Arthropleurids from the Westphalian D of Writhlington Geological Nature Reserve, Somerset

Recent finds of me giant myriapod Arthropleura from the Writhlington Geological Nature Reserve are described and their palaeoecology discussed. The fossils are fragmentary and represent various parts of the animal including tergites, limbs and rosette plates. One specimen is identifiable as Arthropleura armata Jordan, 1854 and it is likely that all the material belongs to this species, A length of about 46 to 66 cm is inferred for the complete animals. Analysis of plant debris associated with the fossils suggests that the Writhlington Arthropleura lived in high diversity fern/pteridosperm forests growing on the river levees; the low diversify Lepidodendron forest which grew in the adjacent back-basin was probably flooded for much of the year and provided an unsuitable habitat. Comparison with other sites suggests that, in general, the less waterlogged levee forests may have been Arthropleura's preferred habitat.