Common Name: Californiulus euphanus
Scientific Name: Californiulus euphanus
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Diplopoda
Order: Julida
Family: Paeromopodidae
Genus: Californiulus
Species: C. euphanus
The Californiulus Euphanus, or millipedes is apart of the kingdom Animalia and the phylum Arthropoda. Like all other Arthropods, it has a hard exoskeleton made of chiton. Also like other Arthropods, it has a heart and central nervous system. The word “millipede” means “thousand footed”. It doesn’t really have 1000 feet of course. Millipedes usually range from 80-400 legs that are about 115 pairs of legs but there is a rare Latin species of millipede called the Illacme Plenipes and it has up to 750 legs. There are over 10,000 species found throughout the world. In fact, just recently a new species was found in Arizona called the Albino millipede, and its survival was based on the climate change in Arizona after the ice age. Most millipedes are very tiny they average at about an 8th of an inch, but they can get as big as about 9inches but the largest millipede is the Archispirostreptus gigas found in Africa, that’s almost a whole foot and that’s pretty big for a little millipede.
Millipedes usually feed off dead plants and attack crops growing in damp soil using their powerful jaws but some species eat other animal but overall their basically herbivores. The Millipedes reproduce sexually and they lay their eggs in soil or nests and live up to six years. Many types of millipedes use repugnatorial glands that give off foul odors. A few species are capable of producing cyanide poison. Millipedes are very helpful to the environment because they eat dead plant material and put it back, or recycle it. Now like other arthropods it has a segmented body. Most people confuse centipedes and millipedes and yes they are from the same phylum Arthropoda and they have very similar features like a strong jaw, or mandible and a segmented body. Millipedes are helpful to humans in most ways. But they are a hassle for farmers though because they attack crops and if there are too many of them farmers can kill them with a chemical called diazinon. They come in all different shapes and sizes. But due to their lack of speed they, like all other animals go through the struggle to survive. But the millipede still exists so it has successfully adapted so that it can survive in its environment.
Author: Anthony N
Published: 02/2008
Sources: Exploring Life Science volume 3 pg. 169 World Book 2005 edition M13 pg. 555-556 World Book Encyclopedia 13 edition M 1986 pg. 469 http./insects.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/1-1747.html