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Millipede Facts Millipede Facts Common Name: Millipede Millipedes are worm-like docile Scientific Name: decomposers with like many tiny legs, but Eurymerodesmus spp. not thousands as their name suggests. They’re often seen in moist microhabitats Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: like rotting logs, under rocks and in leaf Chordata Class: Diplopoda debris. Order: Polydesmida Family: Eurymerodesmidae Genus: Habitat, Anatomy and Life Cycle Eurymerodesmus Species: spp ★ There are over 12,000 species of millipede around the world. They are usually seen in moist deciduous forests, mountains and even desserts. ★ Some species can survive floodplain areas and can be submerged in water for 11 months. Millipede Facts ★ Millipedes are arthropods, Each body segment has two pairs of meaning they are invertebrate legs called diplosomites. The first animals with segmented bodies segments have only one pair called and an exoskeleton like insects, somites, while the anal segment or spiders and crabs. the second-to-last pair has no legs. ★ The term “millipede” comes The top of a segment is called from the Latin word mil, which tergite (tergum) while the means thousand and ped underside located between the pair of meaning feet. Despite their legs is called sternite (sternum). name, millipedes do not have Most species have 25 to 100 thousands or millions of feet. segments, wherein each pair of legs They usually have 47 to 197 pairs move in a wave-like motion. of legs depending on the species, Their body is divided into two: the while the greatest number head and trunk. They have poor known is 750 feet. vision and breathe through ★ Aside from many legs, millipedes spiracles. Spiracles are holes have a segmented body. located along the body. They have an elongated body that can be 1 to 12 inches long. Anatomy of a Millipede Millipede Facts ★ Most species of millipede are black or brown in color, while some are brightly colored. The brightly colored species are usually toxic to predators. ★ At birth, most millipedes have six body segments and three pair of legs. Each time they molt, body segments and legs increase in number. This process is called Millipedes mating anamorphic development. ★ After mating, most female ★ Millipedes are covered with a hard millipede species lay 20 to 30 shell called an exoskeleton. Since eggs, while some give birth to they have poor vision, they have live young. Female millipedes antennae, which help them sense burrow in warm soil where they their surrounding. can lay their eggs and cover ★ Unlike other arthropods with them with a protective capsule relatively short lives, millipedes can usually out of their own feces. live between 7 and 10 years. ★ Most male millipede species do not ★ The eggs hatch into legless have legs on the 7th segment to give larvae. During their first space for the gonopods or sex molting, millipedes develop organs. They use modified legs to legs and continue to develop transfer the sperm packet to a more each time they molt. female during mating. Females After molting, they eat their receive the spermatophore through old exoskeleton. the vulvae located behind the ★ Most millipedes are herbivores second pair of legs. that eat plants and decaying plant matter, while few are carnivores or meat-eaters. Millipede Facts ★ Based on fossil evidence, millipedes were among the earliest animals to move from water to land. ★ The oldest fossil specimen found was the Pneumodesmus newmani embedded in Silestone in Scotland. The spiracles date back to 428 million years ago. Behavioral Traits ★ Millipedes are nocturnal and prefer to live in damp places. ★ In times of danger, millipedes Compared to centipedes, curl their body into a tight millipedes walk slowly. They do spiral exposing the hardened not have stings or fangs to protect plates while protecting the soft themselves from predators, underside. but they can produce a ★ Male millipedes court females foul odor and secrete a for mating. During this time, substance that may cause a males walk on the female’s burning sensation through their back and give her a relaxing stink glands called ozopores. massage and produce a Their usual predators are calming sound to arouse his ★ assassin bugs, slugs, dung partner. When females are beetles, birds and frogs. uninterested, they usually coil up to prevent males from transferring sperm. Millipede Facts ★ Another reason to find a millipede curled up is because they are dead. Additional Milli Facts ★ Great African millipedes are the world’s largest known species of millipede and can grow up to 12 inches long with 30 to 40 segments. ★ The North American millipede can grow up to 3.9 inches. It is dark reddish- brown or black with a red line on each segment. ★ Millipede species like Badplaas black millipede, Ruby-legged black millipede, and Zululand black millipede are considered endangered due to pollution and habitat loss. ★ Most species are abundant in the wild. Some can even cause problems in the garden by eating seedlings and leaves. ★ Compared to millipedes with round elongated bodies, centipedes are flat. Moreover, each segment of their body only has one pair of legs. Name: Millipede Anatomy 1. 3. 2. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 1. 5. 2. 6 3. 7. 4. 8. Millipedes are arthropods with an exoskeleton and body composed of segments. Label their body parts properly. Millipede Millipede Anatomy 1. 3. 2. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 1. Trunk 5. Rounded head 2. Legs 6 Antenna 3. Anal segment 7. Eye 4. Column 8. Mandible Answer Key Millipede Copyright Notice This resource is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license. You are free to: ● Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format ● Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material Under the following terms: ● Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. ● NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. For more information on this license, visit the following link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Thank you!.
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