Millipedes

Millipedes (originating from the Latin , "thousand", and , "foot") are a group of arthropods that are characterised by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the class Diplopoda, the name derived from this feature. Each double-legged segment is a result of two single segments fused together. Most millipedes have very elongated cylindrical or flattened bodies with more than 20 segments, while pill millipedes are shorter and can roll into a tight ball. Although the name "millipede" derives from Latin for "thousand feet", no species was known to h

Chilognatha is a subclass of the class Diplopoda, which includes the vast majority of extant millipedes, about 12,000 species.

Eoarthropleura was a genus of millipede-like creatures which lived between the Late Silurian and Late Devonian periods. It reached in length. Fossils, mainly of cuticle fragments, have been found in Europe (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany and Shropshire, England) and North America (New York, USA and New Brunswick, Canada). It is the earliest known member of the Arthropleuridea, and the oldest known terrestrial animal of North America.

Helminthomorpha is an infraclass of worm-like millipedes within the class Diplopoda.

Varyomus is a genus of millipedes belonging to the family Aphelidesmidae.

Siphoniulus is a poorly known genus of millipede containing only two living species: S. alba from Indonesia, and S. neotropicus from Mexico and Guatemala. An additional two fossil species are known from Cretaceous amber. Siphoniulus species are the only members of the family Siphoniulidae and order Siphoniulida, making Siphoniulida the smallest millipede order. Few specimens are known, and their classification is contentious, although most recent studies place them as basal members of the Helminthomorpha ("worm-like millipedes").