Apheloria tigana

[henfruit]

hey everyone
i'm new to the millipede thing and i'm trying to get some info on this species (what they eat, what kind of environment they prefer, etc.) i can't seem to find a heck of alot on them, just that they tend to be active and prefer to eat rotting leaves and wood. if anybody has one and can give me some additional tips on keeping them, i'd appreciate it!

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

They don't like warm temperatures. Keep in mind that unlike many of the giant round millipedes, long term success with Apheloria is a rarity at best.

 

[RoachGirlRen]

It is thought that flat bodied millipedes either have a very short lifespan compared to round bodied pedes, or fail to thrive in captivity. Some of the possible reasons for failure to thrive include temperature issues (usually too high) and improper diet. If my memory serves me, some species demand specific types of wood and/or leaves, not just generic "oak" like most others. Variety may be key since we aren't entirely sure of what they should be eating. It is also suggested that many species feed off of various molds and lichens on rotting hard wood, which can be hard to keep a steady supply of in captivity.

 

[padkison]

These millipedes are common her in central NC, but are hard to keep going in captivity. I do find them in heavy numbers where there is rotting hardwood mulch around planted trees in a local wooded park, so that may be something to factor in. Below is an email I got from a graduate student in biology at ECU who is studying Apheloria (see link) http://personal.ecu.edu/pm0623/

Usually, Apheloria and other xystodesmids survive
pretty well when I kept them in aquariums much like you described. Some
things that I would suggest:

1. make sure the leaves are hardwood (they like, in order of preference:
tulip poplar, maple, oak leaves).
2. keep them moist, but not wet
3. give them enough oxygen and don't put so many leaves in that the
environment becomes oxygen-deprived (microorganisms on the rotting leaves
consume oxygen).
4. keep them at a lower temperature than Narceus (although your basement
sounds like it would be a good temperature).
5. before you put them into the storage tub, try wiping them off (with a
water-moistened tissue) of any defense secretion. They produce hydrogen
cyanide from lateral "repugnatorial glands", which they are not immune.
I've had many a xystodesmid millipede die from its own cyanide. This is
particularly the case with Apheloria, which produce a lot of HCN.