Date of Award

Spring 5-10-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Bruce Snyder

Abstract

Millipedes are an incredibly diverse class of animals that impact soil structure and nutrient cycling. Despite their abundance, ecological importance, and wide distribution, they are understudied compared to other animal taxa, and biogeographical information is scant. Taxonomic resources for millipede identification in North America are slim, with few dichotomous keys to species. Furthermore, it is difficult to navigate to these specific keys from broader identification resources. Georgia, though the largest state by land area east of the Mississippi River, has largely been overlooked in any regional millipede checklists. The goals for this project are to compile a preliminary checklist of all millipede species in Georgia, provide maps indicating distributions, and to create a dichotomous key to make the study more accessible to amateurs, as well as to alleviate the need to rely on adult males to identify species.

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