(left to right) Paul Marek, Jackson Means, Katy Lawler, Nina Zegler and Elizabeth Francis
On Friday, we collected millipedes on Brush Mountain near Blacksburg, Virginia. We found the genera Narceus, Pseudopolydesmus, Apheloria, Rudiloria, and Nannaria. Other fascinating discoveries included several species of plethodontid salamanders, a large imperial moth caterpillar, a giant crayfish, cryptocercid cockroaches, and an aggregation of dancing Beech blight aphids.
Dear Mr. Merek or Mr. Bug Man, Today I read the Roanoke Times article about you and was intrigued that you are collecting millipedes on Brush Mountain. I grew up on the very top of Brush Mountain when there only were two houses up there. I did not realize that those millipedes I saw as a child had ancestors going back thousands of years. Nor would I ever have thought to thank them for making it possible for me to walk through the woods without battling huge piles of leaves. Now I live on Bishop Road at the base of the mountain and observed that your team would like to rummage around various properties in the area. I do indeed observe millipedes from time to time and would be delighted to have you come and rummage my 15 acre space. Are you interested in having me collect any millipedes I happen upon? Thank you for sharing the fascinating work you are doing. Arlean Lambert