''Brachoria'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

polydesmida Polydesmida (from the Greek language, Greek ''poly'' "many" and ''desmos'' "bond") is the largest order (biology), order of millipedes, containing approximately 3,500 species, including all the millipedes reported to produce hydrogen cyanide (HCN ...

millipede Millipedes are a group of arthropods that are characterised by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the class Diplopoda, the name derived from this feature. Each double-legged segment is a resu ...

s in the family

Xystodesmidae Xystodesmidae is a family of millipedes. Its members often have very small distributional areas, with many species only known from a single locality. They are found across the northern hemisphere, with peak diversity in the Appalachian Mountains, ...

inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

, especially the

Cumberland Plateau The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, and portions of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia. The terms "Alle ...

and

Ridge and Valley Province The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending ...

. Species of ''Brachoria'' are boldly patterned with yellow, orange, red, violet that contrasts with a black background, and in the Appalachians some species

mimic MIMIC, known in capitalized form only, is a former simulation computer language developed 1964 by H. E. Petersen, F. J. Sansom and L. M. Warshawsky of Systems Engineering Group within the Air Force Materiel Command at the Wright-Patterson AFB in ...

species of ''

Apheloria ''Apheloria'' is a genus of flat-backed millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae, occurring in the central and southeastern United States, and ranging as far north as southern Quebec, Canada.Hoffman, Richard L. 1999. Checklist of the millipeds of ...

'' where they co-occur, a phenomenon known as

Müllerian mimicry Müllerian mimicry is a natural phenomenon in which two or more well-defended species, often foul-tasting and sharing common predators, have come to mimic each other's honest warning signals, to their mutual benefit. The benefit to Müllerian ...

Species

There are over 30 species of ''Brachoria'' which differ mainly in characteristics of the male

gonopod Gonopods are specialized appendages of various arthropods used in reproduction or egg-laying. In males, they facilitate the transfer of sperm from male to female during mating, and thus are a type of intromittent organ. In crustaceans and millip ...

s (reproductive appendages), but since many species have very small known ranges, geographic location can aid in identification as well. * ''

Brachoria badbranchensis ''Brachoria'' is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Mounta ...

'' * ''

Brachoria blackmountainensis ''Brachoria'' is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Mounta ...

'' * ''

Brachoria calceata ''Brachoria'' is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Mounta ...

'' * ''

Brachoria campcreekensis ''Brachoria'' is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Mounta ...

'' * ''

Brachoria cedra ''Brachoria'' is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Mounta ...

'' * ''

Brachoria conta ''Brachoria'' is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Mounta ...

'' * ''

Brachoria cumberlandmountainensis ''Brachoria'' is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Mounta ...

'' * ''

Brachoria dentata ''Brachoria dentata'', the Pennington Gap mimic millipede, is an Appalachian mimic millipede in the Xystodesmidae family. It is common in Eastern United States mixed mesophytic deciduous forests of the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky, Virgini ...

'' * ''

Brachoria divicuma ''Brachoria'' is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Mounta ...

'' * ''

Brachoria electa ''Brachoria'' is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Mounta ...

'' * ''

Brachoria enodicuma ''Brachoria'' is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Mounta ...

'' * ''

Brachoria evides ''Brachoria'' is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Mounta ...

'' * ''

Brachoria flammipes ''Brachoria'' is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Moun ...

'' * ''

Brachoria glendalea ''Brachoria'' is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Mounta ...

'' * '' Brachoria gracilipes'' * '' Brachoria grapevinensis'' * '' Brachoria guntermountainensis'' * '' Brachoria hansonia'' * '' Brachoria hendrixsoni'' * ''

Brachoria hoffmani ''Brachoria'' is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Moun ...

'' * '' Brachoria hubrichti'' * ''

Brachoria indianae ''Brachoria'' is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Mounta ...

'' * '' Brachoria initialis'' * '' Brachoria insolita'' * '' Brachoria kentuckiana'' * '' Brachoria laminata'' * '' Brachoria ligula'' * '' Brachoria mendota'' * '' Brachoria ochra'' * ''

Brachoria plecta ''Brachoria'' is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Mounta ...

'' * '' Brachoria sheari'' * '' Brachoria splendida'' * ''

Brachoria virginia ''Brachoria'' is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Mounta ...

'' * ''

Brachoria viridicolens ''Brachoria'' is a genus of polydesmidan millipedes in the family Xystodesmidae inhabiting the Eastern United States. Also known as the Appalachian mimic millipedes, at least 30 species are known, with highest diversity in the Appalachian Mounta ...

References

External links

The Appalachian Mimic Millipedes: Tree of Life
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q6447847 Polydesmida Millipedes of North America Mimicry