Apheloria virginiensis just chilling in the shade

#Millipede #Arthropod #Arthrodon (is that a hashtag?)

To my shame I've relented and returned to the bird site for soil biodiversity SciComm and career networking, however I plan to stay here too and keep fighting the good fight.

#SoilBiodiversity #SoilFauna #SoilEcology #Millipede #Myriapod #MacroPhotography

For #FossilFriday check out this beautifully preserved #fossil #millipede 😍 This is Pleurojulus, a 305 million year old animal from the USA. The fossil preserves details including the head (marked h, in the top image), with chewing mouthparts (marked m). Also check out the lenses in the ocellarium (panel 5). Wowzer.

#science #Palaeontology #paleontology #carboniferous

A parasitic #fungus on the antennae of a #millipede. The fungus is ca. 60 ųm long

#SoilBiodiversity #SoilFauna #Millipede #Myriapod #Macrophotography #Nature #SciComm #SoilEcology #NaturePhotography

The pinhead #millipede Rhinotus purpureus. Here you can nicely see where its scientific name comes from (its #etymology):

The genus Rhinotus from greek "rhī́s", "rhīnós" (= nose, of the nose) refers to the shape of its small elongated head.
The species epithet purpureus from latin "purpŭra" (= purple) refers to its color.
So it is a purple millipede with a nose.

The species is originally from the Carribean, but it has been introduced to the tropics worldwide including South America, North America, Asia and Africa by humas, probably with plantations. You can even find it in Europe in greenhouses.

Often they sit in masses on fungi on which they probably feed with their externally opening salivary glands (external digestion?) and a sucking apparatus within their head, which is very similar to that of butterflies or aphids.

It's time all Mastodon users found out about the unparalleled cuteness of baby millipedes! Click to treat yourself!

#SoilBiodiversity #SoilFauna #Millipede #Myriapod #Macrophotography #Nature #SciComm #SoilEcology #NaturePhotography