Exotic Millipede Discovered at Mianus River Gorge

How many times have you hiked the Mianus River Gorge in Bedford, unaware of what insects are crawling all around?

A tiny, exotic bug that has never before been found in the Northeast has found its way to Bedford from the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina.

The good news is that the yellow-spotted millipede it finally has an identity—Boraria stricta—named by North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Curator, Dr. Rowland Shelley.

The bad news is that it may compete with native species, altering soil chemistry and speeding up nutrient cycling, which the local forests don't like, said Dr. Chris Nagy, Mianus Gorge biologist.

"We're not sure of the significance of this discovery just yet," he said. "We have a number of projects and students looking into the ecology of the millipede and its interaction with other soil and streambed species. There could be a positive affect on the ecosystem if the millipede replaces lost ecosystem functions. It's pretty clear the Gorge is a good place for them as they have exploded in numbers since we first found it."

To help find out, senior Miwa Wenzel, through her Wildlife Tech Class, studied the millipede—who secrete a cyanide solution if irritated—alongside salamanders in stream beds. So far, it's not negatively affecting the lizards.

Wenzel, 17, has been researching in the Mianus River Gorge since her sophomore year.

"I thought it was really fascinating to look into these kind of things," she said of her research. "Because it's really hard to predict how it will impact the environment. I thought it was a great opportunity to pursue this topic that I love."

Wenzel's fascination with insects and nature began at a young age. While growing up, the Yorktown girl enjoyed being outside, hiking and catching fish and looking at the frogs at a little pond just behind her house. Her father often tells the story of her bravery facing a bee on her front porch when the rest of her family fled, she said. She was fascinated at the bee moving its legs and cleansing itself. 

It was curiosity, Wenzel said, and that's what keeps her motivated to continue her research on the exotic millipede. That and the fact that every creature, no matter how small, has a role in the universe. 

The insect has actually lived in Bedford since at least 2000, until Shelly identified the millipede along with Gorge scientists. It probably got here by hitching a ride on nursery plantings or soil transport from its native range in the south.

"It's very interesting to see how it functions and how it's so small and still carries the life process and still contributes to our world," Wenzel said of the millepede, on which very few studies have been done. "People should appreciate nature. It seems insects are not appreciated as the other animals are because they're very small. Insects are fascinating."

Stay tuned—and next time you're in the gorge, keep an eye out for Boraria Stricta.