Millipede

-
Millipede (class Diplopoda), as its name suggests, is related to centipede but it differs to the latter in many ways. For instance, millipede has two legs per segment instead of only one in centipede. It also has different dietary preference because it feeds mainly on decaying vegetation, as such they are quite common in the rainforest floor. It is equipped with a pair of mandible well suited for its detritivorous life habit.

millipede, diplopoda
Millipede has two legs per segment.

Compared to the compound eyes of insects, the eyes of millipede are much simpler. These simple eye, also known as ocelli, are clustered on top of its head. In addition millipede has a pair of antenna to find its way in the dark forest floor.

millipede, diplopoda, ocelli, simple eyes, mandible
Millipede has simple eyes and a pair of mandible.

Because millipede lacks any poison gland and fangs, it relies on passive defensive behavior to protect itself. When it feels threatened, it coils up into a ball, exposing only its hard exoskeleton and hiding much of its softer lower parts. It can also secretes a foul smelling fluid which further deters its potential predator.

Labels

plants insects birds flower reptiles video birding rainforest medicinal plants rainforest animals
tropical fruit invasive species fruit hemiptera lizard Agamids animal camouflage mammals spider adaptation antenna arachnid butterfly camouflage insect camouflage insect mouthparts insect parts migrant birds nest poisonous plant predator reptile pictures snakes traditional medicine Cattle Egret Melastomataceae ants bird behaviour bird nest biting mouthparts cicada cuckoo damselfly doves draco lizard egret flying dragon ginger gliding lizards grasshopper heron insect adaptation invasive trees mangrove forest moth otter proboscis rainforest plants shrike simple eyes sucking mouthparts vivipary waterbird African Tulip Tree Ardea purpurea Asian fruits Asplenium Baya Weaver Beehive Ginger Bird's Nest Fern Black Bat Flower Black-naped Oriole Blattodea Bougainvillea Brown Shrike Butorides striatus Calotes versicolor Carica papaya Cat's Eye Fruit Cat's Whiskers Catclaw Mimosa Ceasarweed Centropus sinensis Cinnamon Bittern Clidemia hirta Colubridae Common Myna Congo Jute Coral swirl Dicranopteris linearis Dilleneaceae Dillenia Diptera Dollarbird Durians Durio zibethinus Dusky Langur Dusky Leaf Monkey Egretta garzetta Eurylaimidae Ficus Formicidae Garcinia mangostana Ghost's Foot Giant False Sensitive Mimosa Green Crested Lizard Ground Orchids Halcyon smyrnensis Hesperiidae Indian Rhododendron Indian mulberry Javan Myna Koster's Curse Lanius Lantana camara Lepidoptera Little Egret Little Heron Macaranga tree Madagascar periwinkle Melastoma malabathricum Mimosa diplotricha Mimosa invisa Mimosa pigra Mimosa pudica Morinda citrifolia Nephelium lappaceum Odonates Oecophylla Orchidae Oriental Roller Plantain Squirrel Plumed Egret Pterophoridae Rafflesia Rambutan Rambutan tree Rosy periwinkle Rubiaceae Sensitive Plant Shrubby Simpoh Spathodea campanulata Spathoglottis plicata Stachytarpheta Striped Bronzeback Tacca chantrieri Trevesia Urena lobata Varanus Water Hyacinth White-breasted Kingfisher White-breasted Waterhen White-throated Kingfisher Zingiber amphibians aphids aquatic plant asssassin bug banana flower banana musa barbet barn swallow bee bee flowers behaviour bird call bird foraging bird pollinated flowers bittern broadbills bufonidae bug bulbul bulbul pictures butcher bird castor bean castor oil caterpillar cauliflorous cauliflory chemoreception clavate antenna cockroach colubrid compound eyes costus speciosus crab spider crane fly cricket crow pheasant crypsis detrivore dove call dove song dragonfly ecdysis egret or heron epiphyte essential oil etlingera exoskeleton of an insect falconet fern fern plant ferns fiddler crab figs firefly fishtail palm fly frog fungi gardening gastropod gerridae ginger flower greater coucal harvestmen horticulture huntsman spider hydrophyte hymenoptera image of birds incomplete metamorphosis insect growth insect life cycle insect nymph insect vision introduced species jackfruit jacobson's organ jumping spider katydid kingfisher ladybug lampyridae langur larvae leafbird leafhopper leguminosae lilac long-tailed shrike longan lynx spider macaque malkoha malvaceae mango mango cultivars mangosteen mangrove ecosystem mangrove trees mangroves meliponines millipede mimicry molting molting lizard monitor lizard moulting process mudskipper mushroom mutualism nectar nephila non-venomous snake noni nonnative alien species nonnative species nonvenomous snakes nursery web spider ocelli ommatidia orb weaver orb weaving spider orchid oriole orthoptera ovipositor painted bronzeback palms papaya papaya fruit parasitic plant parasitoid passiflora passion flower passion vine pawpaw pectinate antenna pest pest birds pet birds pigeons pioneer species plant fiber plume pollination pollinators porterweed praying mantis preening primate puddling pycnonotus rails rainforest lizard ranidae raptor red-tailed rat snake reduviidae resin robber fly root shrubs skinks skipper snail snakeweed spider web spores squirrel suboscines succession sunning symbiotic relationship tiger shrike toad tortoise beetle tree snake treehopper tropical rainforest urban birds venomous snake vipers wasp water strider weaver ants weaver bird white white egrets wings zingiberaceae zygodactyl feet
Show more