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Sticker of Ringleg black millipede
Bug card No. 3643 of 4,939

Ringleg black millipede

Doratogonus annulipes
Eats: Leftovers and dead thingsCentipedes and millipedesGardens and meadowsNot an insect, but a bug cousin

The ringleg black millipede is a big, shiny millipede from the south of Africa. Its long round body is made of many rings, and it walks on lots and lots of little legs. It moves slowly and smoothly, like a tiny train.

Fun fact: this one is not an insect. Insects have six legs, and this cousin has many, many more.
Lives in
Southern Africa
Top speed
about 0.2 km/h (0.12 mph)
On foot, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. It does not bite or sting. Wash your hands if you have touched one.
What does it eat?
Like other millipedes, it eats dead leaves and other old plant bits on the ground. That helps turn them back into soil.
For real!Photo of Ringleg black millipede
Picture by Terrible Tim. CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

Millipedes in its group are giants. They grow 8 to 20 centimetres long, as long as a pencil.

2

Millipedes like it are quite common in southern Africa.

3

Many of its close relatives are in danger, because the places where they live are being destroyed.

you asked

Most asked questions about Ringleg black millipede

?Is the ringleg black millipede dangerous?

No. It does not bite or sting. Just wash your hands after touching it.

?How big is the ringleg black millipede?

Millipedes in its group are big, about 8 to 20 centimetres long.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Doratogonus annulipes
Group
Centipedes and millipedes
Family
Spirostreptidae
Classification
Diplopoda > Spirostreptida > Spirostreptidae
Lives on
Africa

Where the facts come from

  1. Doratogonus (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by Terrible Tim. CC0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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