Black millipede, Tachypodoiulus niger

Scanning electron micrograph of a black millipede, Tachypodoiulus niger. Millipedes are arthropods; they have a body comprised of segments, each with a pair of legs (grey). T. niger has about 50 segments; despite the common name, no millipede species has 1000 legs. The head (brown) carries two elbowed antennae (one visible, yellow), tipped with sensory cones. 13 simple eyes, ocelli, can be see seen as a triangular group of small bulges - the ocular field - on the head above the antenna. At the base of the head are the mandibles. Millipedes feed on plant detritus, and have a globally important and beneficial role in recycling dead plant material. In contrast to centipedes, they are slow-moving non-predatory creatures that do not bite and carry no venom. They are common in damp litter of woodlands and gardens, and may enter glasshouses and domestic buildings. Mag x 68 at 10x8, by DR JEREMY BURGESS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY