Finally, A Millipede Species That Lives Up To Its Name!
Word Count
Reading Level
Listen to Article
The name millipede, which translates to a "thousand feet," is a bit of a misnomer. Many species of the arthropods have fewer than 100 legs, and even the record holder — the Illacme plenipes — boasts a "mere" 750 legs. Now, a team led by Virginia Tech entomologist Paul Marek has finally found the world's first "true" millipede — one with over 1,300 legs!
The new species, named Eumilipes Persephone, was discovered inside three, 196-foot-deep (60-meter), abandoned mining holes in Western Australia. The arthropods had elongated thread-like bodies, cone-shaped heads, no eyes, and massive antennas. "These animals were so unique. As soon as I realized how long they were … I realized they had to be something completely different," gushed study co-author and biologist Dr. Bruno Buzatto.
The researchers analyzed four of the eight specimens found for their study — two males and two females. The millipedes were all of different lengths. The shortest millipede had 198 rings and 778 legs, while the longest — an almost four-inch long female — boasted 330 rings and a mind-boggling 1,306 legs. Since millipedes add body segments, or rings, throughout their lives, it meant they all differed in ages, too!
Marek's team, who published their findings in the journal Nature on December 21, 2021, say the new species probably evolved in length to help it propel forward underground. "The more length you have, the more strength to propel forward," explained study co-leader and CSIRO insect expert Dr. Juanita Rodriguez. "The millipede's more than 300 body segments would also give it a greater force for movement in rocky areas such as small crevices."
Based on previous knowledge of how often millipedes add rings, the scientists believe that the E. Persephone has a lifespan of between five and ten years. This is more than twice that of previously found millipedes which, on average, live for about two years.
The E. Persephone is not the only millipede species making headlines. On December 21, 2021, a separate study conducted by British scientists revealed the discovery of a fossilized exoskeleton of the largest arthropod, and possibly the biggest bug, to have ever lived. The millipede-like creatures, which roamed Earth between 359 million and 299 million years ago, were nine feet long (2.7 meters) and weighed 110 pounds (49kg)! Yikes!
Resources: Livescience.com, the guardian.com, Nature.com, Smithsonian.com
Get the Workbook for this article!
Workbook contains: Article, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking Questions, Vocabulary in Context (+ answers), Multiple Choice Quiz (+ answers), Parts of Speech Quiz (+ answers), Vocabulary Game (+ answers)Cite Article
Learn Keywords in this Article
184 Comments
elevenn8 daysit mad me not like millipdedes even more- hejofijo-1664466770843 monthsi do not like it 😡
gooding20654 monthsThe artist must be quite young. which is a good thing.
mathrules6 monthsHow did they count how many legs? I would lose count after 10, especially because it’s moving
btd6yay3 monthsthey take a high quality pic and count the legs zoomed in
iheartpuppies7 monthsSo cool! Also, I don't think it's that gross.
mlee03287 monthsIf I saw one I would freak out- iheartpuppies7 monthsJust be glad you don't live in dinosaur times. Millipedes could be longer than a lion!
nyhybytypicy10 monthsthat is really cool they have so many legs you would problely lose count
haven_lfc11 monthsI would have killed it before I knew it was a special millipede
snoopcatt11 monthsyo thats crazy bro espically when it was found after 327 million years or more
albinomonkey3811 monthsI would have crushed it before I realized that it was a special millipede 🤣
andrewburns11 monthsYeah me too my dad hates millipedes like sooooo baaaad🤣