Millipede

Description:

A flat millipede, about 2 inches long. Dorsal exoskeleton black with yellow and orange banding. Ventral exoskeleton white with yellow legs. As with all millipedes, each legged segment has two right and two left legs (second photo).

Habitat:

Common in leaf litter. In years past, I've seen these on a regular basis in the woods around here. I haven't seen them in my yard until this year.

Notes:

As with many colorful millipedes, this one produces a cyanide-containing secretion to avoid predation. The smell is reminiscent of maraschino cherries (to me, anyway).