Millipede

Millipede Latest News

A recent study has revealed the self-cleaning mechanism similar to the famous ‘lotus effect’ (the natural self-cleaning property of lotus leaves) to stay clean by green pill millipede, a species endemic to the Western Ghats.

About Millipede

• Millipedes are cylindrical or slightly flattened invertebrates. 
• They constitute the class Diplopoda within the subphylum Myriapoda. 
• The name ‘millipede’ derives from the Latin words ‘mille’, meaning thousand, and ‘pes’, meaning foot. 
• Appearance
  • They are slow-moving arthropods having long, segmented bodies, with most segments bearing two pairs of legs attached to the underside of the body.
  • Their exoskeleton is typically brown to black in color, and thus, they can easily remain camouflaged in the soil.
• Habitat: Their highest diversity is found in the tropical region, where they inhabit moist microhabitats on the forest floor, including leaf litter, dead wood, and soil.
• Distribution: These arthropods are found on all continents except Antarctica.
• Features

• • Defence Mechanism: They lack speed or the ability to bite or sting, their primary defensive mechanism is curling into a coil, exposing their protective exoskeleton to the predator. 
  • Diet: Most species are typically detritivores, feeding on rotting leaves, wood, and other decomposing plant debris.
• Ecological Role: They act as decomposers, conserving soil erosion and nutrient cycling, and are among the greatest vital foliage litter creatures.

Source: TH

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