Of this type of centipede (two centimeters long) there are many in my garden, located at 2,350 meters above sea level in the Andes of northern Peru (Chachapoyas, Amazonas department). Any idea to which family and genus it belong and if it’s dangerous for toddlers?
Hello Stefan; It looks like it belongs to the order Polydesmida. There is a website, Bugguide, that has lovely identified photographs. Here is the address Bugguide.net Maybe a specialist can be more specific.
Best regards, Jim Des Lauriers
You might be interested by the species in https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260982907
this is not too far away
marc
Dear Stefan,
this is indeed a millepede and please do check with greenhouse millipedes
Best
Deepak
This is indeed a millipede, Polydesmida or armoured millipedes . The focus of your question is the safety of your toddler. The jaws of millipedes are much weaker than that of centipedes as centipedes are hunters and most use venom to immobilize prey. The millipedes will not bite and can be handled gently. Most (all?) millipedes are chemically defended. Typically, the poison glands are associated with the base of the legs and in response to threats, the millipede will reflexively bleed from the leg joints. These toxins can be powerful, cyanide compounds. If a toddler were to place the millipede in their mouth there could be a serious reaction. Millipedes are detrivores so a through cleaning should eliminate their food supply and keep them out of your house. I would NOT recommend pesticides as these are clearly more dangerous to your toddler.
Completely agree with James Des Lauriers and Clifford B Keil
It's a Millipede species.
There is a definite pattern in the head and thorax region on uneven (on alternative segments) whereas in abdomen yellow lateral patches observed alternative two-segments so it may be a larval/growing stage of Polydesmida or armoured millipedes.
https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/383276021
http://gen.lib.rus.ec/book/index.php?md5=4C33D10BBB6CB334B05E96588E4FD098
Best Regards
Dr. Devendra Solanki
I think it is an Orthomorpha coarctata originating from Southeast Asia but widely spread throughout all tropical and subtropical areas around the world
We would have to have a clear view of the gonopods to determine what species this is. Orthomorpha coarctata has gonopods with a single simple tip. Other species have two or three lobes on the tip of the gonopods. Millipedes in the genus Orthomorpha have 20 body segments and I count 16-18 on the photos supplied. O. coarctata is originally from SE Asia and has been widely introduced (including the Galapagos) but I do not think it is found in Peru and it would be odd to find it at 2350m.
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