Subject: Correctly identified a millipede on my own? Location: Columbia, TN March 16, 2013 9:11 pm I just wanted to share my favorite critter find of the day today. Found March 16, 2013 in Middle Tennessee in a heavily wooded and mossy area. I believe based on my searching of this site that it is a Sigmoria trimaculata, however, since I am usually wrong in my assumptions, a confirmation would be appreciated. Feel free to share my photo as I did not see very many on here. Thanks for all that you all do! Signature: S Carter

Flatbacked Millipede: Sigmoria trimaculata

Dear S. Carter, We agree with your identification.  Back in 2007, we posted an image of a Flatbacked Millipede that we identified only to the order level of Polydesmida, but a year later, Rowland Shelley of the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science identified it a Sigmoria trimaculata.  His comment at the time was:  “Most are quite old; don’t people submit new ones more often than this?”  We don’t get images of this interesting Millipede that often, so your photos are a great addition to our archive.

Flatbacked Millipede: Sigmoria trimaculata

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Subject: Giant Millipede?
Location: Gold Run, CA
March 11, 2013 7:43 pm
Assuming this is a Giant Millipede, although I know ”Giant” is in the eye of the beholder! He/She was very calm and attractive – once my little girls got over their fear they had a lot of fun. No distinguishing colors other than shades of grey. Turned him/her loose in the overgrowth after taking a pic – any info would be great! Thanks again, love your website!
Signature: Whitnei B.

Millipede

Hi Whitnei,
Since most Millipedes are much smaller, calling this a giant Millipede makes perfect sense.  We are uncertain how many different species of large Millipedes can be found in northern California, and most likely even scientists are certain how many species can be found.  According to our favorite source for information on southern California “bugs”, Charles Hogue’s Insects of the Los Angeles Basin:  “Several species live in the basin;  most are small and inconspicuous.  But two closely related species, Hiltonius pulchrus and Tylobolus claremontus, are very large (exceeding 3 in., or 8 cm, in length) and a third species, Atopetholus californicus (=angelus), is only slight smaller (up to 2 in., or 50mm).  All are otherwise similar, with cylindrical shiny black, dark gray , or brown bodies.”  The genus Hiltonius is represented on BugGuide  Tylobolus is also represented on BugGuide and Atopetholus can be found on BugGuide as well.  We can’t say for certain if your Millipede is in one of those genera or if it is in a different classification. 

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Flat Orange on Oak wood
Location: Grass Valley, CA
November 1, 2011 6:46 pm
We have these all over the oak wood outside our home. I have not been able to find out what it is. They only seem to be on the oak that is on the ground.
Signature: Brandi Minium

Millipedes

Hi Brandi,
These are Millipedes that feed on decaying organic matter and possibly the fungus that grows on decaying wood.  We believe we have identified them as Brachycybe rosea based on BugGuide.

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a species of Melaphe!!
Location: Historic City of Troy, Turkey
July 22, 2011 8:30 am
I was going to ask what this guy was-I saw him in the city of Troy in Turkey this May. But, I found I didn’t need to ask thanks to ”LESVIAN MILLIPEDES”
Posted by danielj July 7th, 2004 at 12:00 am and ”TURKISH MILLIPEDE”
Posted by danielj April 18th, 2006 at 12:00 am. Your research is appreciated! Now I can tell my deviant watchers what it is =D
Signature: Thanks much!

Millipede

Hi D,
We are happy to hear you were able to self identify your Trojan Millipede as a species in the genus Melaphe from the family Xystodesmidae, and please send our best to your deviant watchers.

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centipede from India
Location: Tamil Nadu, india
February 12, 2011 1:49 pm
Hello dear bugman, I am back with a few more finds… if you find the time to look at them – lovely!
This looks like a centipede… about 6-8cm long, black-yellow. It was found in dry grassland in Tamil Nadu, India.
Signature: Thanks, Helen

Millipede

Hi Helen,
This is not a Centipede.  It is a Millipede.  You can tell by looking closely and seeing that there are two pairs of legs per body segment while Centipedes have but one pair per body segment.  Centipedes and Millipedes are in different classes in the same Subphylum, Myriapoda.  According to BugGuide, the word Myriapoda has its origin:  “From Greek myrias (μυριας) 10,000 (i.e., countless) plus podos foot, leg.“  Millipedes are in the class Diplopoda.

Millipede: 2 pairs of legs per body segment.

Karl provides a species identification
Hi Daniel and Helen:
This millipede looks very similar to the Yellow-spotted millipede (a.k.a. the Almond-scented Millipede or Cyanide Millipede), Harpaphe haydeniana, a native of the Pacific coast of North America that is well represented on the Bugguide site. The internet has a profusion of images suggesting that this species also occurs in India and various other Asian locations, but there is also considerable confusion regarding whether or not this species actually exists in Asia (by introduction I would assume). I did find several references in scientific papers suggesting that it does, at least in India, but I also found sites that indicated it is commonly confused with the Asian species Asiomorpha coarctata. There are other Asian species that also look similar but I suspect it is one of these two (to me H. haydeniana looks like a closer match). I think it probably has been introduced to India, but given the degree of confusion I don’t think I would fully trust any internet image identified as a H. haydeniana from Asia.
Karl

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Numerous!
Location: Maasai Mara, Kenya
December 21, 2010 6:28 am
Hi Daniel,
I’ve got a few more for you to identify.
All from Maasai Mara in Kenya
…
- Picture two: Obviously a millipede of some sort. I just thought his body shape was interesting. not completely round like normal.
…
Signature: Zarek

Millipede

Hi again Zarek,
Thanks for supply visual proof to our readership that Millipedes from Kenya share many similar physical attributes with Millipedes from elsewhere in the world.

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