# Apheloria virginiensis



## numbat1000 (May 2, 2014)

Hey everyone, I found a Apheloria virginiensis corrugata a couple days ago, and I was wondering what I should feed it.  I put in some decaying leaves and moss, and I was going to try to give it some fruit.  Any suggestions?  there are no caresheets out there, nor does wiki help, so any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## zonbonzovi (May 3, 2014)

Decaying hardwood and leaf litter from where you found it will suffice.  Keep it semi-moist or provide a moisture gradient.  Very little is known about captive conditions so observations are certainly welcome.


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## Rogerpoco (May 9, 2014)

Hey,I have dozens of these,in a few different color morphs,and have been keeping them pretty stable for a while. Sawdust is good as well,it decays quickly and helps provide food. Leaf litter will eventually have holes in it,so they eat that too.
One of the most important things,I think,is maintaining high humidity and better than average ventilation. A tough trick,but doable,labor-intensive.
If you find more,put them together,I actually think that tho they are usually found by themselves,communal support helps their chance of survival.
Don't know if I should put up a for sale thing to even say this,but I'll send you some more in exchange for about anything,I keep all kinds of inverts,if you want.
Good luck with them-I do advertise them elsewhere,and really think they are the most interesting NA Mill,and seem as hardy to me as any others.

Take Care. Dig some vertical 1 inch holes in your substrate,too,they like that.

Thats a nice one in your pic,ZonBon. Working on Runaway on keys for a cover band,lol.

Check this out,too- http://tolweb.org/brachoria .

Reactions: Like 1


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## zonbonzovi (May 9, 2014)

Would love to see what you're finding in TN, Roger!  Wondering if you're finding any aposematic species.  I'm working on getting offspring from Harpaphe (in my photo).  Last time the fruit was minimal but gave me some ideas for trying again.  They are in a mixed tank with Cherokia, Apheloria, et al.  They really do well together, like keeping complimentary herd animals on the same acreage   I was sent some leaf litter with the Cherokia that all species in the tank are nuts for...it looks like a narrow elm leaf?  Found in GA.

PMed on the other thing.

Good luck with that cover.  Post it up when you have it nailed:tongue:


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## numbat1000 (May 9, 2014)

Rogerpoco said:


> Hey,I have dozens of these,in a few different color morphs,and have been keeping them pretty stable for a while. Sawdust is good as well,it decays quickly and helps provide food. Leaf litter will eventually have holes in it,so they eat that too.
> One of the most important things,I think,is maintaining high humidity and better than average ventilation. A tough trick,but doable,labor-intensive.
> If you find more,put them together,I actually think that tho they are usually found by themselves,communal support helps their chance of survival.
> Don't know if I should put up a for sale thing to even say this,but I'll send you some more in exchange for about anything,I keep all kinds of inverts,if you want.
> ...





Thanks so much for the helpful replys (and you too zonbonzovi).  As a young teen enthusiast, I really appreciate the help.  I would love to get some more, but unfortunately I'm not able to.  do you have the red variation of Brachoria?  If so, could you post a pic? and also a pic of your enclosure.  I'm keeping mine with leaflitter, do you guys suggest any fruit?  and what kind of observations would I want to be making?


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## zonbonzovi (May 10, 2014)

No Brachoria here   I don't personally use any fruit, just leaf litter and rotten hardwood, occasionally I'll throw in dead, dried insects to see if they will "recycle".  

Observations: What do they eat the most of that's offered?  Molting activity?  If they lay eggs, are they layed singly? Together?  Wrapped in feces?  How do they mate?  Color abberations?  Level of activity and when?  Defensive secretions?  Does it stain?  What does it smell like?  Differences between sexes per species?  Really, anything you think may be notable(and some things you may not)


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## Rogerpoco (May 12, 2014)

Hit a time-warp,will try to catch-up on this today. Numbat 1000- Yes,the reds are very nice looking,but I find them at about a 1-20 ratio to the other variations. I'll get pics up,and if yur interested,we'll get you a few. More interested in your interest than your money,lol.
Zonbonzovi-It actually sounds like you will be able to help educate me on them a bit. Based on finding the different colormorphs in the same general area led me to believe they were just different variations of the same very close thing,but your first reply to my post makes me think differently. 
Yes,communal activity is very important,I think,and also touches on another thing mentioned,mating. After a couple hours collecting,I'll have several new additions to the colonie(s!),and there will be mating pairs all over. I think they are opportunistic about it,and is probably why they wander.
I really think that they eat sawdust as much as anything-used to mix it into their substrate,but now just sprinkle little piles of it,and it dissappears,so...? BUT-I have noticed,several have gotten pretty big now,and I wonder if "unlimited feeding"(substrate)may lead them to gorge themselves,adversley affecting the next molt,leading to the thought that they aren't so hardy. Just a theory.
For substrate itself,I actually use "jungle mix"and a block of coconut fiber,from petsmart,is actually for hermit crabs,I mix a bag and a block,use it for everything from T's to Mantids to Mills,works great. If I want it moist,it stays moist,if I want it dry,it stays dry. Very cooperative substrate.
Will try to come up with more,but last things now,the colormorphs don't seem to even consider cross-mating,but get along well. They blow off the poison precursors,smells like cherry. When finding them,is a good idea to let them settle down before adding them to community in case they do gas on you.
Guys(and/or Gals),PLEASE understand,I have been a keeper for a little over a year,been finding these for 9 months or so,am NOT a pro/biologist/anything(home-health LPN,actually),I just don't understand why they aren't more popular,haven't seen the frailty associated with them,and would like to help people start keeping them. My observations are my own,and are pretty straightforward "things I seem to see",but please don't set my words in stone.
Try to pm people in a bit,thanks all,good luck!


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## zonbonzovi (May 13, 2014)

With where you're located it very well could be.  I think there's a bit of overlap in native ranges.  Some of those may be tigana rather than virginiensis?  It's neat to see the juvenile stage in the lower right.  I've only seen that once with the local Xystodesmids.  On aposematism and mimicry, here's a researcher's site: http://www.apheloria.org/Paul_Marek/Mimicry.html

I don't know if you ever browse through bugguide but you can do some comparison there on an informal level(although Dr. Rowland Shelley has a lot of commentary to accompany some of the photos): http://bugguide.net/node/view/60547/bgimage

I'm finding that the more poo I see the healthier the millipedes.  There's no one way to eat a Reese's, haha!  

There are very few "experts" here and it's remarkable what some of the newer keepers discover.  Sometimes it helps to have a fresh outlook.  Anyway, I hope you do well with them and do share if you see anything that piques your curiosity...


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## William Hopkins (Jan 22, 2017)

Many arthropods that live in leaf litter,rotting wood,etc.(treehole scarabs,stag beetles and millipedes)are actually eating mushroom mycellium and exudates Try bits of store boughts,slimey spinach and the like.This in answer to ?about Apheloria Virginia from 2May14.Just found this site,first post.


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## Bug Boy Wonder (Jan 22, 2017)

Rogerpoco said:


> Hey,I have dozens of these,in a few different color morphs,and have been keeping them pretty stable for a while. Sawdust is good as well,it decays quickly and helps provide food. Leaf litter will eventually have holes in it,so they eat that too.
> One of the most important things,I think,is maintaining high humidity and better than average ventilation. A tough trick,but doable,labor-intensive.
> If you find more,put them together,I actually think that tho they are usually found by themselves,communal support helps their chance of survival.
> Don't know if I should put up a for sale thing to even say this,but I'll send you some more in exchange for about anything,I keep all kinds of inverts,if you want.
> ...


These little guys are so cool! Wish we had them in CA


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