Brief Communications
Nature 441, 707 (8 June 2006) | doi:10.1038/441707a; Received 2 March 2006; Accepted 11 May 2006; Published online 7 June 2006
Biodiversity hotspots: Rediscovery of the world's leggiest animal
Paul E. Marek1 and Jason E. Bond1
The millipede species Illacme plenipes comes the closest to having its namesake's mythical 1,000 legs — individuals can bear up to 750 legs1. Here we record the rediscovery of this extremely rare species, which has not been reported since its original description1 some 80 years ago, at a tiny locality of 0.8 km2 in San Benito County, California. Because of the rarity and narrow geographical range of this delicate species, its fragile habitat must be protected at all costs.
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27858, USA
Correspondence to: Paul E. Marek1 Email: pm0623@ecu.edu
Received 2 March 2006 | Accepted 11 May 2006 |
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Biodiversity hotspots Rediscovery of the world's leggiest animalNature Brief Communication (08 Jun 2006)
