The brightly-colored Sigmoria millipede above was in my back yard in Aiken
County, South Carolina.
This dark, rosy-toed fellow has a name almost as long as he is: Narceus
americanus -annularis-complex - thank you, www.BugGuide.net ! He was about
7.5 cm long. Notice that millipedes have two legs on each body segment,
thus their class name, Diplopoda – “double feet”. They are detritivores (my new word for the day), meaning they usually eat
detritus, decaying plant matter. They do not bite
or sting but millipedes have chemical defenses which can be irritating,
especially to your eyes.
