Order: Various

Although Millipedes do not really have a thousand legs, they are often called "thousand leggers". However, they do have between 30-90 pairs of legs. Millipedes are found throughout the United States and most of the world.

Description: Adults range in length from 1/16 to 4-1/2 inches long. Most species are wormlike or cylindrical shaped, but some are slightly flattened. Their color ranges in different shades of black, brown and red.

Biology: During the summer months, adult females lay as many as 300 eggs in decaying organic matter such as compost piles, under leaf or grass clippings, or moist mulch. Some millipede groups give off a foul smelling fluid through the openings on the sides of their bodies. This fluid can cause irritation or small blisters in humans.

Habits: Millipedes are found in areas with high moisture. Outside they can be found in high numbers under trash, landscaping mulch, or piles of leaf litter. These insects are most active at night and during migration, they can number in the thousands. Millipedes are scavengers that eat a variety of decaying vegetation, dead insects or worms.