looduskalender.ee

Millipede

 

 

Millipedes have been called ”wireworms” by people and this is not wrong as far as appearance goes. The protective armour is created by body segments with a strong shell that have grown together by pairs. Each segment has two pairs of legs, on the first segment one pair. On the head we can see a pair of antennae and ocelli (simple eyes); usually there are two pairs of jaws.

Millipedes lead a hidden life, feeding on deteriorating plant matter; they don’t actually have a thousand legs, the specimen in the photo has a little over two hundred legs.