A new millipede discovered by principal biologist Bruno Buzatto, from the Perth, Australia-based Bennelognia Environment Consultants, lives up to the real meaning of its name, which means a "thousand feet."
An NPR report specified that until now, though, a lot of monikers "for the creepy invertebrates" has been slightly an exaggeration, with none of them exhibiting anything close to that numerous feet or legs. This discovery has lived up to its name's real meaning.
To get the exact figure, the researchers counted all the legs, and one sample of the newly found Eumillipes Persephone has 1,306 legs in all.
The number easily outpaces the record holder, a millipede with 750 legs. That particular species was first described in the late 1920s although it was long believed to be extinct until it was found alive in California by the latest paper's lead author Paul Marek, a Virginia Tech entomologist.
Eumillipes Persephone
The newly discovered E. Persephone, named after the underworld's Greek goddess, would, for some people, be the stuff of nightmares.
Eight samples were collected over many months starting in 2020, at a depth of 50 to 200 feet, down in a drill hole made to explore minerals in the Goldfields-Esperance region of West Australia.
Buruzatto put what's described in this report as a "trogtrap" into the drill holes taunted with decaying material that's so enticing to millipedes, which are generally described in the PestKill website.
What the principal biologist brought to the surface was a millipede that was, at first, approximated to have 800 legs. That was when he sent the sample to Marke to examine further and conduct a more precise leg count.
The Largest Specimen
In their study published in the Scientific Reports journal, the researchers described the largest specimen discovered as a "pale, thread-like creature" just below a millimeter wide with 330 segments, a single cone-shaped head with huge antennae, and a beak for feeding.
Buzatto, a co-author of the study, said he believes what was found is a "stunning animal," a phenomenon of evolution."
He added, it represents the most expression elongation ever discovered to date in millipede species, known as the first animals to overcome the land, Reuters reported.
Hatchlings Begin with Only 4 Pairs of Legs
This species specifically, Buzatto continued explaining, was able to adapt to living tens of meters deep in the soil, in a dry and harsh landscape where it is difficult to find any millipedes that survive on the surface.
Essentially, hatchlings begin with only four pairs of legs, then add numerous more into adulthood. Half the specimens collected were detailed in the paper.
As is usual with other millipedes, males of this newly found species were discovered to have fewer segments and legs than females.
One male has over 190 segments and more than 778 legs, and another has more than 200 segments and over 800 legs.
The Longer Millipedes Are, the More Feet They Have
Other than the record-breaking female with more than 1,300 legs, another female sample was found to have more than 250 segments and almost 998 legs.
In the paper, the authors explained that hatchlings arise from the egg with four legs and constantly add segments during development or an unknown period, even after adulthood.
According to the Australian National Insect Collection's Juanita Rodriguez, who's also co-author of the study, the reason for many feet is that the more length a millipede has, "the more strength to propel forward.
The new millipede discovery in Australia is reported on Breaking Meta News's YouTube video below:
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