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Millipedes
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Rusty millipede (Trigoniulus corallinus)

Rusty millipede (Trigoniulus corallinus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Subphylum:Myriapoda
Class:Diplopoda
De Blainville in Gervais, 1844 [1]
Subclasses, orders and families
See text


Millipedes (Class Diplopoda, previously also known as Chilognatha) are arthropods that have two pairs of legs per segment (except for the first segment behind the head which does not have any appendages at all, and the next few which only have one pair of legs). Each segment that has two pairs of legs is a result of two single segments fused together as one. Most millipedes have very elongated cylindrical bodies, although some are flattened dorso-ventrally, while pill millipedes are shorter and can roll into a ball, like a pillbug. Millipedes are detritivores and slow moving. Most millipedes eat decaying leaves and other dead plant matter, moisturising the food with secretions and then scraping it in with the jaws. However they can also be a minor garden pest, especially in greenhouses where they can cause severe damage to emergent seedlings. Signs of millipede damage include the stripping of the outer layers of a young plant stem and irregular damage to leaves and plant apices.

This class contains around 10,000 species. There are 13 orders and 115 families.

The giant African millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas) is the largest species of millipede.

Millipedes can be easily distinguished from the somewhat similar and closely related centipedes (Class Chilopoda), which move rapidly, and have a single pair of legs for each body segment.

This class of arthropods is thought to be among the first animals to have colonised land during the Silurian geologic period. These early forms probably ate mosses and primitive vascular plants. The oldest known land animal, Pneumodesmus newmani, was a 1 centimetre-long millipede.

Characteristics

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The North American millipede Narceus americanus, showing the abundance of legs typical for many millipedes
The millipede's most obvious feature is its large number of legs. In fact, its name is a compound word formed from the Latin roots milli ("thousand") and ped ("foot"). Despite their name, these creatures do not have a thousand legs, although the rare species Illacme plenipes have up to 750 [2]. However, common species have between 80 and 400 legs.

Having very many short legs makes millipedes rather slow, but they are powerful burrowers. With their legs and body length moving in a wavelike pattern, they easily force their way underground head first. They also seem to have some engineering ability, reinforcing the tunnel by rearranging the particles around it.

The head contains a pair of sensory organs known as the Tömösváry organs. These are found just posterior and lateral to the antennae, and are shaped as small and oval rings at the base of the antennae. They are probably used to measure the humidity in the surroundings, and they may have some chemoreceptory abilities too. Millipede eyes consist of a number of simple flat lensed ocelli arranged in a group on the front/side of the head. Many species of millipedes such as cave-dwelling millipedes, have secondarily lost their eyes.

In very rare instances, a millipede may be amphibious.

Defense mechanisms

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This foot injury was caused by an American millipede in reaction to being crushed against the foot, unknowingly inserted into the shoe in which it was sheltering.
Due to their lack of speed and their inability to bite or sting, millipedes' primary defense mechanism is to curl into a tight coil — protecting their delicate legs inside an armoured body exterior. Many species also emit poisonous liquid secretions or hydrogen cyanide gas through microscopic along the sides of their bodies as a secondary defence [3][4][5]. Some of these substances are caustic and can burn the exoskeleton of ants and other insect predators, and the skin and eyes of larger predators. Lemurs have been observed intentionally irritating millipedes in order to rub the chemicals on themselves to repel insect pests, and possibly to produce a psychoactive effect.

As far as humans are concerned, this chemical brew is fairly harmless, usually causing only minor effects on the skin, the main effect being discoloration, but other effects may also include pain, itching, local erythema, edema, blisters, eczema, and occasionally cracked skin [4][6][7][8]. Eye exposures to these secretions causes general eye irritation and potentially more severe effects such as conjunctivitis and keratitis [9]. First aid consists of flushing the area thoroughly with water; further treatment is aimed at relieving the local effects.

Millipedes as pets

Many millipedes are quite docile and may safely be kept as pets and handled without risk of injury. The giant African millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas) is a common pet. These can be found at pet stores for reasonable prices. Sometimes very similar millipedes can be bought under the name Lophostreptus rutilans but in most cases it is just Archispirostreptus gigas. With the proper caging and feeding, pet millipedes can live up to about 7 years and grow to be as long as 15 inches.

Classification

The Class Diplopoda is divided into fifteen orders in three subclasses [10]. The subclass Penicillata contains 160 species millipedes whose exoskeleton is not calcified, and which are covered in setae or bristles. The subclass Pentazonia contains the short-bodied pill millipedes, which are capable of rolling themselves into a ball (volvation). The subclass Helminthomorpha contains the great majority of the species [11][12].
  • Subclass Helminthomorpha Pocock, 1887
  • Order Callipodida Bollman, 1893
  • Order Chordeumatida Koch, 1847
  • Order Julida Brandt, 1833
  • Order Platydesmida DeSaussure, 1860
  • Order Polydesmida Pocock, 1887
  • Order Polyzoniida Gervais, 1844
  • Order Siphoniulida Cook, 1895
  • Order Siphonophorida Hoffman, 1980
  • Order Spirobolida Bollman, 1893
  • Order Spirostreptida Brandt, 1833
  • Order Stemmiulida Pocock, 1894
  • Subclass Penicillata Latreille, 1831
  • Order Polyxenida Lucas, 1840
  • Subclass Pentazonia Brandt, 1833
  • Order Glomerida Leach, 1814
  • Order Glomeridesmida Latzel, 1884
  • Order Sphaerotheriida Brandt, 1833
  • Family Sphaerotheriidae Brandt, 1833
  • Family Sphaeropoeidae Brölemann, 1913

Gallery


Harpaphe haydeniana, a species from the Pacific Northwest of North America

Polydesmus angustus, a European species

Glomeris marginata, a European pill millipede

The giant millipede Archispirostreptus gigas mating


References

1. ^ Diplopoda DeBlainville in Gervais, 1844 (Class). SysTax. Universität Ulm, Ruhr-Universität Bochum. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
2. ^ "Most leggy millipede rediscovered", BBC News, 2006-06-08. 
3. ^ Murray S. Blum & J. Porter Woodring (1962). Secretion of benzaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide by the millipede Pachydesmus crassicutis (Wood). Science 138 (3539): 512–513. DOI:10.1126/science.138.3539.512. 
4. ^ G. Mason, H. Thompson, P. Fergin & R. Anderson (1994). Spot diagnosis: the burning millipede. Medical Journal of Australia 160: 718–726. 
5. ^ Yasumasa Kuwahara, Hisashi Ômura, Tsutomu Tanabe (2002). 2-Nitroethenylbenzenes as natural products in millipede defense secretions. Naturwissenschaften 89 (7): 308-10. DOI:10.1007/s00114-002-0328-9. PMID 12216861.Naturwissenschaften&rft.date=2002&rft.volume=89&rft.issue=7&rft.au=Yasumasa%20Kuwahara,%20Hisashi%20%D4mura,%20Tsutomu%20Tanabe&rft.pages=308-10&rft_id=info:doi/10.1007%2Fs00114-002-0328-9"> 
6. ^ S. Shpall & I. Frieden (1991). Mahogany discoloration of the skin due to the defensive secretion of a millipede. Pediatric Dermatology 8 (1): 25–27. PMID 1862020. 
7. ^ A. Radford (1976). Giant millipede burns in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea Medical Journal 18 (3): 138–41. PMID 1065155. 
8. ^ A. Radford (1975). Millipede burns in man. Tropical and Geographical Medicine 27 (3): 279–287. PMID 1103388. 
9. ^ B. Hudson & G. Parsons (1997). Giant millipede 'burns' and the eye. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 91 (2): 183–185. DOI:10.1016/S0035-9203(97)90217-0. PMID 9196764. 
10. ^ Diplopoda (TSN 154409). Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
11. ^ Julián Bueno-Villegas, Petra Sierwald & Jason E. Bond. "Diplopoda", in J. L. Bousquets & J. J. Morrone: Biodiversidad, taxonomia y biogeografia de artropodos de Mexico, 569–599. 
12. ^ Rowland M. Shelley. Millipedes. American Tarantula Society.
Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. Scientific classification also can be called scientific taxonomy, but should be distinguished from folk taxonomy, which lacks scientific basis.
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Arthropoda
Latreille, 1829

Subphyla and Classes
  • Subphylum Trilobitomorpha
  • Trilobita - trilobites (extinct)
  • Subphylum Chelicerata

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Myriapoda
Latreille, 1802

Classes [1]
Chilopoda
Diplopoda
Pauropoda
Symphyla

Myriapoda is a subphylum of arthropods containing millipedes, centipedes and others.
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Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville (September 12, 1777 - May 1, 1850) was a French zoologist and anatomist.

Blainville was born at Arques, near Dieppe. In about 1796 he went to Paris to study painting, but he ultimately devoted himself to natural history, and attracted the
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Paul Gervais full name François Louis Paul Gervaise (September 26, 1816 - February 10, 1879) was a French palaeontologist and entomologist.

Gervais was born at Paris, where he obtained the diplomas of doctor of science and of medicine, and in 1835 he began
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Arthropoda
Latreille, 1829

Subphyla and Classes
  • Subphylum Trilobitomorpha
  • Trilobita - trilobites (extinct)
  • Subphylum Chelicerata

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The arthropod leg is a form of jointed appendage of arthropods, usually used for walking. Many of the terms used for arthropod leg segments are of Latin origin, and may be confused with terms for bones: coxa (meaning hip), trochanter
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An appendage in the broadest sense is an additional or subsidiary part existing on, or added to, something which can generally still function if the appendage has never existed or is later provided or grown, or will still perform a primary function if the appendage is removed.
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Oniscomorpha
Pocock, 1887 [1]

Orders
Glomerida
Sphaerotheriida
Synonyms
Armadillomorpha Verhoeff, 1915 Pill millipedes make up two orders of millipedes, often grouped together into a single superorder, Oniscomorpha.
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Armadillidiidae
Brandt, 1833

Genera
See text

Armadillidiidae is a family of woodlice, a terrestrial crustacean group in the order Isopoda.
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Detritivores (also known as detrivores or detritus feeders) are animals that consume detritus (decomposing organic material), and in doing so contribute to decomposition and the recycling of nutrients.
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leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat (laminar) and thin, to expose the cells containing chloroplast (chlorenchyma tissue, a type of parenchyma) to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate
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Plantae
Haeckel, 1866[1]

Divisions

Green algae
  • Chlorophyta
  • Charophyta
Land plants (embryophytes)
  • Non-vascular land plants (bryophytes)

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greenhouse (also called a glasshouse or hothouse) is a building where plants are cultivated.

Explanation

Main article: solar greenhouse (technical)

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A. gigas

Binomial name
Archispirostreptus gigas
(Peters, 1855)

Archispirostreptus gigas, the giant African millipede
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Chilopoda
Latreille, 1817

Orders and Families
See text

Centipedes (Class Chilopoda') are fast-moving, venomous, predatory, terrestrial arthropods that have long bodies and many jointed legs.
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Chilopoda
Latreille, 1817

Orders and Families
See text

Centipedes (Class Chilopoda') are fast-moving, venomous, predatory, terrestrial arthropods that have long bodies and many jointed legs.
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The Silurian is a major division of the geologic timescale that extends from the end of the Ordovician period, about 443.7 ± 1.5 Ma (million years ago), to the beginning of the Devonian period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Ma (ICS 2004).
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A geologic period is a subdivision of geologic time that divides an era into smaller timeframes. The equivalent term used to demarcate rock layers and the fossil record is the system; thus the rocks of the Devonian System were laid down during the Devonian Period.
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MOSS may refer to:
  • Market Oriented Sector Selective talks, trade negotiations held between the United States and Japan in 1984
  • Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, the current version of what used to be known as SharePoint Portal Server

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Divisions
  • Non-seed-bearing plants
  • †Rhyniophyta
  • †Zosterophyllophyta
  • Lycopodiophyta

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Pneumodesmus

Species: P. newmani

Binomial name
Pneumodesmus newmani
Wilson & Anderson, 2004 [1]


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1 centimetre =
SI units
010−3 m 0 mm
US customary / Imperial units
010−3 ft 0 in
A centimetre (American spelling: centimeter, symbol cm
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Latin}}} 
Official status
Official language of: Vatican City
Used for official purposes, but not spoken in everyday speech
Regulated by: Opus Fundatum Latinitas
Roman Catholic Church
Language codes
ISO 639-1: la
ISO 639-2: lat
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Illacme

Species: I. plenipes

Binomial name
Illacme plenipes
Cook & Loomis, 1928

Illacme plenipes
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Antennae (singular antenna) are paired appendages connected to the front-most segments of arthropods. In crustaceans, they are biramous and present on the first two segments of the head, with the smaller pair known as antennules.
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Amphibia
Linnaeus, 1758

Subclasses and Orders

   Order Temnospondyli - extinct
Subclass Lepospondyli - extinct
Subclass Lissamphibia
   Order Anura
   Order Caudata
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An exoskeleton is an external anatomical feature that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to the internal endoskeleton of, for example, a human. Whilst many many other invertebrate animals (such as shelled mollusks) have exoskeletons in the sense of external hard
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species is one of the basic units of biological classification. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.
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