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Sticker of Bumblebee millipede
Bug card No. 0219 of 1,500

Bumblebee millipede

Anadenobolus monilicornis
Eats: Leftovers and dead thingsCentipedes and millipedesRainforests and junglesNot an insect, but a bug cousin

The bumblebee millipede is dark brown with bright yellow rings, just like a bumblebee. It has lots of little red legs and red feelers. It lives in the fallen leaves on the ground.

Fun fact: this one is not an insect. Insects have six legs, and this cousin has many, many more.
Lives in
The Caribbean islands and northern South America, and now also southern Florida
Length
2.5 to 3 cm (0.98 to 1.2 in)
Top speed
about 0.17 km/h (0.11 mph)
On foot, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
It does not bite, but it can let out a smelly liquid. Wash your hands if you touch one.
What does it eat?
Like most millipedes, it eats old, rotting leaves on the ground and helps turn them into soil.
For real!Photo of Bumblebee millipede
Picture by Totodu74. CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How big is it?

How long is it?

Bumblebee millipede about 3 cm long (1.2 in)A grain of rice about 6 mm (0.24 in)A toy building brick about 3.2 cm (1.3 in)A crayon about 9 cm (3.5 in)
as long as 5 grains of rice in a rowcould run across a dinner table in 21 seconds

How big is Bumblebee millipede compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

Some birds and monkeys squash these millipedes and rub the juice on their feathers or fur, maybe to keep bugs away.

2

In Florida it can appear in big numbers, but it does not hurt plants or people.

3

Its bright colours make it easy to spot among the brown leaves.

you asked

Most asked questions about Bumblebee millipede

?Is the bumblebee millipede poisonous?

It is not dangerous, but its liquid can smell and irritate, so wash your hands after touching it.

?How big is a bumblebee millipede?

About 2.5 to 3 centimetres long.

?What does a bumblebee millipede eat?

Mostly old, rotting leaves.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Anadenobolus monilicornis
Group
Centipedes and millipedes
Family
Rhinocricidae
Classification
Diplopoda > Spirobolida > Rhinocricidae
Lives on
North America, South America
Also known as
Yellow-banded millipede

Where the facts come from

  1. Anadenobolus monilicornis (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by Totodu74. CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. The round sticker of this bug is cut from the same picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at hello@bugwiki.app and we will fix it.

More from the same group: Centipedes and millipedes

Also at home here: Rainforests and jungles