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Myriapoda: a review of their status in Essex
PETER R. HARVEY
32 Lodge Lane, Grays, Essex RM16 2YP
Abstract
The current status of knowledge about the distribution of millipedes and centipedes in Essex is
reviewed. Provisional distribution maps are provided for the more widespread species to provide a
base-line for future work to improve coverage in the county.
The aim of this review is to put our present knowledge of myriapods in Essex into perspective and
to encourage further work. Millepedes (Diplopoda) and centipedes (Chilopoda) have been largely
neglected in Essex and coverage of the county has been very poor [see national maps for millipedes
in Blower (1985) and British Myriapod Group (1988) and for centipedes in Barber & Keay (1988)].
An astonishing amount of recording during several brief visits to the county by S.J. Gregory, together
with the production of draft Red Data lists for invertebrates by the County Recorders of the Essex
Field Club, stimulated the author to consider the situation of myriapods and to start some serious
recording of the group. A draft Essex Red Data List for the group, incorporating many helpful
observations by S.J. Gregory has been produced, using status categories based on the regional rarity
and threat statuses defined in Harvey (1998) and refined in Harvey (1999). This list is not provided
here, because the provisional nature of our knowledge of the group in Essex makes it likely that
changes will become necessary.
Records available in this review include those made by A.D. Barber, S.J. Gregory, R. Ruffell and the
author together with those held on the former Passmore Edwards Museum database. Knowledge of
the status and distribution of many species is sketchy, but coverage is improving. Some species,
considered to be widespread nationally, seem to be rather scarce in Essex, but much more field work
needs to be done to establish the true situation in the county. There are, at present, only 566 records
in total held on the database of the Essex Field Club covering 133 tetrads or just over 13% of the
county (see Fig. 1), compared to over 42.000 records covering 86% of the county for spiders.
Further records and/or material are invited. There are good identification keys and species descriptions
for millipedes in Blower (1985). The standard work with keys, detailed drawings and species
descriptions for centipedes is still Eason (1964), but the British Myriapod & Isopod Group can
provide modern keys.
Some species not yet recorded for the county are likely to be revealed by further fieldwork. This
includes several species found just south of the Thames in north Kent - the millipedes Cylindroiulus
londinensis and C. nitidus arc two examples, but there arc other species of millipede and centipede
which might be found.
Myriapods are to be found in a wide variety of habitats, and good habitats to investigate include
woodlands, grasslands, coastal habitats, churchyards, gardens and wasteground . There are many
woodland sites in the county which remain unworked for myriapods, as well as ruderal and urban
habitats. As well as Saltmarsh and tidal habitats there are the dunes and vegetated sand to be found
south of Dovercourt, at Hamford Water, Colne Point and to a lesser extent in south Essex. The
unique combination of climatic and ecological features associated with the East Thames Corridor
may hold some surprises for myriapods as well as other invertebrate groups.
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 17 (2000)