# Does YOUR millipede fluoresce (or bioluminate)?



## cacoseraph (May 8, 2009)

A year or two ago i had some millipedes (flats, er Polydesmida?) that fluoresced as brightly as scorpions. In fact, when i collected them i initially thought i had a scorpion on the ground till i got close enough to see the shape and not just the light.  It was pretty spectacular when there was a couple hundred green glowing millis in my immediate area 



I also know there are bioluminescent species.


The interesting thing is that both the mills i found and the ones i read about can be found in California, USA.


So my question to all yous is this.... Does YOUR millipede fluoresce (or bioluminate)?

Post species (with pics, if possible) that do seem to have some luminary talent, please


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## xhexdx (May 8, 2009)

I have seen them when out looking for scorpions here in Florida; I will be on the lookout next time I'm out there and try to get some pictures for ya. 

And btw, it's good to see you back on the boards.  Maybe I have just not seen your posts, but it seems like it's been several months.

--Joe


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## Galapoheros (May 8, 2009)

I haven't seen any around here that do.  I have a couple of diff spectrum bls.  I've seen some other stuff light up though but not much ...some caterpillars, grasshoppers...


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## cacoseraph (May 8, 2009)

thanks, x




the startle bands on my P. regalis fluoresced a smidge... not dramatic and it was pretty much a yellow fluorescence (which almost isn't fluor'ing... the spectrum needs to change or it is just reflection, i think)


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## xhexdx (May 9, 2009)

The pedes I've seen have legs that illuminate; I'll see what I can get next time I'm out.

--Joe


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## cacoseraph (May 9, 2009)

the pedes i was finding were fully fluorescing

this is probably the species as troll lives by where  i was collecting (~50 miles away)

http://www.atshq.org/forum/showthread.php?t=5420


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## xhexdx (May 9, 2009)

The picture didn't load.  I remember troll from back when I first started, about 8 years ago.


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## cacoseraph (May 10, 2009)

ah, i'm sorry
i should have been clear, the pics are on post #8
--> http://www.atshq.org/forum/showpost.php?p=90405&postcount=8


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## MaartenSFS (May 10, 2009)

cacoseraph said:


> ah, i'm sorry
> i should have been clear, the pics are on post #8
> --> http://www.atshq.org/forum/showpost.php?p=90405&postcount=8


That was pretty awesome. As usual, you seem to get all the good stuff over there.. :worship:


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## xhexdx (May 11, 2009)

Wow, those are pretty cool.  I wonder what they look like in daylight?


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## Androctonus_bic (May 11, 2009)

Caco; have ever tell you that I love you?:clap: :clap: :clap: 

What a impressive post and what incredible surprise that I recived today. 

Thanks for that post!

Cheers
Carles


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## cacoseraph (May 11, 2009)

Androctonus_bic said:


> Caco; have ever tell you that I love you?:clap: :clap: :clap:
> 
> What a impressive post and what incredible surprise that I recived today.
> 
> ...


yes, Carles... and i got the very lovely Valentine's Day present. thanks again! hehehe


Los Angeles county, Califoria, USA (basically where i have lived for part of my life) has true bioluminscent millipedes, but i have not seen them.  should talk to all my scorpion buddies and see if they have seen them when night hunting


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## Travis K (May 11, 2009)

lol, I will need to shine the two species I have, if I get a positive Ill post them.


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## natebugman (May 12, 2009)

I caught a couple of millipedes that look alot like that in southern Georgia about a month ago. I've been keeping them in a small food storage container and they fully fluoresce under a UV light. I had just gotten the light and was hoping to find a scorpion in a wood pile when I happened upon the millipedes in the leaf litter. Until then, I had no idea millipedes did that.


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## cacoseraph (Apr 18, 2010)

bump bump bump



we haven't found any of these species that are easy to ship and keep... but we are slooooowly working on it =P

i am getting more interested in all kinds of crazy bugs (i.e. things that don't even have a venomous bite etc) so maybe in the next five years or so we can work something out and introduce at least one of these cool species to the hobby as CB


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## James H (Apr 18, 2010)

Cacoseraph,  I have a species that will "glow" in my backyard here in texas when I get board and shine my UV light around.  Once it warms back up I will start looking for them again and try to post up some photos both day and night.  Nothing like the ones that you, josh and I found on the trip a couple years back. Those could have been in Avatar and fit right in with everything else in the movie.


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## Nomadinexile (Apr 18, 2010)

The ones I find in Austin area are orange and really small, maybe an inch long?   And yes, they throw you off when looking for scorpions.   bad pic here, but best I have right now.  ~r


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## Leeway337 (Jan 3, 2013)

This is an old thread but I was just thinking about these. The glowing Millipedes are I think exclusive to California or at least the most glowing one is. I think there is a few species that glow and all may be from California. These don't need any light to glow they just glow on there own. I hear they may excrete poison. If anyone has info they can share on care and breeding these I would like to give it a try. I'm pretty sure they are protected but I've been told by a few rangers that I can take a few if I wanted. Thanks.


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## Amoeba (Jan 3, 2013)

Not bioluminescent but I often come across millipedes that will glow under my black light. 

[video=youtube;-sONNLChrnk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sONNLChrnk[/video]

A breeding pair

Reactions: Like 2


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## zonbonzovi (Jan 3, 2013)

^That's a great strategy for finding them and works just as well on certain species here.  It's not universal but I've found a good number of flatties this way.


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## VictorHernandez (Jan 18, 2013)

Most of my millipedes legs and heads glow under black light a little tiny bit. My Euryurus leachii from satchellwk glow completely, its pretty cool.


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