Polyxenus fasciculatus is a species of polyxenid millipede about 2 millimetres (0.079 in) long which is notable for its use of detachable bristles which entangle predatory ants. The bristles have grappling hooks at the tip which lock on to the setae of an ant, and barbs along their length which cause them to interlink .[2] The species can be found in the eastern United States, in a region stretching from Maryland to Illinois to Texas. It has also been found in the Caribbean Islands and Canary Islands.[3]
| Polyxenus fasciculatus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Myriapoda |
| Class: | Diplopoda |
| Order: | Polyxenida |
| Family: | Polyxenidae |
| Genus: | Polyxenus |
| Species: | P. fasciculatus
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| Binomial name | |
| Polyxenus fasciculatus Say, 1821
| |
References
edit- ^ "Polyxenus fasciculatus - Say, 1821". NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. 11 July 2011. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
- ^ Thomas Eisner, Maria Eisner and Mark Deyrup (October 1996). "Millipede defense: use of detachable bristles to entangle ants" (PDF). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 93 (20): 10848–10851. Bibcode:1996PNAS...9310848E. doi:10.1073/pnas.93.20.10848. PMC 38244. PMID 8855269.
- ^ Hoffman, R. L. (1999). "Checklist of the millipeds of North and Middle America". Virginia Museum of Natural History Special Publications. 8: 1–553. p. 13
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