Yellow-spotted millipede facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yellow-spotted millipede |
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| In Portola Redwoods State Park | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Unrecognized taxon (fix): | Xystodesminae |
| Genus: | Harpaphe |
| Species: |
H. haydeniana
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| Binomial name | |
| Harpaphe haydeniana (Wood, 1864)
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| Subspecies | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Subspecies synonymy
H. h. cummingsiensis
• Pachydesmus cummingsiensis Verhoeff, 1944 H. h. haydeniana • Polydesmus haydenianus Wood, 1864 • Polydesmus intaminatus Karsch, 1881 • Fontaria simoni Brolemann, • Harpaphe haydeniana Cook, 1904 • Harpapahe intaminata Cook, 1904 • Isaphe simplex Chamberlin, 1918 H. h. inlignea • Harpaphe inlignea Chamberlin, 1949 H. h. scotia • Paimokia scotia Chamberlin, 1941 • Harpaphe clara Chamberlin, 1949 |
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The Harpaphe haydeniana, also known as the yellow-spotted millipede, is a fascinating creature. People sometimes call it the almond-scented millipede or cyanide millipede because of its unique defense. This millipede lives in the damp forests along the Pacific coast of North America. You can find it from Southeast Alaska all the way down to California.
Its dark body with bright yellow spots on its sides serves as a warning. These colors tell predators that the millipede can release a special liquid. This liquid contains a small amount of hydrogen cyanide, which helps protect it. While this defense is not dangerous to humans, it's always best not to touch wild animals. The liquid could cause irritation if it gets into sensitive areas like your eyes or mouth. Many other flat-backed millipedes around the world also use similar colors and defenses.
Contents
Meet the Yellow-Spotted Millipede
What Does It Look Like?
When fully grown, the Harpaphe haydeniana can be about 4 to 5 centimeters (1.6 to 2 inches) long. Its body is usually black or olive green on top. Along its sides, it has bright yellow patches. These millipedes have about twenty body segments. They have many legs, with males having 30 pairs and females having 31 pairs. The males have a special pair of legs on their seventh segment. These are used for reproduction. Yellow-spotted millipedes can live for 2 to 3 years.
Where Does It Live?
You can find the Harpaphe haydeniana in a wide area. Its home stretches from southeast Alaska south to Monterey County, California. It also lives as far east as the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Its Role in Nature
The yellow-spotted millipede plays a very important part in the forest ecosystem. It helps break down leaf litter, like fallen leaves and twigs. By doing this, it releases valuable nutrients back into the soil. These nutrients then help other plants and organisms grow. You often find many of these millipedes in redwood forests. Young millipedes, called immatures, mostly eat humus, which is rich, dark soil material.
How It Protects Itself
The Harpaphe haydeniana has few predators. This is thanks to its bright warning colors, known as aposematic coloration. These colors signal to other animals that it's not good to eat. When it feels threatened, it can release a small amount of hydrogen cyanide. This defense is why it's called the "cyanide millipede." The liquid smells like almonds, which gives it the name "almond-scented millipede." It's important to remember that many other millipedes also use cyanide as a defense. However, at least one animal, a ground beetle called Promecognathus laevissimus, is a special predator that can eat this millipede.
Millipede Look-Alikes
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There are other millipedes that look very similar to the Harpaphe haydeniana. Two other species of Harpaphe, named H. pottera and H. telodonta, live in the same areas. They also have yellow tips on their sides. H. telodonta (found in Humboldt and Del Norte counties) is a bit browner and has more pointed side parts. H. pottera (found in Mendocino and Humboldt counties) is very hard to tell apart without a close look at the male millipede's special reproductive legs.
Many millipedes in the same family, called Xystodesmidae, have similar markings. This can make it tricky to identify them. Scientists often need to examine specific features to tell different species apart. Even outside of North America, some millipedes look alike. For example, Anoplodesmus saussurii and Asiomorpha coarctata can be confused with the yellow-spotted millipede. The ability to release hydrogen cyanide is common among many millipedes in the order Polydesmida.
See also
In Spanish: Harpaphe haydeniana para niños
 | Laphonza Butler |
 | Daisy Bates |
 | Elizabeth Piper Ensley |
