#polydesmida

[onenicebugperday]

Millipedes possibly in the genus Barydesmus - not all confirmed! All found in Central and South America.

Millipedes are criminally understudied, so I think it’s unlikely these are all in the same genus, but they were too cool not to share anyway.

Photos 1-2 by s_greif, 3 by juan_sphex, 4 by danielmesa1, 5 by dirkm, 6-7 by emmakaminsky, and 8 by blackdogto

[crevicedwelling]

one of the most impressive animals I met this year was a huge platyrhacid millipede, found chugging through some bamboo leaf litter in Malaysia.

he was a pleasant weight to hold in the hand, but spread out over so many gentle, graceful legs. the video offers a nice look at his eyeless face—all polydesmidan millipedes lack eyes.

I only hung onto this animated spinal cord for about thirty seconds before setting him back in the leaves, but I recall this encounter so vividly. a truly memorable creature

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Does anyone smell almonds? If so, you better watch out- it might just be the almond-scented millipede! While this insect might smell good, that scent comes from the hydrogen cyanide it secretes as a defense mechanism. The toxin is only mildly irritating to humans, but it can be deadly to rodents and birds. That's why the millipedes have also developed bright red or yellow spots as a warning to stay away!

(Image: An almond-scented millipede (Harpaphe haydeniana) by Valentina L.)

[have-you-seen-this-animal]

Have you seen the shocking pink dragon millipede (Desmoxytes purpurosea)?

I have now

Yes, in photos/videos

Yes, irl

I'm not sure

Voting ended onApr 6, 2025

This animal was requested by @infernalroses! Sorry I couldn't post the poll with the photos you had attached to your ask!

[elysiumplus]

The Horde

[dailybugfacts]

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TODAY'S FACT IS

Did you know that the Long-Flange Millipede (Orthomorpha coarctata) is a millipede presumed to be from southeast Asia? It has spread to much of the tropical world, likely due to human interference. This millipede is unique in its genus for its gonopods. Typical orthomorpha gonopods are 2 or 3 lobed, but in o. coarctata they only have a single lobe. This uniqueness has led scientists to debate whether it should be in its own genus or stay in this one.

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Photo by Erick Noe Tapia Banda

[isopost-headquarters]

I love it so much when people interact with me on Tumblr like wow wowie we're all playing society? omg that's so fun yayyy yippie you are so cool there's also bug here look at some bugs

[roach-underground]

Antheromorpha rosea

However, I've had much better luck with another species of Polydesmida - Antheromorpha rosea. Their second generation is already growing, and I still can't believe it happened.

I bought a male and female pair last October. The male died within two months, and I never witnessed any mating. Disappointed, I moved the female's container to the back of a shelf and basically just waited, without doing much else.

In May, while doing my routine container checks, I looked in on her and saw a bunch of small invertebrates. I thought, "Wow, so many springtails, and they're so large!" But when I looked closer, I realized they weren't springtails at all — they were baby polydesmids!!! I can't put into words how shocked I was in that moment. Just think about it, there were over 230 of them! That's when I started searching for literature on their care and life in the wild.

I know this species doesn't breed well in captivity, the babies have a high mortality rate, and more experienced colleagues warned me they probably wouldn't survive more than a couple of molts. I didn't have high hopes, but I did everything I could.

Nevertheless. They now have just 1-3 molts left until adulthood, and there are about 150 of them left. I think that a very good result.

I hope I have the same luck with the next generation.