750 The number of legs found on the female millipede Illacme plenipes that lives in California. The leggiest creature on earth, this 3 cm long millipede can spin silk from long hairs that cover its back, thereby creating its own “clothing”. First seen by scientists in 1928, the species keeps such a low profile that for the rest of the 20th century it was thought to be extinct until Arizona entomologist Paul Marek spied one near Silicon Valley. However, constant development in the area is destroying its habitat, and the species could vanish again.
The new analysis revealed that the millipede has no eyes, disproportionately long antennae and a rudimentary fused mouth adapted for sucking and piercing plant structures. It also has specialized body hairs on its back that produce silk, which may be used as a defense mechanism to clear bacteria off the millipedes’ bodies.
The team has tried to grow the millipedes in a lab but has so far been unable to. They caution that the species could be extremely endangered—in 2007, they stopped searching for wild specimens out of fears that they were depleting the population—and advocate for a formal protection listing, so scientists will have the time to learn more about them before the millipedes go extinct.
Picture Credit : Google
