Golden-Edged Banded Millipede

Coromus diaphorus

MillipedebeginnerHarmlessCommunal OK

No venom, no sting

Millipedes don't bite or sting and have no venom. Many do secrete defensive chemicals when stressed, so wash your hands after handling and keep them away from your eyes and mouth.

About

A handsome, active West African flat-back — dark with golden-beige segment edges (juveniles start white and darken with age). Easy, prolific, and colony-forming, making it a good beginner polydesmid. Keep a deep, humus-rich substrate with shredded deciduous leaves, white rotten wood, a little grit, and cuttlebone for calcium at 72-82°F and 70-80% humidity in a cross-ventilated enclosure. Most of its diet is the substrate itself; fruit, veg, and millipede food are taken occasionally. Like other flat-backs it can release a mild defensive secretion — wash hands after handling.

Taxonomy

FamilyOxydesmidae

GenusCoromus

Native regionWest Africa (Nigeria, Togo, Ghana)

TypeTerrestrial

Temperamentdocile, harmless detritivore

Size & growth

Adult size~2-3 in (50-80 mm)

Length50.00–80.00 mm

Growth ratemedium

Climate

Temperature72–82 °F

Humidity70–80%

Enclosure

Adult sizeterrestrial tank with deep substrate; good ventilation

Substratehumus-rich soil + shredded leaves, white rotten wood, a little grit; add calcium

Substrate depth3-4 inches

Water dishOptional

Feeding

Feeding modeDetritivore (decaying matter)

Prey sizen/a (detritivore)

Adult cadencecontinuous — leaf litter, decaying hardwood, veg + calcium

Times kept: 0