VA-40, 1.3 km west VA-644 ( 36.993611°N, - 77.739444°W), 8 July 2016 (Colls: R. Shelley, G. Phillips) ( non vidi). Non type material examined in Appendix 2. Material examined are archived in the Virginia Tech Data Repository at: https://doi. org/10.7294/29829209 GoogleMaps

Diagnosis: Apheloria virginiensis is distinct from other apheloriine species based on the following combination of characters: Color. Tergites with three yellow spots and yellow legs ( Fig.16A). ♂ Gonopods. Gonopodal acropodite circular but with elbow ( Fig. 7A, elb)—not uniformly circular as in A. polychroma ( Fig. 8A). Not smoothly oval-shaped, 0-shaped, as in Rudiloria , nor D-shaped as in Sigmoria . Acropodite narrow, about one-half width of tibia on leg pair 9; of uniform width throughout. Acropodite tapered to L-shaped acuminate apex and abruptly twisted ( Fig. 7B)—not gradually tapered to curved J-shaped apex as in A. polychroma ( Fig. 8B). Acropodite shaft without cingulum nor preapical teeth nor projections as in Appalachioria , Brachoria . Prefemur with a long, scythe-like prefemoral process ( Fig. 7, pfp)—not short, scythe-like as in A. polychroma ( Fig. 8B, pfp). With distinct bend tubercle at prefemur-acropodite junction ( Fig. 7B, bt), not with acute angle at junction as in A. polychroma , A. uwharrie ( Figs 8B, 9B).

Note about coloration. A millipede with two or three yellow spots and circular acropodites occurring in the coastal plain and piedmont of North Carolina, excepting the Uwharrie Mountains, unequivocally diagnoses A. virginiensis from all other species. However, there are at least five distinct color morphs of the species. Because color varies intraspecifically, caution should be exercised with using it as a diagnostic character for identification of this species.

Variation. There are five color morphs of A. virginiensis with a continuum of coloration between them (in order of decreasing frequency): (1) two-spotted, with yellow paranotal spots, and yellow legs ( Fig. 16B); (2) three-spotted, with yellow paranotal, metatergal and collum spots, and yellow legs ( Fig. 16A); (3) three-spotted, with pink paranotal spots, yellow metatergal and collum spots, and yellow legs ( Fig. 16D); (4) two-spotted, with orange paranotal spots, and orange legs; (5) three-spotted, with pink paranotal, metatergal and collum spots, and pink legs ( Fig. 16C). The two-spotted morphs often have faint metatergal spots on posterior rings 15 or 17–19. Morph 3 often have pink paranotal spots connected by a faint and thin pink stripe.

There is typical sexual size dimorphism between males and females, where females are larger, and negligible variation of measurements within individuals of the same sex. Somatic measurements: ♂ (n = 10) BL = 26.73–58.86 (47.41/8.96). CW = 5.02–8.30 (7.11/0.87). IW = 3.73–4.96 (4.57/0.36). ISW = 1.08–1.52 (1.33/0.13). B10W = 6.77–10.93 (9.68/1.21). ♀ (n = 7) BL = 33.02–51.56 (44.54/7.24). CW = 6.41–7.38 (6.97/0.33). IW = 4.25–5.21 (4.77/0.31). ISW = 1.24–1.64 (1.43/0.15). B10W = 8.42–10.21 (9.39/0.73).

Ecology. Apheloria virginiensis individuals were typically encountered in mesic habitats such as broadleaf deciduous forests. They were also found in mixed forests, and in sandy soils. Syntopic tree species recorded with A. virginiensis included pine, birch, beech, maple, oak, sweet gum, walnut, oak, magnolia, hickory, rhododendron, tulip poplar, and cherry. Individuals were normally found beneath decomposing leaves and logs, and occasionally walking atop leaf litter or on trails at night. They were often encountered beside streams and low sandy woods.

Apheloria polychroma and A. corrugata are well-known mimics with sympatric xystodesmid species, such as Brachoria , Rudiloria , and Appalachioria , but A. virginiensis is not well known to mimic others. Due to similarity in color and overlap in distribution, A. virginiensis may be confused in the field with A. corrugata and A. whiteheadi and the following syntopic taxa of its family: Sigmoria latior ( Brölemann, 1900) and Pleuroloma flavipes Rafinesque, 1820 . The latter two species share with A. virginiensis a two-spotted yellow coloration. This resemblance is likely a result of Müllerian mimicry, however similarity may be due to another convergent evolution. Apheloria virginiensis can be distinguished from other species of Apheloria by its diagnosis, and from Sigmoria and Pleuroloma species by gonopod morphology, specifically by the absence of a cingulum, or a mid-length transverse groove on the acropodite, and the presence of a circular acropodite ( Fig. 7A).

Distribution. Known primarily from the coastal plain and piedmont of North Carolina ( Fig. 11). Apheloria virginiensis is commonly encountered in parks and natural areas in the Research Triangle of North Carolina, such as William B. Umstead State Park. Apheloria virginiensis also occurs in the north of its distribution in the coastal plain, piedmont, and Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The westernmost localities are Wilkes County, North Carolina, and the Blue Ridge Mountains in Floyd County, Virginia. In the piedmont of Virginia, in Prince Edward County, A. virginiensis occurs on the campus of Hampden-Sydney College, but 10 km northeast is replaced by A. corrugata in Farmville. Material provided to the first author by W. Shear collected from these two locales have confirmed this allopatry and northernmost limit of A. virginiensis at Hampden-Sydney College.