''Trichopetalum whitei'', common name Luray Caverns blind cave millipede, is a rare

troglobitic A troglobite (or, formally, troglobiont) is an animal species, or population of a species, strictly bound to underground habitats, such as caves. These are separate from species that mainly live in above-ground habitats but are also able to live u ...

(obligate cavernicolous)

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 ...

of the upper

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...

drainage in four

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

counties and three

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

counties. It has been recorded from 12 caves across this range, including the

Luray Caverns Luray Caverns, originally called Luray Cave, is a cave just west of Luray, Virginia, United States, which has drawn many visitors since its discovery in 1878. The cavern system is generously adorned with speleothems such as columns, mud flows, s ...

where it was first discovered and described.

Description

''T. whitei'' is an eyeless, white (unpigmented) millipede. In common with all trichopetalids, it has rows of very elongate segmental

seta In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. Th ...

e extending in rows along the dorsal side. Proper identification requires microscopic examination and dissection of the

gonopods 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 milli ...

(copulatory apparatus) by a specialist skilled in millipede identification.

Ecology and range

''T. whitei'' is a

troglobite A troglobite (or, formally, troglobiont) is an animal species, or population of a species, strictly bound to underground habitats, such as caves. These are separate from species that mainly live in above-ground habitats but are also able to live u ...

and occurs only in caves, especially occurring on damp, rotting wood. ''T. whitei'' is presumably omnivorous, although nothing is known of its feeding preferences. Feeding is presumed to consist of picking up or scraping material from the substrate with the mouthparts then grinding with the mandibles. The species is recorded from caves in the upper Potomac River drainage in Virginia ( Augusta,

Page Page most commonly refers to: * Page (paper), one side of a leaf of paper, as in a book Page, PAGE, pages, or paging may also refer to: Roles * Page (assistance occupation), a professional occupation * Page (servant), traditionally a young mal ...

, Rockingham, and Shenandoah Counties) and West Virginia ( Hardy,

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, and

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Counties). However, if another cave millipede, '' T. weyeriensis'', intergrades with ''T. whitei'' in Pendleton County and these two species are synonymous (as some workers believe), then the range of ''T. whitei'' would also extend into Greenbrier, Monroe and

Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, known as Matoaka, 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman, belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of ...

Counties in West Virginia.

Reproduction and life cycle

Nothing is known of the life history of this species. In related species, the male secretes sperm from pores on the coxae of the second legs into coxal sacs on the post-gonopodal legs. The secretions from the coxal sacs then form the seminal fluid into a

spermatophore A spermatophore or sperm ampulla is a capsule or mass containing spermatozoa created by males of various animal species, especially salamanders and arthropods, and transferred in entirety to the female's ovipore during reproduction. Spermatophores ...

which is then transferred to the

cyphopod Cyphopods, also known as vulvae, are paired sacs in female millipedes that located on the underside of the third body segment that store sperm and connect to the oviduct. Cyphopods are sclerotized, and usually hidden behind a small opening. Despit ...

s of the female during mating.

Conservation status

''T. whitei'' is considered globally vulnerable to extinction by

NatureServe NatureServe, Inc. is a non-profit organization based in Arlington County, Virginia, US, that provides proprietary wildlife conservation-related data, tools, and services to private and government clients, partner organizations, and the public. Nat ...

, with populations in West Virginia considered critically imperiled, and Virginia populations imperiled. ''T. whitei'' is designated as a Regional Forester Sensitive Species in the

Monongahela National Forest The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It protects over of federally managed land within a proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Regi ...

in the Eastern Region of the Forest Service.

Taxonomy

''T. whitei'' was first described as ''Zygonopus whitei'' by Ryder in 1881. It became ''Trichopetalum whitei'' with the synonymy of ''Zygonopus'' with ''Trichopetalum'' by Shear in 1972. Causey has suggested that ''Trichopetalum weyeriensis'' may be a subspecies of ''Trichopetalum whitei'' rather than a distinct species.

Description

Ecology and range

Reproduction and life cycle

Conservation status

Taxonomy

References

Further reading