| None of the UK's three species of Brachychaeteuma
Millipedes have ever been recorded before in
Nottinghamshire, so the record of this Brachychaeteuma
from an Attenborough garden in early January 2016,
is certainly representative of what species are waiting
to be discovered, even within the confines of an urban
garden. Unfortunately, two of the three UK Brachychaeteuma
Millipedes are extremely difficult to determine to
species level and require an adult male to do so. Even
then, there is great variability in the male gonopods. To
make matters slightly worse for Tim Sexton (who found the
specimen and sent us these photographs for inclusion) it
was a female and so remains as Brachychaeteuma sp,
but is either B. bagnalli or possibly B.
bradeae. A second unidentifiable female Brachychaeteuma
sp, was collected by Derek Whiteley from Pleasley
Vale in February 2016 and there have also been recent
records from gardens at Mapperley and Mansfield
Woodhouse. |
