Giant Millipedes

 Juvenile Giant Millipede

Adult Giant Millipede in Defensive Position

Adult Giant Millipede over 4 inches Long

Subject: Lea County’s Giant Millipedes Are On the Move

With the recent heavy rains and higher humidity levels a nocturnal creature is crawling about and seen on many of the roadways in the late evenings into the darkness although totally unseen by most of Lea County’s population. It is the Giant Millipede, (Orthoporus ornatus),a 1,000 legged worm called by some folks.

There are many species of millipedes but this insect is one of the largest ones and ranges in New Mexico, Texas and into Arizona. It inhabits the sand dunes and brush country of Lea County. Periods of rainfall bring the millipedes up from the depths of their underground burrows and tunnels were they spend most of their life.

Millipedes are detritivores; animal that feeds on dead organic matter, decomposing plants and animal parts. Some detritivores are the common earthworm and the dung beetles found readily in Lea County.

Did You Know…

The millipede name comes the Latin mille for “thousand”and ped for “foot”.Hence the name 1,000 legged worm, but it is NOTa worm at all.

There are 10, 000 speciesof millipedes around the world.

Their colors depend on their habitat environment but varies from gold, yellow, orange, red to black.

The largest United States millipede attains an overall length of 4 inches to 6 inches.

Millipedes have a cylindrical body that is segmented with each segment having two pairs of jointed legs; each shedding of its exoskeleton produces another new legged segment.

They have unique sensory organsat the base of the antennae that can detect vibrations, humidity andlight.The vibration in close proximity will cause the millipede to go into a defensive mode by curling up tightly. They have a defense measure by exuding a chemical at the base legs in each segment of a foul smelling odor and a nasty acrid taste to would be predators.

Millipedes can live to be 7-10 years old.

Night Melodies

As we move into the ‘dog days’ of summer I am always amazed at the night sounds when sitting on the patio or walking in my gardens—No, I am not referring to vehicles, sirens or people. My ears are focused in on the serenading sounds of the ‘crickets’ and ‘katydids’ their cousins. They are singing and harmonizing their songs, to find a mate, love is in the air.

Folklore abounds with crickets in world history. Crickets resembled intelligence and good fortune, were to be revered. Harming a cricket would bring misfortune to that person.

They were “caged”for singing and respected during the Tang Dynasty from 500 B.C. to 618 A.D. Then a new sport arose in the Song Dynasty from 960 to 278 A.D. “cricket fighting.”Cricket fights became so important that China actually created a governmental position, Cricket Minister, Jia Shi-Dao held the first office. Economies flourished with the importance of crickets.

The lowly cricket was even utilized to tell farmers when it was time to prep fields for spring harvest.

The endeared and reverenced quality was the cricket’s ability to sing, more correctly chirp, it’s ability, strength and vitality, and life cycles are what make this a creature of appreciation through history, cultures and customs of the world.

Did You Know:

Crickets can predict the temperature also? Yes, with chirping, they can give you the temperature.

You count the chirps from one cricket. The ambient air temperature varies the chirping with the crickets.

How is this done?For the Fahrenheit temperature, you count the number of chirps in 14 seconds, then add 40 to get the temperature at your location, it is an approximation. Example:  30 chirps in 14 seconds add the  40 = 70 degrees F. There is a formula for the Celsius temperature readings.

Why do crickets chirp?

This is how they communicate. Male crickets use chirping to attract females, scare off other males, or warn of danger.

Many of us think the cricket rubs his legs together to produce chirp. This is NOT true. The male actually rubs scraper ridges of his wing against a series of wrinkles, or “files”, on the other wing. The tone of the chirping depends upon the distance between the wrinkles. 

Nature, sings to us every night, listen to the melodies. Hummmh, I wonder if there is a sound in our ‘wrinkles’, just a thought to ponder.