greenhouse millipede

(Oxidus gracilis)

Conservation Status
greenhouse millipede
Photo by Alfredo Colon
  IUCN Red List

not listed

 
  NatureServe

NNA - No Status Rank

 
  Minnesota

not listed

 
           
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

Greenhouse millipede is an exotic, small, flat-backed millipede. It is thought to be native to Japan, but it has been introduced around the world. It is now naturalized in Europe, western Asia, the Indian subcontinent, South Africa, New Zealand, North America, and South America. In the United States it is common east of the Great Plains and west of the Rocky Mountains. Between these regions it is also common in areas surrounding each of the large cities. Its spread is aided by shipments of garden soil. In Minnesota it has been recorded only in the southeast quarter of the state. It is found in areas with moist soil, including greenhouses, gardens, and leaf piles, especially in municipalities and urban environments. When disturbed it exudes a foul-smelling toxin. It is poisonous to predators but not to humans.

The adult is to 1316 (16 to 21 mm) long and 116 to 332 (2.0 to 2.5 mm) wide. The body appears flattened when viewed from the side. The head is large and round. It bears a pair of antennae, a pair of mouthparts (first maxillae) that are fused together and serve as a lower lip, no second maxillae, and no eyes.

There are 20 body rings and a total of 31 pairs of pale brown legs. Rings 1 through 4 are simple segments and are called segments. Ring 1 has no legs. Rings 2 and 3 have a single pair of legs. Ring 4 also has a single pair of legs but is the first segment to bear a pair of breathing pores (spiracles). Rings 5 through 18 are each composed of two segments that have been fused together and are called diplosegments. Each bear two pairs of legs and two pairs of spiracles. Ring 19 is a diplosegment but has no legs and no spiracles. Ring 20 is not a true segment. It is the anal ring and is called the telson. It bears no legs. On males, ring 7 has just a single pair of legs. The front pair has been modified into a pair of reproductive structures (gonopods).

Each ring is covered above with a black to dark brown, hard, rigid plate (tergite). Each tergite has a well-developed, flattened, plate-like extension (paranotum) on each side. The paranota are mostly, or at least in part, the same color as the legs. They are rounded and blunt near the middle of the body, but they get longer and sharper approaching the rear of the body. On each diplosegment the middle portion of each tergite (metatergite) has a distinct horizontal groove and one or two rows of stiff hairs (setae).

 
     
 

Size

 
 

Total length: to 1316 (16 to 21 mm)

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Areas with moist soil, especially in greenhouses, gardens, and leaf piles.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Season

 
 

Year round

 
     
 

Behavior

 
 

The flattened shape of the body allows the millipede to push its way between layers of leaves.

 
     
 

Life Cycle

 
 

 

 
     
 

Food

 
 

Decaying leaves and wood

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

24, 29, 30, 82, 83.

 
  9/3/2023      
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

 

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
 

Subphylum

Myriapoda (myriapods)  
 

Class

Diplopoda (millipedes)  
  Subclass Chilognatha  
  Infraclass Helminthomorpha (worm-like millipedes)  
  Subterclass Eugnatha  
  Superorder Merocheta  
 

Order

Polydesmida (flat-backed millipedes)  
 

Suborder

Strongylosomatidea  
 

Family

Paradoxosomatidae  
 

Subfamily

Paradoxosomatinae  
 

Tribe

Sulciferini  
 

Genus

Oxidus  
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Fontaria gracilis

Kepolydesmus sontus

Orthomorpha gracilis

Paradesmus dasys

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

garden millipede

greenhouse millipede

hothouse millipede

short-flange millipede

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Maxillae

Paired mouth structures of arthropods located immediately behind the mandible and used for tasting and manipulating food. “Under-jaws”.

 

Seta

A stiff, hair-like process on the outer surface of an organism. In Lepidoptera: A usually rigid bristle- or hair-like outgrowth used to sense touch. In mosses: The stalk supporting a spore-bearing capsule and supplying it with nutrients. Plural: setae.

 

Spiracle

A small opening on the surface of an insect through which the insect breathes.

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
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Alfredo Colon

 
    greenhouse millipede   greenhouse millipede  
 

Greg Watson

 
    greenhouse millipede   greenhouse millipede  
           
 
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Other Videos
 
  The greenhouse millipede (Oxidus gracilis) by vj
Nature and wildlife
 
   
 
About

Mar 27, 2020

The greenhouse millipede (Oxidus gracilis), also known as the hothouse millipede, short-flange millipede, or garden millipede, is a species of millipede in the family Paradoxosomatidae that has been widely introduced around the world, and is sometimes a pest in greenhouses.

 
  Oxidus Gracilis (Myriapoda Diplopoda Polydesmida Paradoxomatidae) Milpies
AnimalandiaSCS
 
   
 
About

Nov 9, 2014

Oxidus Gracilis (Myriapoda Diplopoda Polydesmida Paradoxomatidae) comúnmente llamado milpiés.

Fauna Ibérica de Extremadura

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Myriapoda
Class: Diplopoda
Order: Polydesmida
Family: Paradoxosomatidae
Genus: Oxidus
Species: O. gracilis

 
  Oxidus gracilis Greenhouse millipede (Paradoxosomatidae) Flat-backed Millipede
DiegoDCvids
 
   
 
About

Jul 31, 2014

Greenhouse millipede: Oxidus gracilis (Arthropoda - Diplopoda - Polydesmida - Polydesmidae - Paradoxosomatidae - Sulciferini) diplópodo, milípede, artrópodes, animais herbívoros, detritívoros, paranota, tergum, Flat-backed Millipede, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brasil

 

 

Camcorder

 
 
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Report a sighting of this Myriapod.

 
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  Greg Watson
8/30/2022

Location: Vetsch Park in La Crescent

greenhouse millipede  
  Alfredo Colon
8/25/2022

Location: Albany, NY

greenhouse millipede  
  Alfredo Colon
8/18/2022

Location: Albany, NY

greenhouse millipede  
           
 
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Created: 11/22/2022

Last Updated:

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