Narceus americanus

Narceus americanus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Myriapoda
Class:	Diplopoda
Order:	Spirobolida
Family:	Spirobolidae
Genus:	Narceus
Species:	N. americanus
Binomial name
Narceus americanus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1817)

Narceus americanus is a large North American millipede. It inhabits the eastern seaboard of North America west to Georgetown, Texas, north of the Ottine swamps.^[1] It has a nearly cylindrical gray body, reaching a length of 4 inches (100 mm).^[2] When threatened, they sometimes curl up or release a noxious liquid that contains large amounts of benzoquinones which can cause dermatological burns. This fluid may irritate eyes or skin. Many other millipedes secrete hydrogen cyanide, and while there have also been claims that N. americanus releases hydrogen cyanide, this is not true. They do however, excrete a substance that causes a temporary, non-harmful discoloration of the skin.^[3]

Photos

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  On floor, note waves of legs

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  Curled in defensive position

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  Defensive position

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  Closeup of the head

References

1. ^ Stephen Welton Taber & Scott B. Fleenor (2005). "Crustaceans, millipedes, and centipedes". Invertebrates of Central Texas Wetlands. Texas Tech University Press. pp. 263–272. ISBN 9780896725508. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=sO6ax1TtnzEC&pg=PA269. 
2. ^ Jennifer Frick-Ruppert (2010). "Railroad worms and millipedes: predators and prey". Mountain Nature: a Seasonal Natural History of the Southern Appalachians. University of North Carolina Press. pp. 106–108. ISBN 9780807871164. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=-Nl65P8DPbYC&pg=PA107. 
3. ^ J. E. Percy, J. Weatherston (1971). "Studies of physiologically active arthropod secretions. V. Histological studies of the defence mechanism of Narceus annularis (Raf.) (Diplopoda: Spirobolida)". Canadian Journal of Zoology 49 (2): 278–279. doi:10.1139/z71-040. PMID 4925896. 

External links

• Media related to Narceus americanus at Wikimedia Commons

This myriapoda-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Millipedes Millipedes of North America Animals described in 1817 Myriapod stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР? Albert Schultz Hogna aspersa Look at other dictionaries: Narceus americanus — Narceus americanus …   Wikipédia en Français Narceus americanus — Narceus americanus …   Wikipédia en Français N. americanus — may refer to: Nabis americanus, a minute pirate bug species Narceus americanus, a millipede species Necator americanus, a hookworm species Nicrophorus americanus, the American burying beetle or giant carrion beetle, a beetle species endemic to… …   Wikipedia Millipede — For other uses, see Millipede (disambiguation). Millipede Temporal range: 428–0 Ma …   Wikipedia Spirobolida — Taxobox | name = Spirobolida image width = 250px image caption = Narceus americanus regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda subphylum = Myriapoda classis = Diplopoda ordo = Spirobolida ordo authority = Bollman, 1893 subdivision ranks = Families… …   Wikipedia Spirobolidae — Taxobox | name = Spirobolidae image caption = Narceus americanus image width = 250px regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda classis = Diplopoda ordo = Spirobolida familia = Spirobolidae familia authority = Bollman, 1893 subdivision ranks = Genera… …   Wikipedia Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge — is a nature preserve on the grounds of Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County, Virginia, USA. Several other parks, including Mason Neck Park, Pohick Bay Park, and the Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge are located nearby.The refuge was established in… …   Wikipedia Diplopoda — Diplopodes Trigoniulu …   Wikipédia en Français Diplopode — Diplopoda Diplopodes …   Wikipédia en Français Diplopodes — Diplopoda Diplopodes …   Wikipédia en Français 18+ © Academic, 2000-2025 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”