We have this in plenty. IT hides in holes in pots and all such crevices. It sometimes crawls its way/loses its way into our house as well. Its body is somewhat hard. It's in lovely colours of black and red! I wonder if this can cause any damage to the roots or leaves. Haven't seen them eating leaves like the other caterpillars, but I'd like to know what it does in the garden! It coils when it is touched and when it senses danger.
Dinu
Well, normally I would say no, they don't cause any real problems, but then again I said that about the rolly pollies and many disagreed with me on that one.
Like rolly pollies, millipedes mostly eat decaying matter. If there are moisture issues (too much watering, bad drainage, leaf piles, etc.) around a house in our area, they can become very numerous and perhaps a problem due to sheer numbers by getting into homes.
However, there is only one species in our area that does this, and your does not look like that species. Of course because you are in India, the local fauna will be completely different, so you may wish to get some more worldly advice.
Thanks NB. Ah, yes, they are in undisturbed leafpiles where moisture is constant. Good to know they are not any harm to the vegetation. Hope someone will come up with the right name for this.
Dinu
I don't think they harm plants, but I think their bite is either somewhat poisonous or at least painful, so you probably don't want to let too many of them into the house.
Actually that's the centipede that bites, but those don't curl up when you touch them and they are pretty fast-moving. The main structural difference is that centipedes (Chilopoda) have one pair of legs per segment while millipedes (Diplopoda) have two pairs of legs per segment. The double the amount of legs is probably one of the reasons the millipedes are slower.
Even thoughthey don't bite, some millipedes have some chemicals inside their bodies that make them taste bad, so you wouldn't want your pets (or children - they'll stick almost anything in their mouths) accidentally eating them.
These are slow moving. It's fun watching the 'hundreds of legs' waving to and fro! Yesterday I found one curled up under a set of old children's shoes that were kept on the balcony and some dust had accumulated. There it was beneath that!
Centipedes are poisonous. It is a dark greenish in colour and is very quick moving.
I've taken a few better shots of this millipede since. I'll post them soon.
