Millipede Assassin Bugs from South Africa
(08/22/2008) Ectrichodia crux
Hi Bugman
I have noticed these assasin bugs feasting on a milipede on my farm in Pretoria ,South Africa .  We live on a rocky outcrop of the Magalies mountain range at 1400m (4500ft)above mean sea level. The fotos were taken on the 5th January 2008 (mid summer) around 10AM with a Canon EOS 400D camera.  I thought you may be interested in these fotos.
Kind Regards
Arend van de Wetering



Hi Arend,
Thanks for providing us with additional photo documentation of the Millipede Assassin Bugs, Ectrichodia crux, communally feeding on a large Millipede.

Millipede Assassin Bug Nymphs feed on Millipede in South Africa
(02/12/2008) African Assassins
Hiya from Mossel Bay, South Africa. I thought you might be interested in these assassin bug nymphs (Ectrichodia crux) feeding on a millipede. It looks so organised! Kind regards
Sally



Hi Sally,
Over the years, we have received a few truly memorable Food Chain images, and this is one of the best. Thanks so much for sending us your image of a "pack" of immature Assassin Bugs feeding on a Millipede. More research led us to a photo of an adult Ectrichodia crux, and the common name Millipede Assassin Bug. We promptly located another photo of an adult. We will contact Rowland Shelley, who identified all of our Millipedes, to see if he knows the Millipede species. Here is his response: "The milliped could be one of several things, but I'd say it's a representative of the family Spirostreptidae, order Spirostreptida. Best I can do. Rowland"

Millipedes
(10/30/2007) Bugs?
Hi,
I went hiking in feather falls near oraville in northern California on Sunday October 30th, 2007. I came upon a log cut off with tons of pinkesh red insects in a cluster on them. It was damp and starting to get dark outside at the time I found them. Got any idea of what they might be? Thanks,
Shawn J. Ledet



Hi Shawn,
This is a cluster of Millipedes. When we searched BugGuide for a species, we found images of Brachycybe lecontii with the description: "One frequently finds clusters with several sizes and age-classes under bark on decaying logs & stumps" that is credited to Dr. Rowland Shelley. The submissions to BugGuide came from Louisiana, Georgia and Tennessee, not the Pacific Northwest, so we did more research. There is reference on BugGuide that the species is covered in books on the Pacific Northwest.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
Here are ids. for the millipedes on the millipede page.  Most are quite old; don’t people submit new ones more often than this?   10/30/07 .  Cluster from Calif.   They are probably Brachycybe rosea Murray (order Platydesmida: family Andrognathidae).
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Flatbacked Millipede
(07/03/2007) millipedes
Trying to id this millipede from pa in the poconos.



This is a Flatbacked Millipede in the order Polydesmida. That is the best we can provide at the moment.

Update: (01/20/2008 Millipede IDs
Here are ids. for the millipedes on the millipede page.  Most are quite old; don’t people submit new ones more often than this? (07/03/2007) PA. Poconos.  Sigmoria (Rudiloria) trimaculata trimaculata (Wood) (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae)
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Millipede Aggregation
(02/19/2007) Tiny little worms...
I'm hoping you can help me identify these tiny little worms that have made my children's bedroom their breeding ground. The pics attached were taken on the patio just off the bedroom. There are hundreds of them outside in the cracks all around the backyard. They have made their way in from the outside and are all around the baseboards. I don't know what to do about them and can't identify them. I hope you can help.
Lisa Enriquez



Hi Lisa,
These are not worms, they are Millipedes. They feed on organic material in soil and help break it down. Perhaps you have a new flower bed filled with bags of soil and amendments which has caused this population explosion.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede ids.
Here are ids. for the millipedes on the millipede page.  Most are quite old; don’t people submit new ones more often than this? 2/19/07 .  representatives of the order Julida.  Can’t tell family from photo; they are probably introduced as they occur around a home
Rowland Shelley

Millipede from the Philippines
(01/21/2007) Millipede
Hi,
can you please tell me what kind of millipede this is? I found it in the Philipines a few years ago. Thanks.
Stefan from Denmark.



Hi Stefan,
We haven't had much luck identifying your Millipede species. Perhaps one of our readers will have an answer for you.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede ids.
Here are ids. for the millipedes on the millipede page.  Most are quite old; don’t people submit new ones more often than this? 1/1/07 .  Philippines .  From colors of bands it looks like a representative of the family Rhinocricidae (order Spirobolida).  Since Stefan is in Denmark, there is a first rate specialist at the Danish Museum of Natural History, Copenhagen, Dr. Henrik Enghoff.  Stefan should take the specimen by for an id.  Henrik will probably be interested to learn that this foreign millipede was found in Denmark.
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Update: (02/04/2008) possible contact for ID'ing Filipino millipede
Hello!
Well, once again, you folks are responsible for the loss of about $25.00 worth of valuable tax dollars!  Here I am, trying to ID a North American Millipede, when I made the mistake of logging on to your website.  It is so fascinating that it seems I have "squandered" a good hour just poking around, looking at all the fascinating photos and sassy comments.  Keep it up!     I was overjoyed to see that gorgeous Philippine millipede.  I grew up there, and got my biology degree there.  If you'd like me to,  I will track down the email address of the terrestrial ecosystems section of the bio department - CENTROP, Silliman University, Dumaguete City, Philippines.   Perhaps they have someone there that can ID that beauty.  My husband is filipino, and tells me stories of gigantic millipedes that can "shoot" a caustic acid on people that harrass them.  Yikes.  The specimen in the picture is probably about 6" long, judging from the bamboo wall/floor strips behind it on the right that are usually about an inch wide. Sure wish I had seen it! Wow.   Hope it helps! My husband is from the Philippines, and he recognizes the lovely black and yellow millipede.  It's about 6" long, and he thinks the locals call it "labod" in the local dialect of Cebuano.  He says it can ooze a very caustic fluid.  You might try contacting CENTROP at Silliman University, Dumaguete City Philippines if you need more info on it.   There should be someone there who would know more about it.   I'll try to track down a valid e-mail address if you are interested.   That is one totally cool millipede!!!!!
Karen Puracan
Naturalist
Lancaster County Environmental Center

Millipedes NOT Mating
(06/26/2006) Common VA millipedes mating
Hi,
Tons of these have been crawling around my house lately. They were so small that I couldn't tell how many legs-per-segment they had until we got this photo of a mating pair. They're not as showy as many other bugs on the site, but they're still pretty neat. Thanks,
Emily



Hi Emily,
Your photo has the distinction of being the only photo we have received of mating Millipedes.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
Here are ids. for the millipedes on the millipede page.  Most are quite old; don’t people submit new ones more often than this? 6/26/06  Oxidus gracilis (Koch).  They are not, however, mating as the posture is totally wrong; they would have to have ventral surfaces together to be mating.
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Yellow Spotted Millipedes
(06/24/2006) millipedes in Muir Woods
Hi there -
My partner and I and my four year old son saw these millipedes today in Muir Woods National Monument north of San Francisco, hiding among the mosses and rotting leaves with banana slugs and other creatures that love the old growth. They were around 2-3 inches long, about half an inch wide. They seem pretty distinguishable with the yellow spots and all, and seem like they'd attract attention, but we haven't been able to find out what they are. Thanks much!
Jeremy



Hi Jeremy,
We found a match on Bugguide for your Yellow-spotted Millipede, Harpaphe haydeniana. The are relatively common in the rain forrests of the Pacific Northwest.

Expert Confirmation: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs 6/24/06 . Muir Woods, CA.  Harpaphe haydeniana (Cook)  (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae).
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Mites on Flat Backed Millipede
(06/12/2006) Flat backed millipede riders
Hi,
I know this is a flat backed millipede, but what are those mites riding on it? Maybe you could ask Barry M. O'Connor for me? I snapped this photo on 06/11/06 in Port Orchard, WA - he's about 2" long. Many thanks,
Kevin
PS - that big bug from 'toe biter' that you never identified - the bug in a jar that died at school? It didn't die from the stress of being at school, but probably from the stress of not being in water as it is a water beetle.



Hi Kevin,
We will post your letter and try to get the answer you requested. We can't seem to find the letter you cited. Please give us a page and date.

Barry OConnor Responds:
Hi Daniel - The division of the dorsal plate on the back of the mites on the millipede, and the smaller size of the posterior part indicate that these are deutonymphs (last immature instar) of the family Parasitidae. Despite their name, parasitid mites are not parasitic, merely riding on their host from place to place. The name dates to an 18th century misperception by the French naturalist Latreille who observed these mites on a beetle and thought they were parasitic and named them "Parasitus". The rules for naming animals require that the first scientific name given to an animal is the one we use, even if it turns out not to be appropriate. These mites normally inhabit rich but patchy sources of organic matter like manure or carrion where they feed on nematodes or fly eggs/larvae. It's rather surprising to see these on this millipede; they're much more commonly seen on scarab, carabid & silphid beetles that frequent such substrates. Others are specific inhabitants of the nests of small mammals and bumblebees, and their deutonymphs ride on those hosts. Other parasitids live in the soil and prey on other microarthropods but don't use other animals to disperse since their habitat is more continuous. Glad to help - you always have cool pictures!
All the best! - Barry

Update: (01/20/2008 Millipede IDs
6/12/06 .  Port Orchard, WA.  Probably Chonaphe sp. (Polydesmida”: Xystodesmidae), as they seem too wide to be the ubiquitous Harpaphe haydeniana .
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Millipede
(06/03/2006) I promise this is the last...
I promise this is the last thing I will send. I was going to ask what this gorgeous guy was. I found it at Jacks River Fields while camping. Jacks River Fields is located close to where Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina come together. It just outside of Blue Ridge, GA in North GA. It was July, and it was just hanging out next to our camp site.
Thank you again!
Starr Elliott



Hi Starr,
We believe this is a Pill Millipede in the Order Polydesmida. Its pink coloration is new to us as we are used to seeing photos of yellow specimens. They can secrete cyanide as a defense mechanism.

Correction: (05/10/2006)
WTB, you guys have a wonderful site! Something I really admire about you guys is that you're more than willing to post corrections to identifications you have made. The pink millipede that was posted on your site is not a pill millipede. Pill millipedes are much shorter and are called such because they are able to curl up into a nearly perfect sphere resembling a pill ( http://www.intenseherp.com/images/SH0001_3.jpg ). I was looking to ID the pink flat-backed millipede and came up with this: http://bugguide.net/node/view/37831/bgimage Hope this helps. Thanks for the great site!
Nick

Thanks for the assistance Nick.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
6/3/06  Jacks River Falls ,GA.  Sigmoria sp. (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae).  Can tell species from photo.
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Turkish Millipede
(04/18/2006) millipede
Hi,
Can you help me identify this millipede?i found it under a rock in Mt. Spil, Manisa , Turkey. I think someone has the picture of the same specie from Lesvos, Greece.
Serhan



Hi Serhan,
We were never able to identify the Lesvian Millipedes. Now that your photo has arrived, we will put renewed energy into trying to find an accurate identification.

Update: (01/20/2008) Greece millipedes
While scrolling through sites tonight, I came across yours, and I can answer many of the questions, though it is late.  Anyhow, there are two pictures of a lovely black millipede fro, Greece with bright yellow spots down the midbody and yellow-spottwed margins.  This is a species of Melaphe (order Polydesmida: family Xystodesmidae). 
Rowland Shelley ,North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Wireworm	Flatbacked Millipede

(03/26/2006) My boss found this in his kitchen should he be worried?!
Hi Bugman,
I've been given the strange task of finding the species of bug that has found its way into my boss' kitchen. My guess it's a garden variety caterpillar, but he's not so sure. Should he be worried? Any information about our little friend would be great.
Thanks so much,
Cheers.
Ben Porter
L O N S D A L E G A L L E R Y
Toronto, Canada



Hi Ben,
This is not a caterpillar, but a Millipede. We believe it is an American Giant Millipede, Narceus americanus. They feed on decaying organic matter and do not infest homes. It must have wandered in, possibly after a rain. Certain Millipedes can release cyanide gas as a defense mechanism, but it is doubtful if that will kill your boss.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
3/26/06 .  While Narceus americanus (Beauvois) is a common spirobolid milliped in Ontario , this one doesn’t look like Narceus because of the somewhat olivish bands and the prolonged epiproct or telson.  I think it is a tropical representative of the family Rhinocricidae (Spirobolida) that was unknowingly picked up in a tropical plant, as this has happened several times across Canada .
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Pill Millipedes from Madagascar
(02/26/2006) Interesting Bugs of Madagaskar
Hallo Bugman,
these funny bugs roll like a golfball when you touch them. I found them in the montagne d'ambre in northerm Madagaskar.
Christian



Hi Christian,
We thought these these terrestrial isopods known as Pill Bugs and wondered if they really were the size of a golf ball. Eric Eaton set us straight though with this correction: " I believe those are actually giant pill millipedes, order Sphaeriotheriida. Eric"

Update (02/27/2006)
The pictures you received from Madagascar are actually of Millipedes and not sow bugs.
Chad Grupe
Ecologist II
Fairfax County Watershed Planning and Assessment Branch

Update (02/27/2006)
Hello Lisa and Daniel,
I was looking at your "what's that bug" website and think I have some answers for your pages:The "rollie pollies" from madagascar on the home page are actually giant pill millipedes (myriapods not crustaceans as are the 'real' rollie pollies). I would not have believed their size if I had not seen a preserved one; they are that big though. I hope this helps!
Matt Bertone
Entomology Graduate Student
Insect Molecular Systematics
North Carolina State University
Department of Entomology

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
2/26/06  Sphaerotherium sp. (Sphaerotheriida: Sphaerotheriidae).
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

American Giant Millipede
(02/05/2006) what does it eat?
What a fantastic, fun and informative site! Good for you -- and great for the rest of us. Can you identify this species of millipede for me? This one was photographed in early August in a bushlot near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. I know they eat decaying plant and organic matter but would like to know if millipedes eat any type of fungi? Will look forward to hearing from you at the earliest time possible.
Sincerely,
Celina in Canada



Hi Celina,
What a marvelous photo of an American Giant Millipede, Narceus americanus. Since Millipedes feed on decaying organic matter, and mushrooms also depend on decaying organic matter as a food source, they share the same habitat. As to whether the Millipedes would eat fungus, we see no reason why they wouldn't, though have no concrete information regarding this presumption.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
2/5/06  Narceus americanus (Beauvois) (Spirobolida: Spirobolidae) in typical coloration.
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

American Giant Millipede
(01/25/2006) millipede, but what species?
Hi bugman,
I love the website!!! I work for a non-profit environmental organization in Southwestern PA. We took a picture of this beautiful millipede while conducting field work one day. We are inducting it into our photo library but want to make sure that it is correctly identified as either native or exotic/invasive. Can you tell me what species of millipede this is and if it is native to the eastern US or, more specifically, to PA.
Thanks a lot,
Kylie Daisley, Projects Manager
Natural Biodiversity Conservation Strategy
Johnstown, PA



Hi Kylie,
Native and in your range. This is an American Giant Millipede, Narceus americanus. According to BugGuide, the range is "Southeastern US, north to Ohio, and west to Texas."

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
1/25/06 .  Narceus americanus (Beauvois)
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Millipede from Canada: Tropical Import
(01/11/2006) indonesian millipede?
hi bugman,
I sent an email about a week ago and have seen a few updates on your site, but nothing about my little bug. I will attach pictures again, in case you didn't get the first email, and if you did sorry to bug you...pardon the pun. he was found crawling across my dining room floor in december (-25 degrees Celsius outside). the best i have come to identifying him is that he is a millipede, not common to Canada, (at least I don't think so). with some help from my biology teacher we figure he may be of the order chordeumida. He's about two inches long, black and yellow banded, and has around 28 body segments, and pinkish legs. he greatly resembles the photo sent in in October, by Andre Boutin-Maloney, who also lives in Saskatchewan. I've got him set up in a terrarium with lots of humidity and veggies to eat, and he's doing well, but I'd really like to know more specifically what type of pet it is I have taken in. thanks for any help you can offer,
Jamey Parker



Hi Jamey,
Sorry for the delay. One of our favorite sources for identification BugGuide, does not mention the order Chordeumida. Similar looking Millipedes are put in the order Spirobolida and BugGuide says there are about 35 species north of Mexico. We were never able to positively identify Andre's Millipede and sadly, we are unable to give you anything more specific. Try a museum of natural history.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
1/11/06 .  An introduced representative of the tropical family Rhinocricidae (Spirobolida), introduced to Canada where it cannot survive outdoors in winter.
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Millipede: Exotic or Canadian???
(10/09/2005) Millipede Question
Dear Bugman,
I bought a tropical plant at Walmart today and when I was transplanting it to a pot we found this little millipede inside.  I looked on the net but couldn't find anything that looked like him/her.  Can you tell me what it is?  I live in Saskatchewan, Canada.  Is this native to Canada?  If not, should I release it? 
Thank you,
Andre Boutin-Maloney



Hi Andre,
What a lovely Millipede. We are not sure if it is exotic or Canadian. We do not recognize. We would not recommend releasing it until you are sure. Try a local Natural History Museum and we will try additional research on our end.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
10/9/05 .  An introduced representative of the tropical family Rhinocricidae (Spirobolida), introduced to Canada where it cannot survive outdoors in winter.
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Flat Backed Millipedes
(09/19/2005) centipedes
Hello folks, I hope all is well.  On a hike at a local conservation   area I photographed this mass!  Is it centipede larva?  Take Care,   Janet from Dundas, Ontario



Hi Janet,
According to BugGuide, these Millipedes are in the order Polydesmida, the Flat Backed Millipedes. Sometimes the aggregate after rains.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
9/19/05 .  Apheloria virginiensis corrugata (Koch) (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae), 1 adult plus juveniles.
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Pill Millipede
(07/24/2005) Can you identify this....
I almost stepped on this (millipede?) this morning in West Virginia. I was visiting my brother-in-law and he said he had no clue what it was. It's shell was pretty hard (I tapped it with a stick) and I think it looks poisonous- Can you identify it for me? Thanks!
Jennifer in Ohio



Hi Jennifer,
BugGuide lists this Millipede as being in the order Polydesmida. According to Eric Eaton they secrete a cyanide compound.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
7/24/05 .  Oh Apheloria virginiensis corrugata (Koch) (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae),
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Flat-Backed Millipede
(06/09/2005)hope it doesn't bite!!!
Hi Bugman!
LOVE your site.  I'll be visiting a lot!  Can you tell me what this beast is?  I can't tell if it is a centipede or a millipede.  He was scurrying across our patio here in Apex, North Carolina. Thanks!
Nancy Nice


Hi Nancy Nice,
The difference between Millipedes and Centipedes is that Centipedes have one pair of legs per segment and Millipedes have two pairs of legs per segment. We couldn't locate a species name for your Millipede, so we contacted Eric Eaton. Here is his response: "It is a flat-backed millipede (Polydesmida order).  Very pretty, but many species like this secrete a cyanide compound to defend themselves. As long as you don't eat one or lick it, you should survive."

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
6/9/05 .  Apex, NC.  Apheloria tigana Chamberlin, 1939 (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae)
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Hellgrammite and Millipede
(06/06/2005) the strangest bug i've ever seen in my life!
I was hiking at McConell's Mills in Western Pennsylvania and happened across this bug sitting in the middle of the street. It appears to me to be some sort of beetle larva, but it's SO big. It also had this fancy move it did when we touched its head with a stick - it would curl its tail under [which was soft like a catepillar's body] to quickly launch itself backward a few inches. Here it is pictured with my boyfriend's finger [who, for scale, is 6'4"]. And here is another better picture of its face. I also have a video i took of it walking and doing its cool backwards launch maneuver, which you can have if you're interested. PLEASE tell us what kind of bug this is. We're absolutely dying to know. I almost regret not taking it home with me! I just hope it didn't wander back into the middle of the road.   Thanks!
Jen and Glenn
ps. We also found a bunch of these really pretty red and black millipedes, which i've included a picture of. They were about 4 inches long.



Hi Jen and Glenn,
You have just encounted a Hellgrammite, the larval form of the Dobsonfly. These curious larvae are prized by fishermen as bait. Your millipede is indeed quite beautiful.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
6/6/05 .  W PA  Narceus americanus .
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Italian Millipedes
(02/03/2005) Millipedes? Help...
Dear Bugman,
I recently moved into an large, old house in Italy and have been overrun by a millipede-like bug. Approximately 20 of these appear every day and seem to prefer affixing themselves to the ceiling. I have been blasting them daily with bugspray which is reducing their numbers, but would like to find their lair and get rid of them completely. Any advice....?
Thanks
Dom



Hi Dom,
You do have millipedes. They like damp conditions, and other than being a nuisance, they are not harmful. Populations tend to rise and fall with seasonal and weather conditions, and the drier days of summer should see the numbers decrease. Millipedes also do not wander far from damp ground, and finding them on the ceiling might be a sign of rotting wood in the walls. Sorry, I can't give you any erradication advice.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
2/3/05 .  Probably a representative of the Julidae (Julida) which are common in Europe .
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Millipede
(11/12/2004) Help quickly please! Centipede or millipede? Dog may have been bitten!
Hello,
My dog was acting rather strangely, laying down and rubbing his mouth on the floor, much like when you give a dog spicey food. Anyways I looked over and I saw this brown bug crawling accross the floor. Immeditely I captured it and took these pictures. As I understand a millipede is not harmful, but a centipede is, and I'd like to know what this is. When it crawled it was like its legs were moving like waves. and was roughly an inch, to an inch and a half long. Please help me out on this, I'm afraid if my dog did get bitten by this. To possibly help out more I live in Arizona near a mountain preserve, so there's wild landscapping.
Thanks
AzS.



Dear AzS,
You have sent in a photo of a millipede, and though they do not bite, according to Hogue: "If disturbed, a millipede will coil up like a watch sprint; many species also exude fluids that stain the skin and have a repugnant odor that has been dcompared to iodine, quinine, or chlorine. The fluids commonly are benzoquinones and other chemicals that evaporate rapidly and act as repellents against predators. Certain millipedes produce cyanide fumes." I would venture to guess your dog just got a bad taste in his mouth.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
11/12/04 .    AZ  Colactis sp. (Callipodida: Schizopetalidae)
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Probably a Millipede
(11/12/2004) Is this a centipede larva?
Hi-
My 7 year old bug lover son, found 2 of these centipede-like creatures the other day.  We have looked online and can't find it anywhere.  Can you help us?  We live in Santa Cruz County, CA if that helps locate the species.  It is the bug in the middle.
Kendra



Hi Kendra,
Your specimens look more like some species of millipede, but not a species we are able to identify.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
11/12/04 .  Sta. Cruz Co., Calif.  Xystocheir dissecta taibona Chamberlin (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae)
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Lesvian Millipedes
(07/07/2004) Unknown Bug on Lesvos Greece
Hi
I was wondering if you could help me identify a bug. Attached is a
picture of an unknown bug I found on my mothers farm in Greece.
Many thanks
Pippa



Hi Pippa,
Your Lesvian Millipedes are surely beautiful. They can be distinguished from centipedes as millipedes have two legs per segment. Sorry, we am not familiar with all the exotica of Lesvos, and do not have a species name, but we will continue to research the matter.

Update: (01/20/2008) Greece millipedes
While scrolling through sites tonight, I came across yours, and I can answer many of the questions, though it is late.  Anyhow, there are two pictures of a lovely black millipede fro, Greece with bright yellow spots down the midbody and yellow-spottwed margins.  This is a species of Melaphe (order Polydesmida: family Xystodesmidae). 
Rowland Shelley ,North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Myriapod
(07/07/2004
I live in southcentral Kentucky and have found these occasionally when planting something. Recently, I have found lots of dead ones at the bottom of the pool.  Can you tell me what they are? I have attached a couple of pictures. Thanks.



We just got the following correction from Joe:
(06/23/2005) Isopod or myriapod?
Great website! The last time I was looking at a photo one of your readers sent ( More Isopods(07/07/2004) and you identified it as a type of terrestrial isopod.  However, as far as I know all isopods (superclass Crustacea) have only 7 pairs of legs.  The photo shows an arthropod with two pairs of legs per body segment and at least 13 body segments, besides the head and abdomen.  I am inclined to believe this is of the superclass Myriapoda, not Crustacea; specifically Class Diploda, Super Order Pentazonia. I am unsure of the order (could be Glomerida or Sphaeriotheriida (both commonly known to roll up in a ball), otherwise known as pill millipedes. I certainly don't consider myself an expert, so perhaps you can clarify?   Thank you, Joe

Update: (01/20/2008 Millipede IDs
7/7/04 .  KY  Apheloria virginiensis corrugata (Koch) (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae),
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

Millipedes
(07/04/2004) Unknown Bug in VA
Bugman
I've seen these around in the past, but this year they are everywhere, and by the hundreds.  I've attached some photos. Sorry for the size, but I wanted you to get as much detail as possible. Great site.
Peace.
Brad Barker



Hi Brad,
You have millipedes. These are distinguished from centipedes since they have two pairs of legs on each segment. They are relatively benign creatures that can get very numerous, as you well know, when it is warm and damp. They sometimes eat new seedlings, but mostly they eat decaying matter and help to break down debris.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
7/4/04 .  VA  Oxidus gracilis (Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae), introduced.
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

One of the Best Letters Ever
(9/12/2003)  Whole lotta legs
Dear Señor Bugman,
Please help.  What the !*&^%$!@* are these things?!?!
I am an American who was transferred to Mexico for my job.  I live in a small town located in Mexico (State of Sonora) along the Sea of Cortez.  Unfortunately living conditions here are not the best.  Yes, we found these horrible things in our house.  Yes, we have had the house fumigated (several times).  AND YES, I am having nightmares about being eaten alive by these giant bugs.  It took a half a jug of Ortho bug killer to bring these creatures to their demise (me screaming the entire time).  See attached pictures.  We have also encountered tarantulas, reptiles, and snakes in our home.  Needless to say, every single day here is an adventure in the animal kingdom that's for sure.
 
My goodness.  I consider myself to be fairly brave in the face of most bugs - I can squash 'em with the best of 'em.  However, when the bugs begin to approach the size of a small dog and they have hair of their own and small things that resemble horns-things change.  YUCK!!!  I get the heebie-jeebies just reading about them on your web site.
 
As for the reptilia I have so bravely encountered in my shower each day....let me just say - NO!!!  I adore anything with fur (okay maybe not bugs with fur), I can tolerate things with feathers and fins...but ANYTHING that falls into the reptile category HAS GOT TO GO!!!  YYYYEEESSSSHHHHHH!!!
In any case....can you please just tell me if the pictures I've attached of these creeepy crawly things are poisonous???
Muchas gracias,
CactusGirlBecky
Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico

Icky Long Bug: Millipede

Big Ugly Bug: Multicolored Centipede

Dear Bugged Out Cactus Girl Becky,
At the risk of seeming insensitive, I just love your letter, and the photos are great. Please continue to send us photos of Mexican fauna whenever you want.
Your Icky Long Bug is a millipede, and it is harmless. On the other hand, your big ugly bug is a centipede that is capable of inflicting a painful and poisonous bite. At least yours is not as big as they grow in other parts of the tropics and in the Oklahoma desert where they are reported to reach upwards of eight inches. Yours appears to be a Multi-Colored Centipede, Scolopendra polymorpha. Little is known about their biology. The last pair of legs is capable of pinching. The reptile looks like a gecko, and will probably eat insects in your shower.

(10/14/2003)
Dear most Knowledgeable Bugman,
Ooops.  Sorry I see that you addressed my "bug letter" on your bug site already, so please ignore the email I just resent to you.
 
Thanks you so much for responding to my email on your website.  It is much appreciated.  At least I now know which bugs are poisonous (and require screaming AND running) vs. the bugs which are not poisonous (only require screaming).
 
I will continue to capture strange Mexico bug pictures and email them to you.  Thank god my camera has a giant zoom lens.  You can bet I won't be getting close to any of these gawd awful slimy things.
 
On a more pleasant note.....we had another snake invade our house this week.  My heroic husband managed to skewer it with his pool que.  Now there's creative reptile/bug killing!  The last time we had a snake in our house, it managed to hide in the bathroom until I had to tinkle.  Guess who REALLY woke up at 5:30 a.m. in the morning when it crawled across the tops of their bare feet?  Yes, that'd be me.  I ended up perched on top the of the toilet with the snake between me and the only escape route (the door, of course).  Screams can't even begin to describe what sounds my husband woke up to that morning.  When he opened up the bathroom door it slithered across his feet too (serves him right for sleeping through my snake trauma).  He ended up whacking that one in half, and then stood there in total shock while both halves kept moving.  Utter horror!  Right out of a Steven King novel.  I kid you not.  Maybe someday when I am brave enough, I will tell you about the story of the cockroach nest in our water tank.  Shivvvvvvver.

Update: (01/20/2008) Millipede IDs
9/12/03 .  Sonora , Mex.  Probably Hiltonius sp. (Spirobolida: Spirobolidae).
Rowland Shelley
North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science

October 18, 2002
I have been searching the web to see if I could find out what these weird, ugly bugs are that we have seen in our house. Alex wrote to you on 6/2/02 and describe the exact things we have. These bugs were NOT on the links you had attached. We live in Raleigh, NC. The bugs are FAST! I mean you see them and then they are gone. I thought is was some form of millipede or centipede, but I haven't been able to close enough to one to find out. They have MORE than 8 legs and the legs are at least two jointed because they hold the bug up off the ground like a spider more than a centipede or millipede. They are between 2 and 4 inches long. The legs are slender and black and I honestly haven't seen too much of the body except that it is thin, almost like it is only there to attach the legs. Thanks for any help you can give us.

Dear Liana,
I have contacted our local Museum of Natural History, and the entomologist I spoke with is also stumped. However, he did foreward this contact person in your area who might be able to assist in your identification. The really confusing part of your description is the size of your creature. 4-5 inches is huge, not for the tropics, but for the continental U.S. at least. The only possibility I have if your description is accurate, is that somehow you have acquired an exotic import that is happy with its new environment, and that is reproducing and moving with you from house to house, perhaps when you pack. Has either you or your roommate been to the Amazon, Sub-Saharan Africa, or Tropical Asia? Something fitting your description could originate in any of those places. Please keep us informed if you ever get a proper identification, or better yet, send us a photo of the creature if possible. You might also want to write to www.cryptozoology.com because those folk specialize in strange sightings. Here is the reply I got from Brian at the Natural History Museum:

Hi Daniel
Thanks for sending the letters. There is a guy in North Carolina who specializes in Millipedes named Rowland Shelley. He's at the North Carolina State Museum (at least as of 1998) P.O.Box 27647, Raleigh 27611. Unfortunately I don't have a phone number or e-mail but perhaps a website for this college will list his number(s) or someone there can forward these messages to him, etc... That's all I could come up with for now! GOOD LUCK!! Brian Harris ___________________________________
Brian P. Harris
Entomology Section
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Dear Mr. Marlos,
      Having recently moved from an apartment on the mean sidewalks of Beverly Hills to a guest house in the rural splendor of Van Nuys, I have had plenty of opportunities to observe the local wildlife: Specifically in my new home. Just the other night, my cat (The Princess of Piss) directed my attention to my kitchen floor. Imagine my surprise when I found the object of her fascination crawling sluggishly across it: a long, black bug with multiple tiny legs. It looked like a cross between a cockroach and a caterpillar. Any idea what it could have been?

Yours in Insectia,
Susan Ehrlich


Hi Susie,
      Just how long is long? In bug identification, size does matter. I am guessing that the long, black bug with multiple tiny legs was a millipede, which translates as "thousand feet" from Latin. Though a thousand is something of an exaggeration, they are in possession of many appendages, nevertheless, they move remarkably slowly, and sluggish is a very appropriate description. Several small species live in the Los Angeles basin, but two closely related species, Hiltonius pulchrus and Tylobolus claremontus, sometimes exceed three inches in length. A third species, Atopetholus californicus is slightly smaller. Millepedes are arthropods. Local species have shiny, cylindrical, segmented bodies that are black, dark grey or brown in color. When disturbed, millepedes will curl up like a watch spring. They often exude foul smelling fluids as a repelling defense mechanism. Some can even produce cyanide fumes. They prefer moist conditions and are prone to nocturnal wandering. They eat humus, rotting leaves and rotting wood, and are not a threat to life, limb nor property.

Dear What's that Bug?
     My house is being overrun by millipedes... they are 1 to 3 inches long and red to reddish brown in color. There are hundreds of them which I find crawling all over my counters, up and down my walls, and covering my floors. I was assuming that they were coming in through the cracks around windows and doors but I think they may be getting into my home through my A/C vents. I've been finding them in small rooms and closets that are nowhere near a door or window. Please help me rid my home of these and prevent further infestation!!!
     —Amy

Dear Amy,
      Where is your house? Do you live stateside, Southern California in particular, or in some faraway exotic place?
      Millipedes belong to the class Diplopoda which means double footed, referring to the two close-set pairs of legs on each apparent segment (each segment actually consists of two coalesced true segments) of these worm-like arthropods. Millipedes prefer moist conditions, and they abound in damp litter and under rocks, logs, and loose bark, however, in their nocturnal wandering, they may wander into your cool, dark home, especially if the conditions outdoors are dry and hot. They are common after rains. Though they are harmless and nonaggressive, they have the ability to exude noxious fumes and fluids as a defense mechanism. The odor has been compared to iodine, quinine and chlorine, and some species are reputed to produce cyanide fumes. I would suggest a dehumifier for your home and shutting off the air conditioner, both of which will make your home less hospitable for the unwanted guests. One final thought: Certain years see a preponderance of certain species, whose life cycle peaks and then declines. This will go down in your diary as "the year of the millipedes," and can perhaps fuel your literary endeavors. Make the most of a bad situation.
     signed,
     Daniel Marlos
     What's That Bug?

Amy replies:
      I live in central South Carolina. Very humid weather. My apartment is a bright dry place as opposed to the humid warm weather outside. That is the reason I was confused. Seems to me that these little guys would much prefer the weather outside to that of my home. I did notice a strange smell when I returned from my short vacation last week but It wasn't all that horrible so I just chalked it up to the place being closed up for a few days. Hope my 'year of the millipedes' ends soon...
      —Amy

Dear Amy,
     Thank you for the further clarification. The fact that you live in humid South Carolina, a temperate rain forest, would help to explain why you have vast quantities of millipedes in your immediate vicinity to begin with. Sadly, not much is known about the biology of these interesting creatures. There is a tropical species, Oxidus gracilis, which goes by the common name Greenhouse Millipede. During the warm months, enormous swarms of them may develop in beds filled with potting soil, and it is possible that your infestation could be multiplying in your potted plants. The smell you noted could also have some bearing. As the critters eat decaying organic material, namely humus, rotting leaves, wood and bark, it is possible that wood used in the construction of your building could be providing them with a food source. Encyclopaedia Britannica states that "for some unexplained reason millipedes occasionally move in large numbers, sometimes even in broad daylight. On one occasion in Alsace a train was stopped because the dead and crushed bodies of migrating diplopods made the rails slippery." On a humorous final note, the encyclopaedia also states that "no credence should be given to the occasional reports that millipedes have been found living parasitically in the human bowel." Keep us posted as to the final outcome of your Year of the Millipede.
     signed
     Daniel Marlos
     What's That Bug