A presentation about

millipedes!!
Presented by Andrew B.Y
 What is a millipede?
Millipedes are a group of arthropods that are characterised by having two pairs of
jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the class
Diplopoda, the name derived from this feature. Each double-legged segment is a
result of two single segments fused together. Most millipedes have very elongated
cylindrical or flattened bodies with more than 20 segments, while pill millipedes are
shorter and can roll into a tight ball. Although the name "millipede" derives from
Latin for "thousand feet", no species was known to have 1,000 or more until the
discovery in 2020 of Eumillipes persephone, which can have over 1,300 legs.[1] There
are approximately 12,000 named species classified into 16 orders and around 140
families, making Diplopoda the largest class of myriapods, an arthropod group which
also includes centipedes and other multi-legged creatures.
Pictures
 Size
Millipedes come in a variety of sizes, ranging from 1 centimeter
to 12 inches in length. Their cylindrical bodies are composed of
multiple segments that are covered in armor plating and
typically bear bright colors of yellow, brown, or black. Smaller
millipedes can be as thin as the width of a pencil while larger
ones may reach up to the size of an adult’s hand. The size of a
millipede can depend on many factors such as age, species, and
environment. For example, some species like the giant African
millipede can grow up to 28 cm long! Similarly, different
environments provide different food sources which can have an
effect on their size. Size plays an important role in millipede
biology and behavior. Smaller millipedes tend to forage more
frequently during the day while larger ones prefer to stay hidden
away during daylight hours. The size of a millipede also affects
its ability to deter predators; smaller individuals may move
faster or hide better than their larger counterparts.
Body
Millipede bodies may be flattened or cylindrical, and
are composed of numerous metameric segments,
each with an exoskeleton consisting of four
chitinous plates: a single plate above (the tergite),
one at each side (pleurites), and a plate on the
underside (sternite) where the legs attach. In many
millipedes, such as Merocheta and Juliformia, these
plates are fused to varying degrees, sometimes
forming a single cylindrical ring. The plates are
typically hard, and impregnated with calcium
salts.Because they can't close their permanently
open spiracles and most species lack a waxy cuticle,
millipedes are susceptible to water loss and with a
few exceptions must spend most of their time in
moist or humid environments.
Color
Millipedes come in a wide range of colors, including
Plac
Millipedes occur on all continents except Antarctica, and occupy

e
black, brown, red, orange, yellow, and green. The
almost all terrestrial habitats, ranging as far north as the Arctic
color of a millipede can vary within a species,
Circle in Iceland, Norway, and Central Russia, and as far south as
depending on factors such as age, sex, and
Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. Typically forest floor dwellers,
environmental conditions. Some millipedes have
they live in leaf litter, dead wood, or soil, with a preference for
patterns or markings on their bodies, while others
humid conditions. In temperate zones, millipedes are most
are a solid color. The color of a millipede can also
abundant in moist deciduous forests, and may reach densities of
change if it is threatened or disturbed.
over 1,000 individuals per square metre. Other habitats include
coniferous forests, caves, and alpine ecosystems. Deserticolous
millipedes, species evolved to live in the desert, like Orthoporus
ornatus, may show adaptations like a waxy epicuticle and the
ability of water uptake from unsaturated air.[50] Some species
can survive freshwater floods and live submerged underwater
for up to 11 months. A few species occur near the seashore and
can survive in somewhat salty conditions
 Food
Most millipedes are detritivores and feed on decomposing
Life
The average lifespan of a millipede is anywhere between
Span
vegetation, feces, or organic matter mixed with soil. They often
play important roles in the breakdown and decomposition of
plant litter: estimates of consumption rates for individual
seven and ten years. However, much depends on the
species range from 1 to 11 percent of all leaf litter, depending on environment and the exact species. What often happens to
species and region, and collectively millipedes may consume
millipedes in the wild is that they will venture into homes or
nearly all the leaf litter in a region. The leaf litter is fragmented
in the millipede gut and excreted as pellets of leaf fragments, businesses, especially after long periods of drought or rain.
algae, fungi, and bacteria, which facilitates decomposition by
the microorganisms. Where earthworm populations are low in
Unfortunately for the millipedes, homes and businesses
tropical forests, millipedes play an important role in facilitating rarely provide the levels of moisture that are required, so
microbial decomposition of the leaf litter. Some millipedes are
herbivorous, feeding on living plants, and some species can
unless they can get back outside of the building, they are
become serious pests of crops. Millipedes in the order unlikely to live longer than two to three weeks.
Polyxenida graze algae from bark, and Platydesmida feed on
fungi. A few species are omnivorous or in Callipodida and
Chordeumatida occasionally carnivorous, feeding on insects,
centipedes, earthworms, or snails. Some species have piercing
mouth parts that allow them to suck up plant juices.
Question
Time