Creepy discovery: New millipede found in California cave

Scientists have discovered a rare new species of millipede, and if this leggy arthropods wore shoes, it would need to buy over 200 pairs of them.

That’s because the critter has 414 legs.

Found in a marble cave in California’s Sequoia National Park, the crawly creature is called Illacme tobini. It comes from the same genus as another millipede; that one is called Illacme plenipes, and one of those arthropods has been found with an astounding 750 legs.

Underside of the new millipede species, showing its legs. (Paul Marek, Virginia Tech)

Four of the 414 legs are special. The new millipede species transfers sperm using four modified legs, which are called gonopods— a term that means “genital legs,” according to William Shear, a professor emeritus of biology at Hampden-Sydney College and coauthor of a new study describing the millipede in the journal ZooKeys. (“Millipede mating is complicated!” he said in an email to FoxNews.com.)

This specimen is the only one researchers have found so far, Shear added. “So this species may be very rare—good that it is under the protection of a National Park.”

The new millipede is named after a cave specialist and hydrologist with the National Park Service, Benjamin Tobin.

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