The Julid Millipede (Cylindroiulus caeruleocintus) is a small diplopod myriapod in the Julidae family. It is not an insect because an insect has 6 legs and the millipede has many two-paired jointed legs.
The Julid Millipede has a long, dark-brown, shiny, cylindrical body. It has 41-56 segments with a hard exo-skeleton (outer skeleton). There are two pairs of legs on most segments, making around 100 pairs of legs. The first two legs of the male look like hooks. Its head is short with a few simple eyes called ocelli, but it has poor eyesight. Some have no eyes. It has short antennae.
It grows up to 12 centimetres (5 inches) long.
It is native to northern Europe. It prefers to live in leaf litter, under bark, or in mossy areas.
It is vegetarian, feeding on algae, detritus (decaying matter) and sometimes fruit.
It is most active in the afternoon. It moves in a wave-like motion, with each pair of legs lifted at the same time. As a defence mechanism, it coils itself into a spiral with its legs on the inside and its head in the centre.
The female lays about 100 eggs in loose soil.
Location of photographs: Paris, France
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM