A newly discovered species of millipede has set a new world record for the greatest number of legs, with 1,306. Previously no millipede had been found with more than 750 legs.
The discovery of the millipede, 60m underground in a drill hole created for mineral exploration in Western Australia, is reported by Nature magazine.
The name of the new species – Eumillipes persephone – derives from the Greek word eu- (true), the Latin words mille (thousand) and pes (foot), and references the Greek goddess of the underworld, Persephone.
E. persephone has a long, thread-like body consisting of up to 330 flexible segments and is up to 0.95mm wide and 95.7mm long. It is eyeless, and has a cone-shaped head with antennae and a beak, and short legs.
Analysis suggests that E. persephone is distantly related to the previous record holder for the greatest number of legs – the Californian millipede species, Ill acme pennies.
The authors suggest that the large number of segments and legs may allow the millipede to generate pushing forces that enable it to move through narrow openings in the soil habitats in which they live.
Picture Credit : Google
