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The cyanide secretions are not dangerous to humans, but can cause irritation and pain if it contacts sensitive areas such as the mouth, eyes, or nose. Despite the various common names given the species, the coloration pattern, cyanide defense, and associated almond scent occur in other flat-backed millipedes around the world.
Motyxia is a genus of cyanide-producing millipedes (collectively known as Sierra luminous millipedes or motyxias [1]) that are endemic to the southern Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi, and Santa Monica mountain ranges of California. Motyxias are blind and produce the poison cyanide, like all members of the Polydesmida.
Millipedes can be an unwanted nuisance particularly in greenhouses where they can potentially cause severe damage to emergent seedlings. Most millipedes defend themselves with a variety of chemicals secreted from pores along the body, although the tiny bristle millipedes are covered with tufts of detachable bristles. Its primary defence ...
Apheloria virginiensis, the Kentucky flat millipede, [1] is a large North American millipede. It gets its name from the yellow and orange markings on its back that give it a flattened appearance. [2] It is reported to secrete cyanide compounds as a defense mechanism.
The millipede has glands that produce hydrogen cyanide to protect it from predators, which causes it to smell like almonds. Its toxicity is advertised by its aposematic color. [2] The shocking pink dragon millipede was named third in the top ten new species list of 2008 by the International Institute for Species Exploration. [3]
Polydesmida (from the Greek poly "many" and desmos "bond") is the largest order of millipedes, with more than 5,000 species, [2] [3] including all the millipedes reported to produce hydrogen cyanide (HCN). [4] This order is also the most diverse of the millipede orders in terms of morphology. [5]
Millipedes, myriapods of the class Diplopoda, contain approximately 12,000 described species organized into 16 extant orders and approximately 140 families. This list is based on Shear, 2011, [1] sorted alphabetically by order and taxonomically within order. Note: The names of millipede orders end in "-ida"; suborders end in "-idea".
Narceus americanus is a large millipede of eastern North America. Common names include American giant millipede, [1] worm millipede, and iron worm. [2] It inhabits the eastern seaboard of North America west to Georgetown, Texas, north of the Ottine wetlands. [3] It has a nearly cylindrical gray body, reaching a length of 4 inches (100 mm). [4]