Myriapoda: a review of their status in Essex 193
Order CHORDEUMATIDA
Family Craspedosomatidae
Nanogona polydesmoides (Leach) 4
Widespread and frequent under stones and
logs especially in woodland, but also in open 2
land by the coast. It is commonly encountered
in these situations and must be very under- i
recorded in the county.
o
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Family Brachychaeteumatidae
Brachychaeteuma melanops (Brade-Birks)
National Status Notable/Nb
The only Essex record of this rare species appears to be from Woodford Rubbish Tip (TQ416893),
collected by Dr Steve Hopkin on 8 February 1987 (record in the former Passmore Edwards Museum
database). The millipede is said to be found in chalk or basic soils. In Oxfordshire records are
typically from rather disturbed sites such as periodically flooded riverside meadows or churchyards,
usually under large stones or dead wood resting on clay (Gregory & Campbell 1996).
Order JULIDA: Snake Millipedes
Family Nemasomatidae
Nemasome varicorne CL. Koch
There are only two records for Essex both made by S.J. Gregory, the first from damp deciduous
woodland at Fingringhoe Wick (TM043196) on 27 December 1991 and the second at Cymbeline
Meadows, Colchester (TL985261) on 3 January 1994 under the bark of willow trees in a damp cattle
grazed meadow. Nationally widespread, the species is likely to be found elsewhere in the county. It is
recorded almost exclusively from under the bark of both coniferous and deciduous trees where it is
often associated with the millepedes Proteoiulus fuscus, Cylindoiulus punctatus and C. brittanicus
(Blower 1985).
Family Blaniulidae 4
Proteroiulus fuscus (Am Stein)
A small snake millipede typically found under 2
the bark of fallen logs and stumps of both
coniferous and deciduous trees (Blower 1985). l
It is almost certainly very under-recorded in
the county.
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Essex Naturalist (New Series) 17 (2000)