Advice Request for Biolumincent Millipede

ErinM31

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Alas, mine did not last long after removing them from the wine cooler and I have not been able to find any eggs. :( I looked over this whole thread again, trying to figure out what worked and what didn't... Substrates varied but all contained a large component of decayed wood. Keeping them as cool as 65ºF seems to delay death but it is not the difference between surviving and not that I had expected. It may have interfered with egg-laying.

I am glad that @Hisserdude, @Chris52 and @Metastasize have all found eggs and hope you guys have success with the pedelings! :happy:
 

Hisserdude

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Well, a few weeks ago I dug up the eggs and they had turned dark brown. Today I dug them up again and found that most of them were gone, I assume they have decomposed into the substrate. I found a few eggs that seemed intact, and buried them back up, but I'm pretty sure they will be duds too. :(

Anyone else have any success?
 

Chris52

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I'm not sure about my eggs. I left them alone for several weeks after I found them (I made sure they were kept moist, of course.), and now I honestly don't know where they were located. Still hoping to see some pedelings appear.
 

Hisserdude

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I'm not sure about my eggs. I left them alone for several weeks after I found them (I made sure they were kept moist, of course.), and now I honestly don't know where they were located. Still hoping to see some pedelings appear.
I hope they hatch for you, keep us updated man! :)
 

ErinM31

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Well, a few weeks ago I dug up the eggs and they had turned dark brown. Today I dug them up again and found that most of them were gone, I assume they have decomposed into the substrate. I found a few eggs that seemed intact, and buried them back up, but I'm pretty sure they will be duds too. :(

Anyone else have any success?
I didn't get any eggs.
I'm sorry to hear that! :( Xystodesmids are so difficult and the bioluminescent ones especially would have been great to culture and establish in the hobby! I really thought that with so many of us making the attempt that at least someone would have acceptable conditions. I know we all tried and there were variations in substrate and temperature. I wish I had some theory... Its like there's something that they're missing... For me, every species of Xystodesmid that I've tried to keep has done well for a while and then the population crashed rather rapidly, with no apparent cause (except for my Haraphe -- the exception that proves the rule?).
 

Hisserdude

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I'm sorry to hear that! :( Xystodesmids are so difficult and the bioluminescent ones especially would have been great to culture and establish in the hobby! I really thought that with so many of us making the attempt that at least someone would have acceptable conditions. I know we all tried and there were variations in substrate and temperature. I wish I had some theory... Its like there's something that they're missing... For me, every species of Xystodesmid that I've tried to keep has done well for a while and then the population crashed rather rapidly, with no apparent cause (except for my Haraphe -- the exception that proves the rule?).
Yeah, it sucks, I was sure at least one of us would have success breeding them, especially since some of us got eggs from them. Didn't think getting them to hatch would be hard, just getting the females to oviposit. Wish we knew what it was the were missing...

Oh well, it was worth a shot, I don't regret spending money on them at all, it was a pleasure to see them glow in the dark in person. :)
 

ErinM31

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Pretty sure mine died...:(
Sorry to hear that, but I don't think anyone got offspring. :( For what it's worth, for all that we tried collectively, I do not believe that husbandry was the main issue. I suspect that many Polydesmidans require micro- or macro- flora from their native habitat to survive. The paper from the 1950's referred to in this thread used kept the Motyxia in hummus collected with the millipedes and they had great success. I kept my Harpaphe with Douglas fir debris and now have dozens of pedelings. :happy: And while I have not set up controlled experiments to test it, I increasingly suspect that Eurymerodesmus melacis require at least a small amount of juniper -- for certain it does them no harm.
 

Chris52

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Hello! This is a really old thread, but I saw BugsinCyberspace had more of the Motxyia sp. listed recently, along with some variations. I'm curious, did anyone get more to try again? I was going to order some today, but it seems I've missed my chance. :bored:
 

mickiem

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Can you post a link to the paper, please? :)
Do I need to pay $10 for this article or is it available somewhere for a download? I don't see a download option. Thanks, if you can help!
 

ErinM31

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Do I need to pay $10 for this article or is it available somewhere for a download? I don't see a download option. Thanks, if you can help!
Does the link below work for you?

Hello! This is a really old thread, but I saw BugsinCyberspace had more of the Motxyia sp. listed recently, along with some variations. I'm curious, did anyone get more to try again? I was going to order some today, but it seems I've missed my chance. :bored:
Alas, these species seemed especially heat intolerant, as in not even overnight shipping being enough. :( I am hoping that we can yet find the elusive M. sequoiae discussed in the above paper. It was be AWESOME to have a bioluminescent millipede that hardy!
 

mickiem

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Does the link below work for you?

Thanks, Erin but it still doesn't work. It has 4 items listed and then says I must sign in or purchase the article to read further. What am I missing?
 

ErinM31

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Thanks, Erin but it still doesn't work. It has 4 items listed and then says I must sign in or purchase the article to read further. What am I missing?
Sorry, I thought that there was a link to download it! It is ridiculous that papers this old aren't all open access at this point! o_O It must be that someone sent it to me or I got it through the library -- I don't recall now. Anyway, if you'd like to PM me your e-mail address, I'd be happy to send it to you!
 

mickiem

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Sorry, I thought that there was a link to download it! It is ridiculous that papers this old aren't all open access at this point! o_O It must be that someone sent it to me or I got it through the library -- I don't recall now. Anyway, if you'd like to PM me your e-mail address, I'd be happy to send it to you!
Thanks @ErinM31 will do.
 

DubiaW

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Sorry, I thought that there was a link to download it! It is ridiculous that papers this old aren't all open access at this point! o_O It must be that someone sent it to me or I got it through the library -- I don't recall now. Anyway, if you'd like to PM me your e-mail address, I'd be happy to send it to you!
That is the sad state of the academic field. Information is withheld from those who do not pay for it. It makes it very difficult for those who want to learn. There is an unethical culture in science that revolves around publication, from withholding information down to outright stealing of other people's ideas and work. That is one of the reasons that I became disinterested after working at a University for a while. The doctorate that I worked under literally stole one of his students papers on venom immunity in possums and built his life's work on that "discovery."

A young activist tried to publish thousands of papers online for open source. He was convicted and given a ridiculous sentence. He committed suicide before he went to prison. I can't remember his name right now.
 
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