Red spined millipede

Xenobolus carnifex

Eats: Leftovers and dead things Centipedes and millipedesGardens and meadowsNot an insect, but a bug cousin

The red spined millipede is a long, dark millipede with a red or pink stripe running right down the middle of its back. Its body is made of about 50 rings. It is widespread in South India and Sri Lanka.

Fun fact: this one is not an insect. Insects have six legs, and this cousin has many, many more.

Lives in

South India and Sri Lanka

Length

5.8 to 6.5 cm (2.3 to 2.6 in)

Top speed

about 0.25 km/h (0.16 mph)

On foot, estimate

Can it hurt you?

Harmless

Harmless. It does not bite or sting. Wash your hands after touching any millipede.

What does it eat?

Like other millipedes, it eats dead leaves and other rotting plant bits, and sometimes raids people's food.

Photo of Red spined millipede — Picture by Gihan Jayaweera. CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How big is it?

How long is it?

as long as 2 toy building bricks in a rowcould run across a dinner table in 14 seconds

How big is Red spined millipede compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

How fast is it?

A garden snail about 0.05 km/h (0.03 mph)

Red spined millipede about 0.25 km/h (0.16 mph)

A tortoise about 0.3 km/h (0.19 mph)

A person walking about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)

cool stuff

Fun facts

Its body has 48 to 50 segments.

It can become a nuisance in homes by damaging thatched roofs.

It sometimes gets into people's food and water supplies.

you asked

Most asked questions about Red spined millipede

?How long is the red spined millipede?

It is about 58 to 65 millimetres long.

?Is the red spined millipede dangerous?

No. It does not bite or sting, but it can be a pest in houses.

For bug experts

Scientific name: Xenobolus carnifex
Group: Centipedes and millipedes
Classification: Diplopoda > Spirobolida
Lives on: Asia

Where the facts come from

Xenobolus carnifex (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
Picture by Gihan Jayaweera. CC BY-SA 4.0, 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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