African Giant Millipede. Gonopods exposed and then died???

[iastateinsect]

I don't know why this happened, I am hoping that someone else may know. This is the second one that has done this in a matter of two weeks. Attached is a photo. Thanks for any comments or advise in advance.

 

[iastateinsect]

One more thing. I actually thought this was a female, it didn't have gonopods like a male. After this happened I sent the photo to some friends who said it was a male and this was their gonopods. Another friend said that it may be a female and these are her reproductive organs exposing. I am so confused.

 

[mmfh]

Years ago I had the exact same thing happen to an african giant black millipede I bought from an LPS. Never did find out what happened. I will be curious to know if anyone can answer your question.

 

[zonbonzovi]

What the photo shows looks like fluid rather than gonopods to me(unless I'm missing something?). Could it have taken a fall in the terrarium? The exo looks like it was in need of a molt and maybe the millipede was just simply old.

 

[iastateinsect]

It does resemble fluid, but it is contained in packets. I am still confused. Oh well.

 

[zonbonzovi]

Interesting. There was a thread recently where someone had lost their male AGB in a similar fashion...the gonopods were extruded(?) either during or after death.

You said you thought it was female before it died? I wonder if these are actually the vulval sac(located in a similar area to the gonopods per sex)?

Sorry that you had to lose her/him. Still, there is something to be learned from this. I'm just not sure what it is yet. Thanks for the photos nonetheless.

 

[iastateinsect]

[/QUOTE]

You said you thought it was female before it died? I wonder if these are actually the vulval sac(located in a similar area to the gonopods per sex)? [/QUOTE]

I was told by one person that this happened to one of their females, they left it buried in the enclosure and a few weeks later found babies feeding on it's body. Or maybe I read that in a post on this forum......I get confused as to where I hear or read things......

I know it was a female, it had to be. I have several males and I know what their gonopods look like. I was actually embarrassed to put gonopods on this posting, but.....I still did, only because of comments from some friends that I didn't know what a male looked like (I do!!).

 

[zonbonzovi]

Haha, no worries...I probably would have made the same mistake. The positive is that someone scratching their head in the future might stumble upon your pics and solve a personal mystery!