The March of the Millipedes: Beijing's Summer Spectacle of Long-flange Millipedes——Unveiling the Hidden Secrets of Millipedes in Our Environment
On the morning of July 21, 2024, we discovered numerous millipedes in the roadside park, just like any other day in Beijing.
Millipedes, commonly referred to as "thousand-legged" creatures, are elongated, many-legged terrestrial arthropods. They thrive in dark, damp environments and feed on decaying leaves and other organic matter. They play a crucial role as decomposers and cleaners in the natural world.
Let's delve into the world of these fascinating creatures. Millipedes have segmented bodies, with each segment bearing two pairs of legs, hence their name. Despite their name suggesting thousands of legs, most millipedes have around 300 legs. In 2021, scientists discovered a new species, Eumillipes persephone, which has over 1,000 legs—the highest number recorded for any millipede. I once heard a joke that it’s a good thing they don’t need to buy shoes, or they'd go bankrupt!
Millipedes have a pair of antennae on their heads to sense their surroundings. Their bodies are divided into two main parts: the head-thorax and the abdomen. The head-thorax consists of four segments, with the first segment having no legs and the remaining three segments each having one pair of legs. The abdomen has many segments, each with two pairs of legs except the first and last segments. Millipedes have short, strong legs perfect for crawling.
Regarding their habits and diet, millipedes prefer dark, damp environments. During the day, they often hide in soil, under stones, or in leaf litter, coming out at night to feed. They are omnivores, consuming decaying organic matter, plant shoots, seedlings, and fruits. Sometimes, they even nibble on crops.
Every summer in Beijing, a particular species of millipede with Long-flange bodies and a slightly unpleasant odor appears, growing about 3 centimeters long. What species are these exactly?
In fact, the common millipede found in Beijing is the "Long-flange Millipede" (Latin name: Asiomorpha coarctata, English name: Long-flange Millipede), also known as the Beijing small straight millipede. This native species prefers dark, damp places like leaf litter piles or grassy areas and can sometimes be found on mulberry and paper mulberry trees and stones. The Beijing small straight millipede feeds on decaying organic matter, serving as a vital decomposer in the ecosystem. Areas where these millipedes are found often have not fully cleared fallen leaves, retaining some organic matter, which is an eco-friendly and green gardening practice.
During this period, we see these millipedes crawling around every morning, especially in dark, damp places with plenty of leaves. Interestingly, birds don’t seem to eat them; they more often meet their end in “traffic accidents” on sidewalks, trampled by unsuspecting pedestrians. Sometimes, we even find their squished bodies or dried-up remains from sun exposure. Despite this, their population remains abundant and bustling, moving about busily and purposefully.
Small creatures like millipedes play indispensable roles in the ecosystem. These tiny decomposers help the natural world recycle and renew, making our environment greener and healthier.
Interestingly, while searching the global biodiversity database, I found that the "Long-flange Millipede" (Asiomorpha coarctata) has been recorded in many other countries, including Southeast Asia, India, the United States, Australia, Latin America, and South America.
Written by | Linda Wong
Edited by | Richard
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