News Animals

The newfound Los Angeles thread millipede is ready for its close-up

The genus of the species is known for its isolation and underground lifestyle

A close up photo of a newfound millipede on a dark background with part of a silver coin in the top left corner.

A newfound millipede species (Illacme socal), discovered in Southern California, spends most of its life underground.

P.E. Marek

By Darren Incorvaia

Despite living in the entertainment capital of the world, the Los Angeles thread millipede has avoided the limelight. But when researchers spotted it, they knew they’d found a creature worthy of center stage.

The newfound species (Illacme socal) is small, pale and lives at least 10 centimeters under the soil, researchers report June 21 in ZooKeys.