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Taxonomy
Diplopoda
EOL Text
These invertebrates have long thin bodies made of many segments, protected by an exoskeleton. Each segment has two pairs of legs. They have a pair of antennae on their head, and chewing mouthparts. Most have glands along their body that make toxic compounds to discourage predators. Most millipedes are darkly colored, but some very toxic ones are bright.
Other Physical Features: bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
| Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Diplopoda/ |
Diplopoda de Blainville in Gervais, 1844
- Decker, Peter, Reip, Hans Simon, Voigtlaender, Karin (2014): Millipedes and centipedes in German greenhouses (Myriapoda: Diplopoda, Chilopoda). Biodiversity Data Journal 2, 1066: 1066-1066, URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.2.e1066
| License | Public Domain |
| Rights holder/Author | No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation. |
| Source | http://treatment.plazi.org/id/9956197A90B49655FA85ACC3B2DF0897 |
Millipedes are found all over the world, and are most diverse in the humid tropical regions.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); palearctic (Native ); oriental (Native ); ethiopian (Native ); neotropical (Native ); australian (Native )
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
| Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Diplopoda/ |
Little Sexual Dimorphism other than gonopodia; females sometimes longer and thicker than males; occasional Sexual Dimorphism in color.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Fairbairn, 2013 |
| Source | http://datadryad.org/resource/doi:10.5061/dryad.n48cm |
Millipedes live on land, but they need to live in moist places, and most live in forested areas (though there are plenty in grasslands and other habitats too)
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: taiga ; chaparral ; forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest ; mountains
Wetlands: marsh ; swamp
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
| Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Diplopoda/ |
Millipedes eat dead plant material. They have bacteria and other microbes in their digestive system that helps them break down the dead leaves and other foods they eat. They sometimes eat the dung of herbivores.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
| Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Diplopoda/ |
Millipedes can be important decomposers, especially in tropical forests.
Ecosystem Impact: biodegradation
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
| Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Diplopoda/ |
Millipedes can't run fast, so they have protection. They curl up to protect their legs, and they give off toxic chemicals to poison their predators or at least taste bad.
Known Predators:
- Soricidae
- Aves
- Squamata
- Araneae
- Formicidae
- Coleoptera
- Anura
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
| Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Diplopoda/ |
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
larva of Hymenolepis scalaris endoparasitises Diplopoda
In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Animal / dung saprobe
colony of Umbelopsis ramanniana is saprobic in/on dung or excretions of dung of Diplopoda
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | BioImages, BioImages - the Virtual Fieldguide (UK) |
| Source | http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/Diplopoda.htm |