yellow spotted millipede harpaphe haydeniana among leaf litter pix sanjiv shukla

navigate by keyword : yellow spotted millipede harpaphe haydeniana almond scented cyanide arthropods diplopoda flat backed family xystodesmidae moist forest pacific coast insect nature natural north america dark coloration tipped keels exude toxic species hydrogen defense pattern body black olive green marked patches colour segments legs ecosystem leaf litter nutrients redwood humus predators warning secrete africa asia northern hemisphere beautiful mimicry living floor deciduous slow moving decaying dead plant matter

Yellow-spotted millipede (Harpaphe haydeniana) among leaf litter: (pix Sanjiv Shukla)

Yellow-spotted millipede (Harpaphe haydeniana), also known as almond-scented millipede or cyanide millipede, is a species of flat-backed millipedes found in the moist forests along the Pacific coast of North America. The dark coloration with contrasting yellow-tipped keels warns of its ability to exude toxic hydrogen cyanide as a defense.