Black-and-gold Flat Millipede

Apheloria virginiensis

MillipedeintermediateHarmlessCommunal 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 flat-backed North American millipede — glossy black edged in gold/yellow. A leaf-litter detritivore that wants cooler-than-room temperatures (60-75°F) and a substrate of moist, rotting hardwood and leaf litter. Famous for its cherry-almond scent: its defensive secretion contains hydrogen cyanide, harmless in the tiny amounts produced but wash your hands after handling. Long-lived (up to ~7 years) and fine in groups.

Taxonomy

FamilyXystodesmidae

GenusApheloria

Native regionEastern USA (Virginia, North Carolina)

TypeTerrestrial

Temperamentdocile, harmless detritivore

Size & growth

Adult size1.5-2 inches

Length35.00–50.00 mm

Growth rateslow

Climate

Temperature60–75 °F

Humidity70–85%

Enclosure

Adult sizeterrestrial tank with deep substrate; good ventilation

Substratemoist rotting hardwood + leaf litter; cooler than room temp; add calcium

Substrate depth2-4 inches

Water dishOptional

Feeding

Feeding modeDetritivore (decaying matter)

Prey sizen/a (detritivore)

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

Times kept: 0