Rusty Millipede

Description:

Millipedes range from 2 to 280 millimetres (0.079 to 11 in) in length, and can have as few as eleven, to over a hundred segments. They are generally black or brown in colour, although there are a few brightly coloured species. The millipede's most obvious feature is its large number of legs. Having very many short legs makes millipedes rather slow, but they are powerful burrowers. With their legs and body length moving in a wavelike pattern, they easily force their way underground head first. Most millipedes eat decaying leaves and other dead plant matter. In fulfilling their own need for nourishment, they simultaneously provide a larger ecological function by breaking plant materials into smaller pieces that aids the recycling of nutrients by bacteria and fungi. However, millipedes can also harm certain agricultural crops, be a minor garden pest