ABDULJALEEL

ASSIST PROFESSO
GOVERNMENT COLLEG
KASARAGOD
mple 2. SPIROSTREPTUS
irostreptus is the common
pede.
3)⃣It plays an
important role in adding leaves and
other organic debris into soil.
4)⃣SSome
ome species of millipedes are pests of crops.
5)⃣BBody
ody is cylindrical and covered by hard and calcified
exoskeleton.
6)⃣B
Body
ody has two regions, head and trunk.
7)⃣H
Head
ead bears paired antennae, mandibles, first maxilla and
several ocelli, second maxillae are absent. Each mandible has
a movable distal masticatory lobe, provided with teeth and
rasping surface. Antennae are short and tactile. Mandibles
are large. First maxillae of the two sides fuse to form a
labium-like plate.
8)⃣Trunk is many-segmented.
segmented. Each segment is covered by an
exoskeletal ring, formed by the fusion
9)⃣E
Each
ach diplosegment bears two pairs
each of legs, spiracles, ostia and nerve ganglia. The first
segment is limbless. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th segments have only
one pair of legs each. The last two segments, and also the
7th segment of male are legless.
The 7th segment in male bears a pair of accessory copulatory
apparatus. Last segment is the anal segment. It is larger than
others. Each segment also has a pair of openings of the stink
ducts.
Located along the sides of the trunk internally are numerous
stink glands. These glands secrete a fluid with an unpleasant
odour.
Respiratory organs are trachae, opening out by two pairs of
spiracles in each diplosegment and by one pair in each
monosegment.
Interestingly, the animal curls to a roll for protection from
enemies, when irritated or threatened.
It also protects itself by discharging the secretion of its stink
glands which has an unpleasant odour
odour. It is repellent or toxic
to small animals, and sometimes caustic to human skin.
It contains prussic acid, aldehydes, quinones, phenols,
hydrogen cyanide, etc.