Leggiest Millipede Has 750 Legs, Lives Near Silicon Valley
Posted on November 15, 2012
The leggiest animal in the world, the millipede Illacme plenipes, has 750 legs. The name of the millipede means "in highest fulfillment of feet." It was re-discovered several years ago in California by Dr. Paul Marek, from the University of Arizona. Marek and his team have been studying the millipede to uncover details about the species and its biology. A research article was published here in ZooKeys.
Some of the super leggy millipede's features include body hairs that produce silk and a jagged and scaly translucent exoskeleton. It has a large antennae it uses to feel its way through the dark because it has no eyes. Its mouth is different that other millipedes. Other millipedes chew with developed grinding mouthparts, but Illacme plenipes has rudimentary mouthparts fused into structures that the researchers believe are used for piercing and sucking plant or fungal tissues.
Dr. Paul Marek said in a statement, "This relict species is the only representative of its family in the Western Hemisphere. Its closest presumed relative, Nematozonium filum, lives in South Africa and this early relationship was established more than 200 million years ago when the continents coalesced in the landmass Pangaea."
Take a look:
- Fossil of Giant Freshwater Turtle Discovered
- Hubble Observes Stormy Weather on Jupiter
- Australian Spider Named After Marvel's Venom
- NASA's JWST Captures New Views of NGC 604
- Ancient Giant Sea Lizard Had Dagger-Like Teeth