#Xystocheir dissecta

[jenfoundabug]

Xystocheir dissecta, a species of flat-backed millipede found only in California. They’re fairly common in forest litter around the Bay Area and show up very well with a black light at night. Like many flat-backed millipedes, they produce hydrogen cyanide as a chemical defense against predators.

Here’s the same individual in white light:

#Xystocheir dissecta #flat backed millipede #millipedes #polydesmida #Bay Area wildlife #bugs #nature #nature photography #biodiversity #animals #inaturalist #arthropods #creepy crawlies #fluorescent #gummy worms #biology nerd #zoology #interesting #educational #bugblr #uv light #invertebrates #cyanide #creature #critters #bay area #california

[persephonaae]

This is a small friend who can glow in the dark

#Xystocheir dissecta #millipede #arthropod #arthropods #insect #insects #bug #bugs #take a walk with me

[sourcedecay]

Two of them

#bugs #millipedes #sorry if im being annoying. u can block the millipedes tag if so #also still looking for name recommendations #trying not to disturb them but there’s some isopods in there and apparently they could eat them? so im trying to remove those #species is Xystocheir dissecta if u wanna see what they look like as adults

[onenicebugperday]

check out this little dude!! I think it is ‘Xystocheir dissecta’ but I’m not 100% sure. he was hanging out in a freshly dug up mole hole

Yes, that’s what it looks like! It also looks like......a friend :’)

#animals #bugs #millipede #toadsrbutch #submission #myriapods

[elf-indulgent]

Xystocheir dissecta millipedes shoot fucking cyanide gas as a defense mechanism but the Promecognathus crassus beetle evolved cyanide immunity (apparently they’re the only known predator that can survive cyanide). So these beetles that are like a fifth of the millipedes’ size jump onto them and saw their heads off, while the millipede is like wtf im like spraying all my cyanide here why is this thing still alive?!

heres the link if u wanna read abt it... also theres a cool video

#bugs #centi.txt

[persephonaae]

First little guy of the day is this baby millipede :)

#Xystocheir dissecta #millipede #arthropods #arthropod #bug #bugs #they were on a leaf in the last picture bc I was moving them off the trail so there was less chance of being stomped on #take a walk with me

[onenicebugperday]

Hi there! I found such a cool bug while walking my dogs before work! I think it must be a millipede, but it has a different build than most of the local ones I've found. It was super tiny, maybe half the length of my pinky. I put a stick in front of it to crawl on because I wanted to move it out of the walkway, and when I picked up the stick it shot some poop/acid/acid poop (sorry, little thing!) I moved it to the hopefully safer grass. I wish I'd been able to look at it longer, but my dogs are very demanding.

Found on the California northern/Central coast, by the ocean in Santa Cruz, CA

Thanks for running this blog! I have two tarantulas (A.seemani and L.parahybana) and I love learning about other inverts

I am so glad you shared this friend I love millipedes deeply! This is a flat-backed millipede, probably Xystocheir dissecta, which is fairly common in your area. And many species do spray a chemical defense! I don’t know what this particular one has inside its cute little body, but some can spray hydrochloric acid and hydrogen cyanide that can cause chemical burns, so they’re very well-equipped for self defense. Bugs are so cool??? I get excited about them literally every day

#animals #bugs #California #submission #millipede #myriapods #flat backed millipede